Each Comedian of the Month on MoodyComedy is a comic who has never previously featured on the website. Reasons for selection can include various current projects the comedian is involved with, or perhaps recent appearances on television programmes or podcasts. There is no strict criteria however, as Comedian of the Month simply stands as a collection of recommendations, highlighting interesting and original aspects of certain comedians and their work.
This month’s comedian is Diane Morgan and particularly her alter-ego Philomena Cunk who makes regular appearances on Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe. Despite the fact that the show isn’t actually running at the moment, Diane Morgan has been relevant for me this month because I found a bit of her stand up online (although I couldn’t really find a lot).
Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe is very satirically dense and although this is important in comedy, it can often get a little too heavy. This is why characters like Philomena Cunk and Barry Shitpeas are so brilliant for the programme: they bring the silliness to a sometimes very depressing world. Philomena always has the most incredible lines that really catch you off guard, with her little mini-documentaries about The Internet or What Is Time? They are completely stupid, and the things she says aren’t intellectual in anyway; that’s why I love her.
Diane manages to convey a beautiful silliness within five seconds of screen time which is reminiscent of many comic heroes such as Vic & Bob and Harry Hill. This mood can be shown through words, or even just a raise of the eyebrows, which is a skill not many have mastered (think, Paul Foot or Bill Bailey). Here is a clip from the latest series of Weekly Wipe, it is the first episode in the series of Philomena Cunk’s Moments of Wonder (‘Time’).
For more information, visit Diane Morgan’s website and follow her on Twitter.