Twelve weeks into the UK’s coronavirus-induced lockdown, now is a time where we need comedy more than ever. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a time where it’s perhaps hardest to find something that’s actually damn funny. MoodyComedy is trying to remedy this.
What is the first thing you plan on doing once the lockdown is fully lifted?
Probably nothing as I won’t be able to afford to do anything! Or just go to the pub with friends. Nothing too extreme or exciting.
What’s your current lockdown binge watch?
I’m slightly obsessed with watching real life murder programmes, or tragedies, at the moment. The Salisbury Poisonings was great, as was Chernobyl, anything that gives me hope that this situation will be ‘ok’ in the end.
Has anything made you laugh recently?
Lots. My mates online. The price of petrol.
How are you trying to keep sane at the moment?
I was never sane, so this is just like normal life for me.
What thing would you like to draw our attention to right now?
I have nothing to promote other than myself on the usual socials, and to be fair even they’re really boring right now, so I think people should pay attention to nature, their friends their family and the decline of their liver.
Eleven weeks into the UK’s coronavirus-induced lockdown, now is a time where we need comedy more than ever. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a time where it’s perhaps hardest to find something that’s actually damn funny. MoodyComedy is trying to remedy this.
What is the first thing you plan on doing once the lockdown is fully lifted?
I’ll be investing in all the second-hand hair trimmers that will be appearing on eBay. Second-hand hair trimmers and yoga mats. Buy ‘em all up cheap. Sit back. Wait for the second wave and kerching. After the second wave I’m going to be rich and I’m going to open an Escape Room empire!
What’s your current lockdown binge watch?
I’d love to say something hip but I am in lockdown with my 84 year old mum. Elderly people like TV for company and noise. So I am passively watching daytime television, picking up secondhand TV, and have accidentally inhaled seasons of Father Brown. My respite is MUBI art house streaming club that did a 3 month free offer so I have done a lot of Fellini and Takashi Miike. Alongside This Country and Schitt’s Creek.
Has anything made you laugh recently?
I have been showing my 84 year old mum YouTube vids of people fishing with Coca Cola and Mentos. The pair of us have been howling at this. Snakes! They catch snakes after the catfish! I promise my mum is the rudest woman in South London and so when the snakes come out of the hole the shock elects a mix of laughter and her screaming ‘Fucking little bastards!’
How are you trying to keep sane at the moment?
Writing and working, plotting and watching videos of catfish and snakes. The great thing about writing is it gives a wonderful outlet to process and comprehend the madness of this government.
What thing would you like to draw our attention to?
Glad you asked. I am doing a monthly streaming of past shows with Go Faster Stripe (the people who filmed them). Tickets are a fiver and the next one is Tuesday 9th June At 7.30p.m. There is a live intro from me, then streaming Showtime from the Frontline, then a live Q&A. The show is captioned and the Q&A and intro have a BSL signer.
The show is about trying to set up a comedy club in Palestine in a refugee camp. Two of the people who were part of that effort, Faisal Abu Alhayjaa and Alaa Shehada, came to the UK and wrote the show with me. They are going to join us live from Palestine in the Q&A. I also write a column for the London Economic.
Eleven weeks into the UK’s coronavirus-induced lockdown, now is a time where we need comedy more than ever. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a time where it’s perhaps hardest to find something that’s actually damn funny. MoodyComedy is trying to remedy this.
What is the first thing you plan on doing once the lockdown is fully lifted?
As this government is probably going to lift lockdown too soon, I am going to pretend that we’re still living under restrictions for a week or two. I do not trust their decision making.
What’s your current lockdown binge watch?
I really liked Giri/Haji and got into Money Heist. Endless Doc McStuffins on Disney Plus cos the child is obsessed.
Has anything made you laugh recently?
I thought The Lovebirds on Netflix was hilarious
How are you trying to keep sane at the moment?
Continuing to work. I am going to restrict my social media use too as it’s a massive energy drain. Taking walks has been helpful. Naps help too.
What thing would you like to draw our attention to right now?
Hysteria. There is lots of it around at the moment. Sometimes we need calm and reflection too. Everyone is behaving as if they have the answers. If we all had the answers we wouldn’t be in the shitshow of a world we live in now. So calm and reflection is the way to go I think.
Seven weeks into the UK’s coronavirus-induced lockdown, now is a time where we need comedy more than ever. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a time where it’s perhaps hardest to find something that’s actually damn funny. MoodyComedy is trying to remedy this.
Anthony Jeannot talks to MoodyComedy about Australian stand-up specials and all sorts of other lockdown distraction techniques…
What is the first thing you plan on doing once the lockdown is fully lifted?
I can wait to be able to sit in a park, in the sunshine with a few mates and just go ‘how weird was that?’ and actually have new content from outside the flat to talk about. Also, very keen on not doing another bloody Zoom quiz. That being said, I’ll probably spend the first month keeping a low profile still while things stabilise.
What’s your current lockdown binge watch?
Oh god, it’s been hard. I’m so bored and so used to mindlessly tuning out of whatever task I’m doing, that if the show I put on doesn’t grab me instantly, I tune out without realising. I have watched a few specials from amazing Australian comedians on Amazon Prime. Celia Pacquola, Dilruk Jaysinha and Alice Fraser to name a few.
Has anything made you laugh recently?
My wife, constantly. Without wanting to be too sentimental, she’s extremely funny and that’s made lockdown bearable. The above specials all made me laugh out loud a lot.
How are you trying to keep sane at the moment?
In the wise words of the Love Island contestants of summer 2019, ‘it is what it is.’ I think just breaking things down into small chunks. Knowing we’re moving towards things getting better. Also, I made a huge batch of pot brownie before lockdown started and that’s helped.
What past, current or future projects of yours would you like to draw our attention to?
I’ve just released my debut stand-up album. It’s a show I took around the world (remember when you could do that) to critical acclaim and sold out shows all over. I hope you like it. Stay safe, have fun and keep your sense of humour.
Over four weeks into a minimum six week lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 pandemic, now is a time where we need comedy more than ever. Unsurprisingly, it’s also a time where it’s perhaps hardest to find something that’s actually damn funny. MoodyComedy is trying to remedy this.
Lauren Pattison chats to MoodyComedy about her love of reality TV, and her efforts to give herself a break…
What is the first thing you plan on doing once the lockdown is fully lifted?
I want to see my niece and nephew – I’m not sure if they’ll give two shits about seeing me but I miss the daft idiots so much. Weirdly I have no interest in going to the pub – I think they’re gonna be rammed and it’s gonna turn feral very quickly, y’know like the weekend before Christmas when there’s both excitement and the potential for violence buzzing in the air? So I want to continue my journey into the fifteen-year-old I’ve regressed into during this lockdown by going to have a drink outside somewhere with some mates. To clarify, these two things are separate events and I won’t be taking my underage niece and nephew to get hammered in a field.
What’s your current lockdown binge watch?
I’ve been binging Friday Night Dinner from the beginning; it has absolutely been time well spent. I also watched Too Hot To Handle arguably too quickly. Loads of people sneer at reality TV and I’m like, okay Einstein, sorry this is too low brow for you, enjoy reading your encyclopaedia or whatever you’re doing instead.
Has anything made you laugh recently?
Mark Nelson’s videos of homeschooling his son have really been cracking me up. He’s also done an amazing job hosting The Stand’s online gigs. Aunty Donna’s Instagram feed has been making me laugh on a daily basis, without fail. Laura Lexx’s Twitter feed is hilarious regardless of whether we’re in a pandemic or not, but she’s been a much needed source of laughter during this. Also Rob Mulholland is putting out lockdown chats with groups of comics and the feeling of just chatting with my mates again was like being back in a greenroom which is what I’ve missed almost as much as the gigs; we had a right laugh and they’re well worth checking out. Oh, and I got sent a great video of my niece eating a lemon, top stuff.
How are you trying to keep sane at the moment?
I guess I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself. There’s this worry that I bet I’m not the only creative person has, that if you’re not putting loads of new stuff out online to entertain, then others will think you’re not adapting and you’ll look like a failure. The truth is – this is a weird as fuck time, everyone’s circumstances are gonna be slightly different and you shouldn’t feel bad if you’re not in a position where you can or want to make anything creative. Absolute fair play to those who are, it’s amazing seeing the kind of things people are coming out with but I’m also trying my best to not feel bad if I’m not doing it on the regular. I’m trying to keep doing some of what I was doing before in the sense of being funny and making people laugh on Twitter, in the hope I can keep building a little audience that way and raise a few smiles. Also not every creative thing you do has to be stuff that goes out straight away, I’ve tried to focus on getting a few bits of writing done, things that have been bubbling for a while but I hadn’t had the time to put on a page. I’m really just trying to do what’s best for me, arguably something I should have been doing for ages. Sorry this wasn’t a very funny answer was it, I should have said wanking or something.
What past, current or future projects of yours would you like to draw our attention to?
I have a podcast called Conversations Against Living Miserably. It’s a mental health podcast where we try and tackle everything with as much laughter as possible. I think it’s such an important time for people to be keeping their mental wellbeing in check, and an even more important time to keep smiling and laughing and finding light in the dark, so hopefully this is literally the ideal podcast. It’s the thing I’m most proud of and hopefully I can make more if it gets loads of lovely listens and feedback, no pressure to you all there. I also have my debut show Lady Muck available on NextUp, there’s so much great stuff on there to keep you occupied and the NextUp team are working their arses off to help comics during this. As for the future – I urge you to support your favourite comics after this, come see them live, spread the word, take chances on people who you may not have heard of. I also think when the dust settles after this, it’s a time more than ever to champion the voices of working class performers.
Chris Evans is the founder of the film production and distribution company, Go Faster Stripe. From Stewart Lee to Seymour Mace, Go Faster Stripe has produced a huge variety of live comedy recordings, and the company continues to grow its catalogue each year.
MoodyComedy chatted to Chris to find out more…
Hello Chris! How did Go Faster Stripe begin?
Hello. Thanks for asking me to do this – but I am hardly an expert. We started as a bit of a ridiculous dream. I read somewhere that Stewart Lee was having trouble getting his show recorded for DVD. I had seen the show, and I thought it was ridiculous that no one wanted to film it.
At that time I was working in a little arts centre in Cardiff and as I was wandering through the theatre one afternoon I thought that it would make a great venue for a DVD recording. A couple of days later – in the bath – I remembered I had a couple of mates that were cameramen, and I knew a chap who was handy with his sound recording equipment. So – by chance – I had all the components in place to record Stew’s show, and I wrote to him and told him. To my huge surprise and absolute delight he agreed to come down.
We filmed the show, and then we surprised ourselves again when it came out rather well. So Go Faster Stripe was formed to release it. I had a pint with Stew to celebrate, and he suggested I got in touch with Richard Herring to ask if he had anything he’d like us to record. And then it all went from there. I now have my dream job. I am very lucky.
Where did your love of comedy originate?
I don’t know. I mean we all like a laugh, don’t we? I had a friend from school that shared my love of comedy. We used to record Radio 4 comedy shows and were hungry for any laughs we could get our hands on. We used to go to the bookshop in Cardiff and browse their comedy book section. Now I’m thinking about it, I think I was just after funny things to say to my friends in school. You know, so I could be popular. We all want to be popular, don’t we?
Who do you most enjoy watching perform?
I enjoy watching people comfortable in what they are doing. I love the likes of Tony Law and Simon Munnery – you can tell immediately that neither of them are copying anyone else. And that they’ve evolved their own styles.
Why do you continue to do what you do?
This is my perfect job. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I try and keep things sustainable, and not risk too much on any daft projects, whilst at the same time making sure I get involved in daft projects.
What element of your work are you most proud of?
I’m over the moon that I’ve managed to save some excellent shows for future generations. And I like to think that we’ve done it with a little bit of style. I like that we’ve managed to get our DVDs jam packed with loads of extras and hidden stuff.
Oh, and I’m really proud of a Robin Ince DVD we made that plays in a different random order every time you put it on. It took ages to get that to work.
Comedy writer, director and producer David Ruby’s latest project is a web series about, as the title aptly suggests, how to date a magical creature. From vampires to zombies to the twins from The Shining, host Toby Vanilla interviews all kinds of monsters about their love lives. David spoke to MoodyComedy about the show…
How did the How to Date a Magical Creature series evolve from the original improv show?
Actually the series inspired the improv show. We had so much fun and laughed so much when we were filming the interviews for How To Date A Magical Creature that during the filming I thought this could translate brilliantly onto a live stage as an improv show.
Jonah Fazel, who plays Santa and Death, had the exact same thought and at the end of the filming approached me suggesting we make that vision a reality. The end result was a sold out run at the Vault Festival in 2019.
Who are the cast and characters in How to Date a Magical Creature?
In alphabetical order…
Jonah Fazel (BAFTA-winning History Bombs, Edinburgh Sell-Out Bumper Blyton, award-winning Treasure Champs) plays Santa in How To Date Satan and Santa, as well as Death in How To Date Death and his girlfriend Janet from Accounts Payable.
Susan Harrison (BAFTA-winning Class Dismissed, Olivier Award-winning Showstopper! The Musical) steps into the shoes of Catriona Gunningforit in How To Date A Vampire. She also plays Medusa in How To Date Medusa, as well as ‘Short Twin’ in How To Date The Creepy Twins from The Shining.
John Henry Falle (Edinburgh-Nominated Best Newcomer Story Beast) is a grumpy zombie in How To Date A Zombie.
Alex Holland (Royal Television Society Award-winner, Free Association) dons his best television suit to become Toby Vanilla, the host of How To Date A Magical Creature.
Richard Soames (BBC Quickies, Michael McIntyre’s Big Show) is the significant other to Clive The Zombie as they embark on a couple’s therapy session.
Dan Starkey (Good Omens, Doctor Who) polished his horns to play Satan, Santa’s better-behaved little brother in How To Date Satan and Santa.
As the ‘Tall Twin’ to Susan Harrison’s ‘Short Twin’, Lucy Trodd (Olivier Award-winning Showstopper! The Musical, Channel 4’s Lee and Dean) stars in How To Date The Creepy Twins from The Shining. She also plays Janet, Death’s girlfriend in How To Date Death his girlfriend Janet from Accounts Payable.
You have a really solid premise for the show – what was the inspiration behind it?
Thank you! The inspiration for the show was actually a brainstorming session I had with my then producer from my first film Custom Love. After the success of Custom Love I had written a short film script called My Ex-Girlfriend Is A Mermaid, for which I’d been speaking to Susan Harrison about playing one of the leads.
My producer and I were discussing different ways of raising money for this new project, and she suggested we produce a teaser for a Kickstarter campaign. That’s when it hit me that it could be really fun to release a bunch of episodes giving humans advice on how to date magical creatures. In fact, I loved that idea so much I put the short film on hold and focused on what has now become How To Date A Magical Creature.
How fun is it assigning a voice and a personality to imaginary creatures such as zombies and Santa Claus?
It was absolutely hilarious, and all credit needs to go to the brilliant performers. They all had uniquely fantastic takes on how they wanted their characters to be, and when the camera rolled, I just let them improvise to see where we got.
For instance, the fact that Satan turns out to the ‘good brother’ versus Santa who is the horribly rude brother enslaving thousands of elves in the north pole, all came from Jonah Fazel, Dan Starkey and Alex Holland improvising the dialogue as they went along, finding a great game and just having fun. The hardest part of the shoot was for the crew not to laugh out loud and ruin the takes!
What do your viewers have to look forward to later in the series?
Later in the series you can expect to see Toby Vanilla in the interviewer’s chair trying to find out more about the dating lives of Medusa, The Creepy Twins from The Shining (yes it’s really them!) and Death and his girlfriend Janet from Accounts Payable.
Just the Tonic’s comedy night returns for its second instalment at Leamington Spa’s Assembly. The whole affair is a smoother operation this time. There are no winding queues outside in the cold, and the revised seating arrangement provides a far more intimate setting. Despite there being less punters this month, the room feels fuller, with the rows of seats more central and the sides of the room blocked off.
Compere for the evening, London-born comic Tom Toal, is a natural. He works hard to generate an amiable atmosphere, chatting to individual audience members comfortably, without the stuntedness that can often come with crowd work. The snippets of material he scatters through the evening feel appropriate for the type of gig, and his ability to transition between heartwarming family anecdotes and sex gags is surprisingly refined.
Cheerfully self-deprecating, Simon Wozniak is a highlight. Each line of material is perfectly worded, with layers of outrageousness building in gradual increments. This is a comic who is confident with joke structure and can use his skills to present unpredictable punchlines which take the wind out of his audience.
But star of the show, perhaps rather shockingly considering the type of occasion, is absurdist live wire Paul Foot. Tantalisingly obscure, Foot has a kind of weirdness that is timeless. In fact, it’s refreshing to see just how well such a performer can do in front of a weekend club night crowd, as this is certainly not his usual scene.
With consistently unpredictable punchlines, quick gear changes and varied subject matter, it would be hard to find this buzzing housefly liveliness irritating. The opposite, in fact, is true. The predominantly innocent nature of the material makes Foot unexpectedly endearing. The charm comes in his sly looks out to the audience, the way he tosses his spaniel-like hair, the devious grin that follows his dead parakeet joke. Where his energy will take the room is unpredictable, and that’s the joy of this comic.
Just the Tonic returns to Leamington Spa’s Assembly next month, featuring Gary Delaney and Jonny Awsum. Tickets are available here.
Stavros Halkias is a stand up comedian, podcaster and body positivity activist. He answers seven questions about his personal life and his comedy life.
1) What are your feelings as you prepare for your run at the Soho Theatre?
I’m excited, I can’t wait to see if really vulgar jokes about my penis work across the pond.
2) Who, or which group of people, would you most like your comedy to reach?
Anyone that’s struggling or having a tough day, I want them to be able to go to a show or watch one of my clips and just smile, lol psych, my answer is: the people in charge of the entertainment industry. Let me be on TV or in a movie, I wanna buy fur coats and get my mom a big ass house.
3) What brings you joy?
Taking a bunch of edibles and ordering like 40 dollars’ worth of pizza and wings and watching John Wick 2.
4) When did you last feel annoyed?
I forgot I signed up for a Weight Watchers free trial last year and those motherfuckers were charging me like 40 dollars a month for like 8 months. I’m still pissed and I want my revenge.
5) What is your favourite memory?
Getting a GameCube for Christmas in 2001. It was the only thing that could heal the wounds of 9/11.
6) What would you like audiences to take from your shows?
I just want everyone to have a good ass time and if they’re a cute girl, I would like them to develop an intense, sexual attraction to bald, toothless men in addition to having a good ass time.
7) What do you see in your future?
I wanna be the owner/general manager of a small, surf and turf restaurant specialising in rib eye steaks, lamb chops, crab cakes and both fried and grilled calamari.
Back in February, Just the Tonic celebrated the launch of their latest comedy night venue. Art-deco in its style and boasting a large, open main room, the Assembly in Leamington Spa is steeped in history. And while the Grade II listed building originally served as a dance hall and later a music venue, it will soon see the likes of Paul Foot, Hal Cruttenden and Daliso Chaponda gracing its stage.
Leamington’s first Just the Tonic comedy night was held on February 8 2020 and featured stand up from Andrew O’Neill, Matt Richardson, Guz Khan and headliner Reginald D. Hunter. JTT owner Darrell Martin oversaw the launch: ‘Our first night in Leamington was amazing,’ Darrell tells MoodyComedy, ‘We had a bit of trouble as the doorman turned up late, so we had a rather annoyed queue outside for a while. But, once everyone got in, the night was so good that, I think, all was forgiven. The comedians loved the room (and who wouldn’t?), and the audience left very happy. We are really looking forward to the upcoming shows. There’s going to be some great comedy nights in The Assembly with Just the Tonic.’
Not only is Just the Tonic one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s biggest institutions, but the company also has clubs in Birmingham, Camden, Leicester, Nottingham, Reading and Watford, with all venues hosting regular Saturday comedy club nights.
And the excitement of new comedic possibility isn’t just limited to us Midlanders. It was announced last month that Johnny Vegas would be making a return to stand up comedy. Having not performed stand up in over a decade, Vegas has chosen Just the Tonic’s venues to facilitate his comeback.
In February, Vegas compered Just the Tonic’s Leicester and Reading venues, and in March he will be doing the same in Birmingham (March 6) and Nottingham (March 21). There are still a few tickets available for both of these comedy nights, and we can expect further dates to be added for JTT’s other venues soon.
The second Just the Tonic Leamington Spa comedy night is this Saturday (March 7) and tickets are available here.