The Edinburgh Interviews 2017: Abi Roberts

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© Karla Gowlett

Abi Roberts has a fearless approach to comedy. Her latest show, as you will read below, discusses what it was like to live in the USSR during the 90s. Roberts examines Russia’s deeply entrenched homophobia and censorship laws, whilst also showcasing her musical talents. She is performing at the Underbelly, Cowgate throughout August.

1) What excites you most about the Edinburgh Festival?

The sheer variety of comedy on display, the buzz and the fact I get a chance to play to an audience that I have built up over the last few years with entirely new stuff. I also get to see mates I don’t see much of when you are doing comedy clubs – it tends to be fairly “get in, get the job done, drive home”. I generally arrive in Edinburgh excited to hopefully find somewhere that does decent food. I generally do, but then the Edinburgh Festival lifestyle invariably leads you to the Scottish diet which closely resembles the diet of a comedian on the road… i.e. mostly deep-fried food. I’m also at the Underbelly Cowgate this year so I will be very much loving being at the centre of everything in Edinburgh.

2) What was your first Edinburgh show about?

My first show was cabaret with about ten songs and upteen costume changes in it. My first proper stand up show was in 2015 and it was called DOWNTOWN ABI, about the difference between my background and my personality. ANGLICHANKA (which means “Englishwoman” in Russian) is a new stand-up comedy show about living in the former Soviet Union in the 90s and returning after 18 years as the first UK comic to perform comedy in English and Russian. In this show, I talk about learning to become an opera singer in Moscow in the 90s, about gay rights and censorship in modern Russia under Putin, what the consequences are of drinking hardcore vodka and using outdoor loos in -25 temperatures and how Russia has changed since the fall of the Soviet Union. You will definitely learn more about Putin, the meerkat with nuclear weapons and you’ll get to hear some kick-ass opera and ahem… some Russian hip hop.

3) Does your comedy attract a certain type of audience?

Not really. I get them all in. Everyone from 18 year olds to 65 year olds, from Scots to Russians via Yorkshire. They are generally, though, the sorts of people who like to laugh. My show is very definitely not a TED talk or lecture of any sort. It has proper stories and jokes in it. The pathos is genuine because what happens in the show really happened to me in real life. People come to laugh and if I can teach them something about my experiences of Russia, what we need to know about one of the world’s most diverse and gigantic countries, so much the better. It’s been described by critics as “intelligent, self-effacing and deeply personal comedy, not to be missed” so I guess it attracts audiences who appreciate those qualities in a comedian!

4) What is the worst experience you’ve had with Edinburgh accommodation?

Moving into a flat that not only had black mould on the bedroom walls, it also had a resident rat, ants and a major spider problem. I once had to rescue a mate who found themselves in an Edinburgh flat in a not very salubrious part of town and when we arrived to pick up her stuff the block of flats was being raided by armed police from the drug squad. Nice.

© Simon Houlihan

5) What is your most treasured memory of your comedy career so far?

Selling out my show last year and then going on to sell out every date on my 40 odd date tour since then. Also, doing my first acting jobs in comedy films this year – one which was shot in my homeland of Wales and the other in the Peak District. And both have won major awards. They should be out on release later this year/early next.

6) What show will you definitely be seeing at the festival this year?

Jason Manford’s and John Bishop’s shows, as they are in the same venue as my show. I’ll also be seeing Tom Stade’s show and, if he’s doing a show this year, Paul Foot.

7) What do you hope to gain from the Edinburgh Festival this year?

More people to see ANGLICHNAKA because I am really proud of that show and the reception it’s received. That alone will be reward for me. I’m also doing a WIP show, so Edinburgh will provide a good testing ground for a new show I’m working on for next year.

8) What do you imagine your last ever show will be about?

Probably diabetes, as doing Edinburgh every year is surely going to give me some kind of medical condition due to the lack of vegetables, salad and the preponderance of deep fried food… either that or a show about Columbo. I have said before I am going to do a show about my favourite detective but haven’t got round to it yet.

BOOK TICKETS FOR ABI ROBERTS: ANGLICHANKA, AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS 2017

Film Review: Mindhorn

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A murder takes place on the Isle of Man, a place where serious crime is not a frequent occurrence. But what is most surprising is that MI5 Special Operative Bruce Mindhorn is called in to help. The catch? Mindhorn is a detective from a 1980s British TV show. Richard Thorncroft (Julian Barratt) used to play Mindhorn way back in his heyday. The world has since forgotten him, except maybe one vulnerable individual, played by Russell Tovey, going by the name of the Kestrel.

The plot is ridiculous, and so are the film’s protagonists. Barratt is expressive and physical in his portrayal of Thorncroft. A man with an apparently blasé approach to danger, he blurs the line between superhero and average Joe. Richard Thorncroft is a man who used to be something but no longer is, and it’s this foolishness and ludicrous self-denial that makes his character so appealing. There is a vulnerability to him that endears us. He is simultaneously self-conscious and unashamed.

Simon Farnaby, as well as co-writing the film with Barratt, plays Thorncroft’s Dutch ex-stunt double and rival. Now in a relationship with Thorncroft’s ex-wife, it is understandable that these two don’t get on. Barratt and Farnaby feed off each other’s energy; they have always worked well together on screen.

And the addition of Tovey is a wise decision. The childlike innocence of this Mindhorn-enthusiast combined with that trademark cheeky glint in Tovey’s eye makes for some brilliant moments of contrast between himself and our protagonist. He is the only character, it seems, who takes Thorncroft/Mindhorn seriously. His ex, Patricia (Essie Davis) and former Mindhorn sidekick Peter Eastman (Steve Coogan), definitely do not appear to attribute much credibility to Thorncroft, and rightly so. The Isle of Man has moved on without him, but maybe it is finally time for Mindhorn to return to the public eye.

Mindhorn is an incredibly quotable film, and one that groups of people seem to enjoy talking about a great deal. And most importantly, it is devilishly funny. This film is packed full of idiosyncrasies and though we may feel as though we have seen enough films about celebrity has-beens in recent years (think Alpha Papa, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie), Mindhorn is certainly not a slave to stereotype.

May Comedian of the Month #40, Guz Khan

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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.

Guz Khan is a Brummie comedian (well he’s from Coventry, at least), so maybe that’s why I feel a personal connection to his comedy, and to him. After all, I first came across Khan at a fundraising event for Crisis at Birmingham Glee Club. But while this fun night of charity promoting and laughter is how I came to know of Guz, many others have become aware of him through his YouTube videos, as this video urging people to boycott Jurassic World went viral:

Khan quit his teaching job in 2015 to pursue a comedy career full time, after landing himself a radio role presenting the Saturday Breakfast Show on BBC Asian Network. He has since written a comedy pilot for BBC Three, called Man Like Mobeen, about a reformed gangster who becomes a man of faith and is landed with the responsibility of looking after his younger sisters.

And if his viral YouTube videos somehow passed you by, surely you can’t have missed Guz Khan’s cheeky humour on your Facebook timeline this week. Guz has been exploring the perception of British Muslims in 2017. This is a sensitive topic and Khan has recognised that he has a powerful voice within this area, because he is part of the group receiving prejudice that is worsening as terrorist attacks in the UK are increasing and ignorance has created a bigoted blame game. Guz’s message, and therefore his comic voice, is particularly important right now. And it helps that he is geting his message across in his effortlessly charismatic, droll way.

For more information, follow Guz Khan on YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

APRIL COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH: CARIAD LLOYD

Seven Questions With… Princes Of Main

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Princes Of Main are a comedy sketch group made up of award winning comedians and writers Ben Pope, Alex MacKeith and Jamie Fraser. They also host a monthly free new material night in London called Crazy Science Stupid Magic, showcasing stand up, character and sketch comedy from a wide range of names on the UK comedy circuit. The Princes will also be returning to the Edinburgh Festival this year with another hour of absurd, fast-paced fun.
I asked Princes of Main these seven questions to find out more about them…

1) How did you feel when you woke up this morning?

BEN: Relieved. I watched Pride and Prejudice and Zombies last night and I had nine straight hours of premium nightmares.

ALEX: I felt neat and okay.

JAMIE: I have a wisdom tooth coming through so I woke up feeling achy, tender and like I was wearing a face two sizes too large for me. Other than that, tip top.

2) Jelly Babies or Jelly Beans?

BEN: Jelly Babies are better than Jelly Beans. No question. But I’d still take Jelly Beans over an actual baby.

ALEX: Honestly, gutted that they’ve gone their separate ways because we three would often sit down for hours on a Monday knocking back alternate JBeans and JBabies (as we abbreviated them; we didn’t have time for the whole names — you wanna eat them, not say them!) If that’s the way it is I will abstain from both parties until they work it out. JBean/JBaby relations have frosted before and always thawed. It’s not worth falling out over. But I know exactly how Ben will feel about this, and I will not be the one to tell him.

JAMIE: Jelly Babies are fantastic, I wish I had some now.

© Princes of Main

3) Do your sketches tend to develop or stay the same each time you perform them?

BEN: They always develop. We have short attention spans so too much repetition makes Jack a dull boy. New lines, new delivery, new voices constantly refresh old stuff or else it goes stale like milk or Kiefer Sutherland.

ALEX: They change considerably. You’ve got to change things up or Jamie gets incredibly, incredibly angry with you. If Ben had his way we’d hone and whittle until the sketch was just one syllable long. We actually cut the syllable-long sketch in the end because of time constraints. But I never have any regrets when we lose a line or a character or a joke. I’ve got them all right here.

*Points to head, then heart, then to notebook full of lines, characters and jokes.*

JAMIE: I think this has changed for us the more we have written and performed together. When we started out doing shows together, we had a sort of maniacal attitude to the actual writing of sketches, with very little left to be figured out in the moment. Call it being more relaxed or just laziness, but now we’re much happier to try a sketch with only vague idea of what might be funny about it, or even where it will go. From there, you see what gets a response and go back to the original idea, altering according to what felt best about it. That gradual erosion through the gentle lapping of positive and negative feedback eventually results in the sketch ossifying into a fixed state. If you’re lucky, this final frozen form is both Good and Funny and you can charge money for it at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

4) Who do you find the most annoying out of the three of you?

BEN: Oh, it’s a dead heat. We’re all insufferable toilets.

ALEX: Alex?

JAMIE: Myself.

5) How do you think you will die?

BEN: Google ‘La Grande Bouffe’. Ideally that.

ALEX: Too much love.

JAMIE: I’d like to say something dramatic but it’s almost certainly going to be a prolonged John Donne-style malady.

6) What makes you feel as though you have your life together?

BEN: The split second when I wake up before I remember everything.

ALEX: I don’t know if you’ve heard of a little book called The Holy Bible?

JAMIE: My slow cooker.

7) What’s the best thing about your audiences?

BEN: The thing I love absolutely love the most about our audiences is that sometimes they turn up.

ALEX: Their undying patience.

JAMIE: I wouldn’t want to generalise, but our shows are usually at their best when the audience enjoys seeing us mess up as much as they enjoy seeing us succeed. This is a lovely thing to experience as a performer and I’m grateful when it happens. Our audiences also tend to have an ineffable sexual charisma which makes them irresistible to friends, coworkers and strangers alike.

Tickets for Crazy Science Stupid Magic are available here. All proceeds go towards Parkinson’s UK. You can also follow Princes of Main on Twitter.

April: Comedian Of The Month #39, Cariad Lloyd

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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.

Cariad Lloyd is a regular face on television these days. She  has become a frequent guest on QI during the past few years as well as starring in the likes of Peep Show, Murder in Successville, Crackanory and Crims.

But this comic and writer has many strings to her bow. With an aptitude for improvisation, Cariad is animated and engaging, able to endear herself to audiences with ease. She is a member of the highly acclaimed Jane Austen-inspired improvised sketch group Austentatious: The Improvised Novel (fellow cast member Jospeh Morpurgo has been MoodyComedy’s Comedian of the Month in the past).

© Richard Davenport

The area of Cariad’s work that I have most recently enjoyed, however, is her relatively new podcast: The Grief Cast. As you might guess from the title, it is a series about dealing with losing a loved one. Cariad, who has personally suffered from such a loss, invites comedians and writers to talk within a lighthearted yet honest and sometimes quite frank discussion about their experiences.

Lloyd is empathetic and clearly very emotionally mature, and she supports her fellow comics as they share stories from the most painful parts of their lives. Though, at the same time, The Grief Cast is factual and both interviewer and interviewees don’t muck around when it comes to being blunt yet fair regarding the realities of death and grief. Cariad as a story elicitor is honest but never judgemental. This podcast is quite honestly a pleasure to listen to. You can listen to it here.

For more information, follow Cariad Lloyd on Twitter or visit her website.

Book tickets for Austentatious: The Improvised Novel’s nationwide tour here.

MARCH COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH: LOU CONRAN

Seven Questions With… Lou Conran

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Lou Conran is a very popular voice on the stand up circuit, which is why she was named MoodyComedy’s Comedian of the Month in March. Perhaps known best for her excellent MC skills and for her work writing for Standard Issue, Lou is a comic that most will find hard to dislike. She is uncompromising and unafraid of judgement, yet friendly, open and real. And on top of all this, Lou is endeavouring to raise £50,000 for the Saying Goodbye charity that supports parents suffering the loss of a baby, in birth or infancy. There is more information about how you can help Lou make a difference here.
I asked Lou these seven questions to find out more about her…

1) How do you like your eggs in the morning?

Boiled. Eggs are a serious business. I once ate 24 in two weeks and had to have colonic irrigation to clear the blockage.

2) How do you propose we solve the issue of global warming?

Take your jumper off silly.

© Andy Hollingworth

3) How would you fare in a zombie apocalypse?

I like the element of risk, but I’d definitely be first to be eaten.

4) Do your family find you funny?

Disturbed I think rather than funny.

5) If you could say one sentence to Donald Trump, what would it be?

Doesn’t that Velcro fringe itch?

6) What should we all do at least once in our lives?

Contrary to what a previous boyfriend suggested I should do at least once, I’d say the thing that you fear doing, do it. What’s the worst that could happen? (Apart from death but then at least you’d not have bills to pay, and you’d lose weight….)

7) Do you prefer being an MC or performing straight stand up?

I love MCing, which is what I do most of. But on the rare occasion I get to do a set I get stupidly nervous, but find it a bit more exhilarating, but either or really. I just love doing it.

Support Lou Conran’s fundraising challenge here.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Review: Chris Ramsey – Is That… Chris Ramsey?

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The loveable Geordie that is Chris Ramsey returned to St David’s Hall on 27th April after previously playing here as tour support for Al Murray (the Pub Landlord). I attend the show on behalf of Quench Magazine and the theatre is busier than I’ve ever seen it. Ramsey’s support is Carl Hutchinson, who plays a solid half hour of high-calibre stand up to an enthusiastic Thursday night crowd.

Hutchinson is very much fitting within that same relatable, pally (and Northern) style as Ramsey, meaning there is a great deal of potential for Carl to increase his following throughout his time as tour support. Some of his narratives have got a certain bitterness to them, but this rarely comes across as being petty. Surely this is the result of his grievances being so widely shared amongst the crowd. The objections are often quite standard, such as a hatred of vaping in non-smokers, but where he takes the ideas is interesting, allowing his natural playfulness to come through.

Is That… Chris Ramsey

Next, Chris Ramsey takes to the stage. Ramsey has developed into an incredibly popular stand up comic over recent years. He has worked as a host on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! Extra Camp and was recently announced as the new host of the panel show Virtually Famous.

But this newfound ‘celebrity’ status has certainly not gone to Ramsey’s head. In fact, he tries to shaft this title completely, especially since starting a family. His artistic priority remains simply making his audiences laugh – there is no ego here. Chris is surprisingly approachable considering his level of fame, even encouraging audience members to shout out their own contributions, such as their creepiest sleepwalking stories. It’s the personal openness and vulnerability that takes Ramsey’s comedy to another level. And it’s refreshing to see that he is, and views himself as, a regular guy, who is as clueless as the next person when it comes to telling the difference between a tangerine, a mandarin, and a clementine.

This hour and 45 minutes of stand up provides audiences with a well-rounded snapshot view of Chris Ramsey’s professional and personal life. Chris shares stories about his wife Rosie and their young son, and even ends on a humiliating tale about being arrested in his underwear for a crime he knew nothing about, let alone committed. As if to prove my point, he even hangs around in the lobby after the show and makes sure to talk to every single audience member that waited in line. Chris Ramsey’s latest show has an unexpectedly homely feel and yet he remains a real crowd pleaser.

GET YOUR TICKETS TO SEE ‘IS THAT… CHRIS RAMSEY?’

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH… CARL HUTCHINSON

TV Review: This Country, Series 1

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This Country is a new mockumentary series about the life of teenagers in modern rural Britain. Written by siblings Daisy May and Charlie Cooper, this is a comedy that feels like light viewing, yet has somewhat of a cleverly undertone of despair.

Our protagonists, teenagers Kerry and Kurtan (Daisy and Charlie Cooper) are restricted by the monotony of life in this small Cotswolds village, taking their frustrations out on one another. They are rebellious and despondent in ways that an angsty teenager of thirteen or fourteen may be, yet it feels like Kerry and Kurtan are getting to this stage quite a few years late. All the people they grew up with have left the village; there is nothing for them there anymore. But this pair are reluctant to make a leap of faith and change their lifestyles, which leaves them stagnant in a place where nothing happens and pointless feuds take priority over genuine life aspirations, whether that be the result of highly competitive scarecrow competitions or arguments about who gets to use the oven next.

© BBC

But This Country is not merely the embodiment of troublemaking child’s play; there are serious issues being tackled here as well. During this first series Kerry and Kurtan’s uncle gets released from prison, only to reoffend the same day; Kerry’s dad gets accused of being a Peeping Tom; and both teenagers must question whether either of them are able to forge successful careers for themselves inside or outside of the village. There is a similarly unbearable undertone of  melancholy and unrealised ambition as that of Britain’s flagship mockumentary: The Office, with this obscure feeling of discontentment becoming more deeply imprinted in the viewer’s mind as the series progresses.

Despite their complaints, there is a strong bond between our two protagonists, which gives the whole programme some heart (so much so that all other characters seem to fade into irrelevance). Though it may seem easy to feel repulsed by the characters, with viewers possibly feeling they too need to escape the predicament Kerry and Kurtan find themselves in, This Country quickly becomes a compelling, if stifling, watch.

This Country expertly leaves certain things unsaid, creating an interestingly discomforting mood. Here is a thoughtful and stimulating satire, and while it’s a no brainer that fans of The Office should give This Country a go, it is certainly a comedy with a wide-reaching demographic, with frequent laugh out loud moments. I, for one, never thought I’d laugh out loud at the word ‘Tomato’.

CATCH UP WITH ‘THIS COUNTRY’ ON BBC IPLAYER

TV Review: How’d You Get So Rich?

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How’d You Get So Rich? Now there’s a programme I didn’t expect to particularly like. Be entertained by, perhaps, but value comedically? Not expected at all.

The premise is simple. It’s a revamp of the 2009-10 US series presented by the late Joan Rivers. Katherine Ryan, often hailed as the next generation of Rivers’ cutthroat comedy, introduces viewers to numerous businessmen and women from all across the globe, from an interior designer for the super rich, a ten-year-old girl with her own fashion lines and a pair of men from Somerset who made their fortune manufacturing sex toys.

What makes this format work is undeniably the force that is Katherine Ryan. She is sharp, sarcastic and unforgiving; anyone who has seen her stand up knows that already. But what surprised me about her appearance on this programme is her undying self-sacrifice comedically. She is happy to be the butt of the jokes and unafraid to make a fool of herself. This is the programme where Katherine’s personal character is able to shine through most. It feels like the world is getting to know this comic personally.

© Channel 4

Despite my initial scepticism, this programme is remarkably lacking in spite. How’d You Get So Rich? is not a programme about people who have had everything handed to them. It is a programme about creative individuals who have crafted and grafted and forged a career despite an array of surprising odds and situational difficulties. Yes, the wealth in some cases seems excessive. Why do the rich need a special plumber that only works for rich people? Why do royal couples need a zoo in the grounds of their palace, with wild cats roaming around the front gate? But these are questions that remain unasked, perhaps because Katherine and her audience do not really need to ask them. This show is not about our prejudices; it is about gaining insight into the lives of those who live differently to us.

In particular, her handling of Isabella (who made her first million at the age of six) highlights how genuine Katherine’s approach is. Any humiliation of this child (because despite her great wealth and popularity, this is what Isabella is) could have stuck with her for a lifetime. Ryan remains generous in her interrogations. And she throws herself into every situation head first, with a healthy dose of scepticism yet no hint of closed-mindedness in any respect.

Endlessly curious and most importantly interested, Katherine Ryan is the selling point for me. How’d You Get So Rich? is available on All4.

KATHERINE RYAN: KATHBUM

March: Comedian Of The Month #38, Lou Conran

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© Andy Hollingworth

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.

March’s Comedian of the Month is Lou Conran. Often working as an MC, Lou is certainly a pair of safe hands for an audience. She is confident, loud and uncompromising, with an energy about her performance that could most likely revive even the most reserved of audiences.

After witnessing Lou Conran work her magic live at Birmingham Glee Club’s Comedy Playground, it becomes clear that this comic has an extra something to offer to a night of weekend comedy. Conran is able to generate tensions within a room, whilst maintaining a feeling of goodwill amongst her audience. Cleverly bouncing ideas between members of the crowd she decides to ‘attack’, and getting her audience communicating with one another, Conran has absolutely nailed what is meant by the term ‘inclusive entertainment’.

Lou throws her whole self into her comedy; she ensures that her audience is relaxed and this in turn results in uplifted of mood of the crowd. She is able to adopt a patronising tone towards specific members of the audience and get away with it by balancing this with her own self-deprecating attitude.

And not only is she brilliant at nurturing a good atmosphere through her compèring, Conran is also excellent with her imagery. Her latest work-in-progress material regarding things overheard by neighbours through the walls of her flat is sure to be something that develops into a brilliant piece, judging by the laughter the rough run through, with notebook in hand, received.

Lou has also written for Standard Issue, a woman-lead lifestyle online magazine that is sadly to be discontinued this month. It is definitely worth taking a look at her articles if you are unable to get yourself to see her perform live, as her comedic skill shines through as brightly as ever.

For more information, follow Lou Conran on Twitter or visit her website.

FEBRUARY COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH