Seven Questions With… Lauren Pattison

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© Andy Hollingworth

Lauren Pattison is one of the youngest comedians to have been featured on MoodyComedy, having being named September’s Comedian of the Month, though watching her perform does not leave an impression of inexperience or immaturity. Lauren is a bright and exciting performer who grows in popularity with each passing year, becoming associated with bigger names in the world of comedy as she does so.
I asked Lauren these seven questions to find out more about her…

1) What lead you to stand up comedy at such a young age?

I don’t know, it’s really weird. I wasn’t even an attention seeker or anything, I was dead shy! I just got a bit obsessed with making people laugh. I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh and it’s an addictive little habit to fall into. Less addictive than crack but just as moreish. I think it helps I’ve been brought up on good comedy by my dad! One of my earliest memories is being off sick from school and we watched the Jolly Boys Outing episode of Only Fools & Horses together. So blame him if you don’t like my style, it is all his fault and nothing at all to do with me. I had my first go of stand up when I was 15 because the Youth Theatre I went to every week for drama lessons ran a comedy course for us. I bloody loved it. It was just a bit of a fun but I knew I’d found something I absolutely adored. I felt too young to really do anything else with it other than a couple of performances at my drama group, cause I was too young to get into any clubs or pubs so I decided I’d do something about it when I turned 18. I spent the next couple of years just absolutely devouring comedy, while most girls my age were spending their money on make up and cider I was spending mine on tickets to see comedy. And cider. Sure enough when I turned 18, I tried to get into it, just as a hobby and it’s safe to say it snowballed just a tad.

2) What are you grateful for?

The Boots Meal Deal is a saviour and I am grateful to the Gods that it exists.

But seriously, I’m grateful for having lots of lovely supportive and understanding people around me! For my mam and dad who didn’t kick off when their youngest offspring was like ‘HIYA I WANT TO EMBARK ON A VERY FINANCIALLY UNSTABLE CAREER CHOICE AND I’M ALSO GONNA DROP THE C BOMB IN FRONT OF LOTS OF STRANGERS ON A REGULAR BASIS’ and who come see loads of my gigs and don’t tell me off for swearing and still laugh even though they’ve heard it a million times before and it’s almost definitely not funny anymore.

And to my comedian friends who get messages from me at like stupid o clock in the early hours of the morning like ‘hello I am not good at comedy aren’t I tell me the truth am I wasting my time’ and every time they tell me I am being a nugget and try their best to talk some sense into their favourite little mess of a human. Corry Shaw, Matt Reed, Adam Rowe, Si Beckwith are always good at cheering me up and Sam Gore and Rob Mulholland were my favourite alcohol angels in Edinburgh that kept my spirits metaphorically and literally (aka gin) topped up at all times.

I’m also so grateful for some of the opportunities I’ve had through comedy, literally couldn’t have even dreamed I’d get to do some of the things I’ve done! This all started as just a hobby, a bit of fun, I never would have expected to be on stage in front of 2500 people at Latitude or a theatre full of people doing tour support for Katherine Ryan. I’ll never take anything I get for granted, I’ll always feel so grateful for every cool thing I get to do cause I know how lucky I am to be able to do that for a night instead of working a 12 hour shift on minimum wage!

3) Who would you most like to see right now?

My nephew! He’s ace. I love him to bits. He’s only 5 but I think we are right on each other’s wave length. He tells me I am ‘the best joker’ and that is the highest praise I could want from the only critic who’s opinion I truly care about. He got really upset when I told him I was moving to London and went upstairs to pack a bag then got even more upset and told me he only had ‘3 moneys’ for the train and would someone be able to lend him ‘just 2 more moneys’ so he could come on the train with me and my little heart just BROKE INTO A MILLION TINY PIECES. I miss him loads. And I miss having a little human to take to the cinema to see kids films and eat his sweets when he’s not looking. Now I have to go on my own and look weird and steal other kids sweets.

4) What keeps you awake at night?

EVERYTHING! Mainly worry and comedy and worrying about comedy. I’ve had a lot of sleepless nights since I moved to London! Most people know I’m a massive worrier and I don’t have a whole load of self confidence (if anyone knows where I can get me some of that please email me) and my brain tends to really like to remind me of these things just as I’m snuggly in bed ready to go to sleep.

Recently I haven’t been able to sleep cause – I’m worried moving to London was the wrong thing to do, I’m worried that I’m never going to be able to be in a position financially to leave my day job and just be a comedian, I’m worried I’m going to sleep in, I’m worried that I’m not good enough to be a comic, I’m worried I worry too much, I’m worried where I’m going to get the money from to pay the rent, I’m worried I don’t eat enough vegetables and won’t grow big and strong, I’m worried that I haven’t got enough gigs booked in and I’m going to have to move back home or up my day job hours to full time, I’m worried that I’ll have to give up on my dreams, I’m worried that me with comedy is like when you watch someone really bad audition for X Factor and you wonder who on earth told them they were any good, and everyone is like ‘oh god why is Lauren even bothering to chase comedy when she’s shit at it, that’s so embarrassing.’ My brain is really kind to me at 1am as you can see.

© BBC

© BBC

5) What would you like to do tomorrow?

Sleep! And watch trashy telly. I’m so tired. I think I’ve been burning the candle at both ends since I moved to London, working a day job, gigging almost every night, finishing my Masters, travelling here, there and everywhere and then over the weekend I just got hit like a bus by this illness which has completely taken it out of me, just in time for to go back up North for a busy week of gigs. Good timing Lauren’s immune system, thanks for that. I don’t feel like I’ve had a full day to myself to do nothing in ages so I’d love nothing more than to just wrap myself in my duvet like a little burrito and watch RuPaul’s Drag Race all day with a mountain of snacks. And have a proper princess bath with loads of Snow Fairy from Lush in it so I can smell like candy floss

6) Which comedians inspire you if you ever feel like you’re beginning to lose your love for comedy?

I really look up to Katherine Ryan. I should have included her in the grateful answer – she took a huge chance on me letting me do her tour support. She saw me do 5 minutes in the Funny Women Final and about 7 months later sent me a message like ‘dude how much material you got, wanna open for me in Middlesbrough and Kendal?’ I’d never done a set that long, or anything in front of that many people and it was the best experience. I must have done OK cause she asked me back for some stuff on her next tour too! I feel like things started going good for me from then, so I probably owe a lot to Katherine. If she’s reading this ‘THANK YOU you are incredible and I have the utmost love and respect for you bae.’ She inspires me a lot, like just look at her career! She’s worked hard, she’s a bloody grafter and she’s reaped the rewards. I remember reading in an interview somewhere she was faced with either going back to work full time, or going for comedy and making sure it worked. It was either be poor and hungry or become successful and I think we know which one happened! I can very much resonate with that at the minute, I am definitely poorer and hungrier than I was when I was a bloody student so I have no choice but to become successful or I will probably become a street urchin.

And Chris Ramsey too. I went to see him about 6 years ago in a tiny theatre in Newcastle, the one where I did my drama lessons at. I’d never seen or heard of him before, I was actually there to see Alun Cochrane (soz Chris!) and he totally blew me away, I came out of the gig telling everyone he was gonna be massive. Should have put money on it! I’ve watched him play bigger and bigger venues and really break through and I think cause I’ve watched his career progress he’s a good person for me to look at for inspiration if I’m feeling a bit shitty about comedy cause I’ve watched him work hard and climb the ranks. He’s someone who always just looks like he’s having so much fun and thoroughly enjoying what he’s doing and I find that really lovely and motivating and other nice words that I can’t think of right now cause I’ve just sneezed 6 times in a row and am worried I am about to combust.

7) Do you have any set goals for your future?

I desperately want to go full time with comedy. I’m finding having a day job harder and harder, both for juggling and managing my time, and also just cause the more progress I make with comedy and the cooler gigs I get to do, the harder it is to go back to serving burgers the following day. Customers at my day job never laugh at my jokes as much as they should and that both frustrates and upsets me. I did a lovely gig in London the other week and it went so well and I felt all lovely and tingly which could have been the response from the crowd or the 3 large glasses of rosé I had but either way I felt like a champ, then I got home and set an alarm for the morning to get up and go to normal person work and I could have cried. Again, could have been the burning desperation of wanting to be a comedian and nothing else, or it could have been the 3 large glasses of rosé. I’d love to do that by next summer, ideally before Edinburgh and I think that’s realistic enough!

FOLLOW LAUREN PATTISON ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST NEWS REGARDING LIVE GIGS

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

BBC Sitcom Season: The Pilots

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Some of comedy’s hottest names have been busy working on new sitcom pilots for BBC iPlayer, airing in September, with the hope of these creative projects later being picked up for a television series.

First up is The Coopers Vs The Rest, a depiction of the turmoils of adopting within a modern day family, with its difficulties involving fitting in with other families, or getting along with other parents. This young family in particular has a very interesting dynamic, with mum Tess (played by Tanya Franks) and Frankie (Erin Kellyman) partaking in consistently sarcastic back and forth that has the warmness of love still beneath it. The dialogue is quick and often unexpected, with each character giving as good as they get, even little eleven-year-old Alisha.

Other pilots include Chris Fewtrell and Simon Crowther’s Home From Home, which follows the Hackett family as they move to their new lodge at Lake View Holiday Park. With Johnny Vegas playing the lead (father, Neil Hackett), supported by Joanna Page as wife, Fiona, this narrative is one of unspoken judgements and stupid faux pas, making for fraught and funny viewing. Next up is Julie Thacker Scully’s latest writing project, Our Ex Wife, which features Robert Webb’s trademark cutting and sarcastic narration throughout. Although a completely different concept to Peep Show, Webb’s idiosyncratic style of self-commentary still really works within the sitcom format, with the tensions between Jack (Webb), fiancé Sara (Melanie Lynskey) and Jack’s ex wife Hillary (Victoria Hamilton) providing relief from the gruesome slasher elements that punctuate the episode.

© BBC

Motherland

Co-written by Helen Linehan, Graham Linehan, Sharon Horgan and Holly Walsh, Motherland is a sitcom that is arguably concerned with the politics of parenthood rather than the essence of childcare itself. Every now and then there is something undeniably funny to be found from shocking or unexpected self-centeredness in human beings, and this feeling is epitomised in this pilot episode about ego-fuelled mothers who, understandably, want to rid themselves of responsibility whenever possible (and this is, of course, hardly ever possible at all).

From the opening scenes it is very much like a disaster movie, with working mother Julia (Anna Maxwell-Martin) frantically rushing to get her young children to school on time, only to realise it is half term anyway and she will have to take the day, and potentially the week, off work. Motherland is an excitingly stressful and busy watch, but Diane Morgan provides important relief from the tension, with her acerbic nonchalance ironically providing much of the drama.

We The Jury

We The Jury

We The Jury is the standout piece for me from this recent batch of sitcom pilots; written by James Acaster, it is reminiscent of his 2015 show Represent, which sees the comic share the ludicrous tales of a recent jury he claims to have taken part in (fictional, undoubtedly). This gradual development of an idea gives the programme a homemade, organic feel, therefore giving an audience the impression of far more depth to the narrative and the characters within it. Acaster has smartly captured his own comic voice within the script, without the need to be physically present (all bar a few unexpected seconds anyway). Visually, We The Jury is bright and snappy, reflecting the excitable energy of the characters, which, somewhat surprisingly, doesn’t grate. There are many interesting characters that Acaster has not had time to establish within a pilot episode alone, from Sophie Thompson who plays Jen 1 to Diane Morgan’s laid back Olivia, proving that this concept could easily develop into a series without any particular risk of stagnancy.

MOTHERLAND HAS ALREADY BEEN COMMISSIONED FOR A SERIES FOR BBC2

A Third Birthday for MoodyComedy

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Today is MoodyComedy’s third birthday and that warrants another catch up post to let you all know what has been happening behind the scenes, as well as recapping the advancements made over the past twelve months.

So what has changed? The most dramatic difference between life twelve months ago and life today is that I have completed my A Level courses in Art, English, Philosophy and Psychology and now live in a brand new city, in fact, a brand new country. It has been an incredibly tough year academically and personally, but my plans to study for a degree in Philosophy have led me to Cardiff, and as I settle in and gather my bearings the exciting possibility of discovering a brand new comedy scene is fast becoming a reality.

Broadly speaking, this past year has been a fantastic one for the British sitcom; despite the recent closure of BBC3’s television platform, online comedy pilots have been growing rapidly in their number and quality. In April of this year, Will Sharpe brought his discomforting and sinister sitcom Flowers to BBC2, featuring Julian Barratt and Olivia Colman, and this is without doubt the most impactful comedy I have seen in years. Golaszewski’s Mum also left a lasting impression on audiences and critics alike, as did Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, which is set to return to stage in December. Man Down also returned for a third series, and Friday Night Dinner for a fourth, two examples of sitcoms with impressively high joke economy and originality, with a consistently strong cast to stretch the writing to its full potential.

And on a smaller scale, although the busiest and most stressful year so far academically, 2015-16 has also seen many interesting things happen on MoodyComedy. The Ask The Expert interview feature has developed into quite a fascinating series, allowing the likes of Friday Night Dinner writer Robert Popper, the filmmaker responsible for Noel Fielding’s tour documentary, Joseph Lynn, and writer and producer of Mum Stefan Golaszewski to shed light on their creative processes and influences. There have also been twelve further Comedian of the Month titles awarded to performers and there is now a total of over 80 Seven Questions With interviews in MoodyComedy’s archives.

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Despite not physically being at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, throughout August MoodyComedy arguably provided the next best thing, with over two weeks of interviews with performers at the Fringe from all over the globe, performing a variety of different styles of comedy and from a wide range of backgrounds. This has left me enthusiastic to speak to even more people working within the comedy industry, in order to make MoodyComedy as diverse and distinctive as it can possibly be.

There are many more exciting opportunities for MoodyComedy to expand over the next twelve months, beginning with getting involved with Cardiff University’s Quench Magazine, seeing stand up shows and interviewing comics about their current and future projects. This will hopefully provide another platform to promote MoodyComedy and everything it represents, with the two publications having potential to work alongside each other as my time at university progresses. I am still (somewhat intermittently, unfortunately) writing and reporting for The Velvet Onion, which is another fantastic publication that is ever-growing in popularity.

Things are, as ever, incredibly busy, vibrant and exciting and I can’t wait to establish MoodyComedy in a new city and tackle the challenges associated with this task head on, meeting and working with even more innovative artists and performers along the way.

KEEP TRACK OF WHAT IS HAPPENING BY JOINING THE MAILING LIST AND FOLLOWING MOODYCOMEDY ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.

September: Comedian Of The Month #32, Lauren Pattison

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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.

Lauren Pattison is a stand up comic and actress from Newcastle who, having began performing at the age of eighteen, is still only in her early twenties yet has made the finals of the Chortle Student award as well as being runner up in 2014’s Funny Women Awards.

With an interest for improv and drama, Pattison is natural in front of an audience in a way that is not overbearing. Perhaps I like her comedy because I feel like her voice represents my own, what with us both being young, female and having a similar founding interest in comedy from a young age; it feels as though we are at similar stages in our lives and one indicator of good comedy is comedy that is relatable but still innovative and surprising.

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Lauren Pattison

In the most endearing of ways, this comedian gives the impression that she doesn’t really give a damn. It feels genuine because although there may be nerves involved with live performance, Pattison seems genuinely comfortable in who she is and what she stands for, which is why her comedy seems to be so authentic. She speaks confidently, as though older and with far more years of experience under her belt than she actually has, and in this way Lauren is able to entice an audience in with ease. Her disastrous tales of relationship and university mishaps are unique, yet still relatable; Pattison is easy to listen to and easy to like.

This comic’s writing is of consistently high quality, no surprise perhaps, as she has worked with Katherine Ryan in recent years, supporting her nationwide tours. Down to earth, humble and open about her ambitions and influences, Lauren Pattison has all the tricks of the trade to prepare her for the nationwide success that I have no doubt will unfold over the coming years.

For more information, follow Lauren Pattison on Twitter.

AUGUST COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Seven Questions With… Rob Rouse

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© Andy Hollingworth

© Andy Hollingworth

Rob Rouse is a Northern stand up comedian and actor who you may recognise from his recent role as Bottom in Ben Elton’s Shakespearean sitcom Upstart Crow. A gleeful performer onstage, Rouse is a comic who effortlessly exudes a positive energy, drawing audiences in with his cheeky delivery and down-to-earth attitude. Rob also produces a comedy podcast, The Rob Rouse Podcast, and this month he embarks on his latest UK tour.
To learn more about the man behind the comedy, I asked Rob these seven questions…

1) What is it like working on a Ben Elton project in Upstart Crow?

It was really exciting and slightly surreal. At the first recording Ben was talking to the audience saying that literally 30 years earlier he and Harry Enfield had recorded the first Saturday live in that very same studio. I remember watching that show as a kid and it opened up a new part of my brain and it’s a big reason why I’m doing what I’m doing now. It’s like being invited to join you favourite band.

2) Who are you wary of?

Anyone who has an absolutely unshakable certainty about anything really, or indeed reckons they’re any kind of ‘a big deal’. They tend to be a-holes.

3) Who is your favourite celebrity chef?

Delia Smith. I don’t think celebrity chefs nowadays use enough, or for that matter, appreciate mince like Delia did. In fact I’m sure she still does and still cooks with it 4 out of 7 nights of the week… The other 3 she does pork chop with boiled spuds (Tuesday), sausage and beans (Saturday – has it on her knee in front of the telly) and then cheese on toast or just leftovers (Monday). And if Gordon Ramsay came into her kitchen effin and jeffin she’d chin him, lay him out cold, one punch.

4) What did you used to want to be when you grew up?

First job I ever wanted to do, according to my mum, was a bin man. Apparently I said, “Because when I come home, you won’t tell me off for being covered in dirt.” Comforting to know that I always envisaged living at home throughout my adult life.

5) What animal is most misunderstood?

I haven’t got a clue what any of the animals are on about. So I’d have to say all of them… That’s assuming I’ve understood the question.

6) What do you do that you shouldn’t?

It would be great if we were in America, because I could just say, “Sometimes when I’m feeling really vulnerable I’m ashamed to admit I eat carbs” and that would be enough, but the truth is I don’t know how to answer that question because I have absolutely no sense of embarrassment.

7) Do you remember the first time you made someone laugh?

I was a hysterically ugly baby.

8) What is your current mood?

As I type this my dog is barking like a lunatic at some people on bikes outside. Really barking at them. He abhors people on bikes and it’s one of his life’s missions to let them know that. I used to try and make him stop, but have come to appreciate his commitment and my inability to change him, so in answer to your question – Submission.

Film Review: David Brent: Life On The Road

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It would be difficult not to notice that everyone’s favourite brown-suited office worker David Brent is back. Ricky Gervais writes, directs and performs in David Brent: Life On The Road, which follows the sales rep’s debut UK tour (a venture that’s success is surely questionable from the outset).

As Brent embarks on his rockstar escapade, he is accompanied by rapper Dom Johnson (played by Ben Bailey Smith, who is also stand up comedian Doc Brown, known by many for his recents efforts in Greg Davies and Alex Horne’s Taskmaster on Dave). Bailey Smith and Gervais’s partnership came about a few years ago now, with the unveiling of Brent’s single Equality Street for Comic Relief in 2013, and their onscreen relationship is very interesting; it epitomises two undeniably different backgrounds complimenting each other, but also often clashing.

David Brent

David Brent: Life On The Road

There is an abundance of familiar faces scattered throughout, including Man Down‘s Roisin Conaty and Ashley McGuire, and Diane Morgan, aka Philomena Cunk, who plays publicist Briony. Brent’s band also features Andy Burrows, former Razorlight drummer and half of Smith & Burrows, along with Steve Clarke and Michael Clarke. And the songs are good. The lyrics are unanimously awful, skirting on the wrong side of bad taste, and utterly hilarious. It surely isn’t ignorant to assume that the repressed guilty laughter coming from the audience I sat in is reminiscent of the reactions in every cinema auditorium across the country.

Amongst others, Mandeep Dhillon is particularly brilliant as modestly sympathetic receptionist Karen Parashar, alongside humble and ever-forgiving Pauline Gray (Jo Hartley), both of whom are left behind at the Lavichem office as Brent goes in pursuit of his rockstar dreams, although it unfolds that these are not the only friendly faces the disrespected and under-appreciated Brent will encounter. Life On The Road is ultimately a showcase of the genuine goodness and care for the welfare of others that we can hope that every person holds. This portrayal of human nature at its most fundamental allows the tensions of Brent’s disjointedness to soften and shows the sales rep in his most vulnerable, yet endearing light; of course he is defensive and guarded: he has been ridiculed and wounded by many.

David Brent

David Brent: Life On The Road

This attempt to reignite Brent’s failed ‘rock career’ shows the man to be genuinely floundering (he explains his recent breakdown whilst implying that therapy is somewhat below him); he is nostalgic for something that simply never was. And yes, Brent’s plight is a sad and often cringeworthy watch but as is often the case with Gervais’ comedy, the prevailing feeling is bittersweet, with audiences feeling a faint sense of hope that emulates the character’s own relenting enthusiasm. Ricky Gervais has recaptured the essence of The Office in an adventure that was probably not needed but is certainly not unnecessary, and I am grateful that the character of David Brent has been revived, with live dates for next year having already sold out.

DAVID BRENT: LIFE ON THE ROAD IS CURRENTLY IN CINEMAS ACROSS THE UK

August: Comedian Of The Month #31, Jayde Adams

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Jayde Adams

© Stella Pictures Limited

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.

As the winner of 2014’s Funny Women Award and nominee for Best Newcomer at this year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards, Jayde Adams is a name and a voice you will certainly be hearing a lot more of in the coming months.

Bristol-born stand up comic Jayde Adams is boisterous, bright and bossy. She sets an agenda early on; there are things to do and simply no time for mucking around: “I haven’t got time for your insecurities,” she barks at an audience member who reluctantly joins her on stage. Here we have a performer who is incredibly easy for me to write about; she is loud and provocative, with colourful costume, dance and props making her sets visually interesting, as well as a powerful singing voice and abundance of musical tracks to diversify her sets.

Her 2016 Edinburgh show is entitled 31 (and may I point out here that it is a complete, yet undeniably satisfying, coincidence that Adams is MoodyComedy’s 31st Comedian of the Month) and is a vibrant tribute to the singer Adele. And many comparisons can be drawn between the two performers, both refreshingly honest, uncomplicated and effortlessly funny. But beneath the colour and noise, Adams’ latest show is concerned with the fragility of confidence, whether that be onstage or within oneself.

© Edinburgh Comedy Awards

Best Newcomer nominees at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2016 © Edinburgh Comedy Awards

And there are layers, parts of this comedian that we have to wait patiently to learn, and though there is a limited availability of these moments to view online, one only has to read an interview with Jayde to witness her willing vulnerability in opening up about her personal life. Her openness is what makes her likeable, whilst earlier behaviours may lead an audience to assume that this comedian does not feel the need to be liked. At the end of the day, Jayde Adams knows what she is good at, and ultimately that is making people laugh.

For more information, visit Jayde Adams’ website and follow her on Twitter.

JULY COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Ask The Expert: Robert Popper (Writer and Producer)

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Robert Popper

Robert Popper

Robert Popper is an award-winning comedy writer and producer. As well as co-writing the popular mock-documentary Look Around You with Peter Serafinowicz (Shaun of the Dead, The Peter Serafinowicz Show), Popper is the brain behind Channel 4’s Friday Night Dinner, which stars Tom Rosenthal and Simon Bird as bickering brothers Jonny and Adam, alongside Tamsin Greig, Paul Ritter and Mark Heap. Friday Night Dinner is arguably one of the best sitcoms on television in terms of joke economy and originality, and that is why the show recently returned for a fourth series.
I asked Robert a few questions about his past and current projects in order to learn more about his creative processes…

How did you get into the comedy industry?

I didn’t know anyone in TV when I decided I wanted to give it go. I was basically clueless, but I knew that if I just sent off my rather dull CV I would just get rejection after rejection. So I created a new CV for myself, one that looked completely normal and totally bland, but the more you read it, the more you thought, ‘Huh?!’. It said that, aged 3, I was the sole survivor of an air crash in Canada, and that I was rescued and reared by wolves. It also had all these strange job references I’d mocked up on fake letterheads. There was a syrup factory that I worked in, until I fell into a vat of boiling syrup and spent years having skin grafts. There was a reference from the chief surgeon at the hospital I was sent to, and one from a guy who was my boss in a company that bottled urine as a drink. His reference was written on prison notepaper. Anyway, my stupid letters got me lots of interviews, and led me to work with Peter Richardson – who was one of my comedy heroes – at The Comic Strip. I remember when I went to his office for the first time, I heard him calling from upstairs, ‘Bring me the wolfman! Bring me the wolfman!’ I knew I wanted to work there right away.

How does your own life inspire Friday Night Dinner?

The characters are very loosely based on my family, but that was very much just the starting point. My dad rarely wore a top in the house when I grew up, and did say quite a few of the things his character says in the show – ‘Shit on it!’ being one of them. My mum does have red hair and was always really excited when my brother and I would come back home for dinner. My brother and I used to – and still do, sadly – playfight and put salt in each other’s drinks – so those things are definitely true. The more I wrote, however, the more the characters became their own people. I guess, what I was trying to do with the series was capture the rhythms and melodies of the way my family, and a lot of my friends spoke, growing up, and also share that central idea – that, no matter what age you are, as soon as you go back to your parent’s house, you become a kid again.

What is your aim with the latest series of Friday Night Dinner?

As with every series of FND, I just want to make people laugh out loud. That’s all I want really. It takes a while for viewers to get to know characters, but I feel that by series 4, they’re pretty well bedded down now, which makes my job a little easier in that I know the show is an easier watch now for people. At the same time, trying to come up with new stories, when basically the characters are in a house for 25 minutes each week, becomes harder and harder.

What was your first writing project?

Writing on a panel show called The Brain Drain. I was crap.

Which writers are your favourites to work with?

I’ve worked with quite a few, and they’re all so different. I’m lucky to have worked with so many great writers, either producing or script editing their shows. I’ve worked particularly closely with Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, so I guess I know their style, and way of working the most. They’re ridiculously good, and also have that thing that great writers have – they are totally easy with criticism.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CURRENT PROJECTS, INCLUDING SERIES FOUR OF FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER, VISIT ROBERT POPPER’S WEBSITE

ASK THE EXPERT…

TV Review: Fleabag, Series 1

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At first glance BBC Three’s new sitcom Fleabag may give the illusion of being like any other modern day sitcom. A young, attractive but troubled lead with a turbulent love life, an uptight sister and a struggling small business; what more could writer and ‘Fleabag’ Phoebe Waller-Bridge bring to the table? But within the first episode the narrative is already swept in an interesting direction, with the suggestion of darker aspects to this person’s life than one might previously have assumed.

Beginning life as a one-woman Edinburgh show in 2013, Fleabag is a confessional tale of a young woman trying to succeed in her relationships, business ventures and in herself, but desperately treading water. Waller-Bridge’s writing is rude and provocative but refreshingly open and self-deprecating. Yes it is dark, and heavy at times, but this sitcom is undoubtedly really funny. The production itself is artistically daring in places, with dream and flashback sequences packing particular punch. And the coy looks to camera are a welcome release of tension for viewers, with Waller-Bridge’s knowing eye drawing us in for personal in-jokes that teach us more about her character, rather than serve as cheap laughs.

© BBC

© BBC

And the cast is not to be scoffed at either, with W1A‘s Hugh Skinner playing Fleabag’s intermittent boyfriend as well as Hugh Dennis as unsupportive bank manager and Olivia Colman as somewhat self-entitled step-mum. The small group of core characters are diversely peculiar, with each of their stresses manifesting in traits such as a limitation to the fluidity of their social skills or an avoidance of adult responsibilities.

There are plenty of laugh out loud moments provided by our star, drawn from her highly socially inappropriate sense of humour and an apparently uncontrollable mouth. But the issue at the heart of this unsettling comedy is one of great personal loss; whether that be the ongoing pain of having her mother die when she was young or the recent shock of losing her best friend in a horrific incident, Fleabag is coming to terms with her status in the world, and within her own disjointed family.

Fleabag is almost a comedy of errors; it is a narrative of social nonconformity: a depiction of a young woman struggling to accept herself, apparently terrified of real affection. Our almost-tragic lead is the receiver of everyone’s sympathy but does not often receive any genuine care. Disjointed, snappy and vibrant, Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag establishes itself very quickly before evolving into something else entirely; there are numerous moments in this programme that are absolutely exquisite.

FLEABAG IS AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON BBC IPLAYER

July: Comedian Of The Month #30, Luke Heggie

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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.

In March of this year, I spoke briefly with comedian and podcaster Stuart Goldsmith (the brain behind potentially the king of all comedy podcasts, The Comedian’s Comedian). I asked Goldsmith if there were any episodes of his podcast that he wished more people would listen to; any particular comedians he had interviewed who he thinks deserve a listen from every comedy fan. The name he instantly put forward was that of Luke Heggie, and now, just four months later, it is my turn to recommend Heggie to you, just as Stu recommended him to me.

Heggie is a no-nonsense Aussie performer. A builder by day as well as being a husband and father, he’s a busy man and he clearly doesn’t spare much time for messing around. Perhaps this is the reason for his word and joke economy being so high, then, with his punchy, fast-paced delivery and an almost aggressive, subversive attitude making for an impassioned stand up experience.

© Danny Aarons

© Danny Aarons

Openly embracing cynicism, Luke has an angry energy about him, and this energy is consistent throughout each set, whether that be expressed through snappy one liners or longer-form anecdotes, which the comic himself confesses can “border on ranty sarcasm but I don’t really give a shit.” He has a powerful voice, and he refers to issues that, although specific and detailed, can be related to by audiences as we can each draw different things from his narratives.

And even though Heggie holds so much resentment for so many idiots he encounters in his own life, we can’t help but pray that we don’t fit the descriptions of the resented, because this comedian has a strange ability to make his audience wish he would accept us, rather than us accepting him. Luke Heggie has been working on the circuit for around six years now, but one could be forgiven for assuming he has many more years under his belt, with his slating character assassinations and acerbic stage presence effortlessly asserting him as the most powerful presence in a room. You can listen to Luke Heggie’s interview with Stuart Goldsmith here.

For more information, visit Luke Heggie’s website and follow him on Twitter.

JUNE COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH