The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Beth Vyse

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Beth Vyse is a stand up and character comedian who returns to the Edinburgh Festival this year with her 2015 solo hour, As Funny As Cancer; a refreshingly personal show in which the comic details her experience with breast cancer, embellishing with her trademark surreal humour. And Vyse’s absurdist roots are never far from the surface, with her character Olive Hands making an appearance in another show: All Hands To The Pump.
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© Idil Sukan

To learn more about Beth and her comedy, I asked her these seven questions…

1) What made you decide to perform two separate shows at this year’s Edinburgh Festival?

Well after last year’s “As Funny As Cancer” going so well and so many people coming up to me afterwards and talking so openly about their experiences with the disease, most of them for the first time, I somehow felt the show wasn’t over. Since last year the show’s been out to New Zealand, I feel it’s much better now, I feel more confident, that’s why I’m bringing it to a larger venue at Gilded Balloon in hope more people can see it.

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Geoff Norcott

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© Steve Ullathorne

Geoff Norcott is a stand up comedian and writer, making a name for himself in recent years for being perhaps the only outspoken right wing comedian at the Edinburgh Festival, disguising thoughtful political comment within entertaining quips about Cameron, Corbyn, and the rest. Norcott has also written for many television shows including 8 out of 10 Cats and Live at the Apollo, and will be performing his latest show Conswervative at the Edinburgh Festival this year.
To learn more about Geoff, I asked him these seven questions…
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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Eric Lampaert

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ERIC LAMPAERT

© Linda Blacker

Recognisable from television shows such as Impractical Jokers and The Midnight Beast, Eric Lampaert is preparing to bring his latest hour, Alien of Extraordinary Ability, to Edinburgh. This new show explores how the comic views his place in society, and the world as a wider notion. Lampaert’s act is a fascinating culmination of cultures, drawing on influences from different corners of the globe and performing in multiple languages.
To learn more about Eric’s comedy, I asked him these seven questions…

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The Edinburgh Interviews: Seven Questions With… Stephen Bailey

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© Steve Ullathorne

Stephen Bailey has been busy lately, especially given his recent support slot on Katherine Ryan’s latest tour. This comedian is cheeky, flamboyant and a prime example of someone who is destined to perform in some medium or other; his recent successes on the live stand up circuit prove this to be the case. Stephen is taking his latest solo hour, Nation’s Sweetheart, to this year’s Edinburgh Festival.
I asked Stephen these seven questions to learn a little more about him…

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The Edinburgh Interviews 2016

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The Edinburgh Festival is nearly upon us once again. Thousands of punters and performers are heading their way up to Scotland for anything from a couple of days to a whole month of arts, comedy and entertainment. And once again, MoodyComedy is there in spirit, singing the praises of projects that look particularly innovative and interesting.

But this year is a little different; in order to celebrate the diversity of artists and performers attending the Edinburgh Fringe throughout August, MoodyComedy will be bringing you countless interviews with those risking their emotional, financial and social wellbeing in putting together shows for your entertainment. The Seven Questions With feature is going strong, having already given around sixty comics a platform to share their comedy secrets, darkest confessions and silly musings, and soon we are to see this interview feature at its absolute best, as a means of bringing to your attention acts you may have never heard of before, as well as others who you may already be familiar with.fringe2Over the next two weeks, MoodyComedy will be speaking to performers who are making their Edinburgh debuts and those who have been bringing shows to the festival since before I was born, with at least one interview every single day for you to enjoy. There are double acts, character comics, musicians, sketch actors, magicians, television panel show regulars, radio royalty and even the occasional past CBBC presenter. You will experience the flamboyant, the odd, the surprising and the controversial. We have political comedians, absurdist comedians, bilingual comedians. From Glasgow to Dublin, Manchester to Birmingham, France to Canada to Kenya. It’s fair to say that a lot of bases have been covered, with each of these comedians being able to shed insight into the lives of working stand ups, as well as provide many laughs along the way.

Stay tuned over the next two weeks to find out which comic practises driving in his mum’s Ford Focus; who has recently taken up cross stitch; who is desperate to be friends with Barack Obama and who has decided he just doesn’t care about anything. Here’s to another fantastic festival of creativity, community and laughter.

THE EDINBURGH INTERVIEWS…

Edinburgh Preview: Peter Brush, Dreams With Advert Breaks

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peter brush

© John Devine

Peter Brush walks onto the stage at MAC in Birmingham to perform a preview of his new show Dreams With Advert Breaks with an air of apology about him. Confident in himself but self-critical, constantly editing, analysing and evaluating. This show is just his second solo hour, but Peter progresses through his material efficiently and chronologically, with a quiet confidence in the content of his show, if not quite the timings at this stage.

Aware of the impression an audience may have of him based on his appearance, as a young-looking, moderately long-haired, spectacle-wearing man, Brush openly shuns the label of ‘nerd’ or ‘geek’, stating that he actually has little interest in things that one might associate with such a trope. The comic explains the premise of his new show, which one could describe as a nostalgic look at childhood, including his past dreams (those that occur whilst asleep and those upon waking).

Brush’s guilty pleasure, it seems, is incorporating the kind of jokes into his sets that induce groans or tuts from an audience. What is refreshing is that he doesn’t care, because he enjoys these quips, and often so do we, or rather we enjoy the satisfaction of a small, rounded-off joke, as a change from longer-form narratives. Peter is aware that silly throwaway remarks are not sufficient to build an entire show and he knows that this is, in turn, not what an audience wants to hear, and in this way the comic shows a proficiency for reading his audience.

The narrative of the hour itself shows promise of being satisfyingly complex, with pleasing callbacks towards the end of the hour that bridge the gaps, from early childhood memories to the present day, although there were gaps within this performance as Peter expressed a wish to perform the latter part of the show, and therefore missed out sections from the middle. A shame for us, perhaps, but surely audiences in Edinburgh will have the loose ends sufficiently tied up.

The most impressive aspect of Brush’s writing is arguably a remarkable ability to conjure up surreal imagery within everyday mundanity. These whimsical reconstructions of childhood memories and dreams earn him many satisfied nods of heads, as opposed to laughs, and epitomise his comedic style; quiet, subtle, understated.

Peter Brush will be performing his show Dreams With Advert Breaks at the Edinburgh Festival.

MORE EDINBURGH PREVIEWS

Edinburgh Preview: Lloyd Langford – Rascal

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© Andy Hollingworth

Known by many as Rhod Gilbert’s trusty sidekick, both on the 2010 television panel show Ask Rhod Gilbert (as well as other projects including Gilbert’s pilot sitcom Back To Llanbobl, which is expected to air this Autumn), and in recent years as tour support, Lloyd Langford is a comic of extensive television and stand up experience, and this shines through consistently in a preview of his latest show Rascal, performed at MAC in Birmingham.

Langford takes to the stage with his trademark droll delivery and slouched posture. His new show primarily considers the perils of relationships in the 21st century society, with the comic self-proclaiming it to potentially be his rudest hour of stand up thus far. Lloyd takes delight in saying what everyone else is thinking; not afraid to push an idea slightly too far or make his listeners feel slightly uncomfortable, particularly regarding latecomers. Here we have a comedian who clearly appreciates what an audience want from a live comedy experience. Lloyd’s off-the-cuff remarks are pleasingly quick and he segways between audience interaction and material smoothly, despite the fact he is performing an unpolished show.

Developing ideas based on life experiences over the past year, with topical references scattered throughout, it is somewhat difficult to tell whether this comic is being truly open with his audience or not. Langford’s material makes him appear quite solitary at times; yes, there are mentions of past girlfriends here and there, and talk of a cruise with his parents and brother, but the majority of the show centres around Lloyd’s own private musings, triggered by his experiences while travelling with work (perhaps fitting with the view that stand up comedy is one of the loneliest careers).

Lloyd Langford epitomises a no-messing-about, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin kind of comedy. He conveys an attitude that is both underwhelmed and apathetic, yet also irritated by the many obstacles that modern life presents, from hotels, to the weather, to terrorism (those “proper ne’er-do-wells, scamps, bad eggs”). But beneath the silliness, an anger certainly bubbles under the surface of Langford’s comedy, reminiscent of fellow Welshman Rhod Gilbert. This new show, however, does not see any of that frustration overflow; Langford remains in control. Instead, he is gleefully childish, sometimes bordering on pedantic, happy to play devil’s advocate through his cynicism and judgements, bringing out the naughty child that hides within each of us.

Lloyd Langford will be performing his show Rascal at the Edinburgh Festival.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH… LLOYD LANGFORD

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Ask The Expert: Joseph Lynn (Director and Photographer)

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N92XRZ1IJoseph Lynn is a photographer and filmmaker, perhaps most widely known for his work on Noel Fielding’s recent tour, An Evening With Noel Fielding, where he created a behind the scenes documentary following Noel, fellow cast members Tom Meeten and Mike Fielding and the rest of the crew as they embarked on their nationwide tour. He also produced a photography series entitled All Work No Play to document the tour and is currently working on a documentary entitled Soho George.
To gain further insight into the work of a photographer and filmmaker who works with comedians, I asked Joe a few questions…

What originally attracted you to photography as a means of creative expression?

It happened slowly and without that much consciousness. I always knew I was interested in film, but photography always seemed really complicated to me; very equipment based and intricate to get a good shot I thought. When touring with Noel I was asked to start taking photos for press release and so I had to teach myself on the road. Luckily I had 40 shows in which to practice and so I got to experiment with every different angle possible. Photos can convey an atmosphere, create a mood or capture a memory. It’s a pretty powerful tool.

What aspect of your work is currently most exciting for you?

The variety of it. I’m not entirely sure what it is I do yet. I’ve only just graduated from University and I’m open to any possibility. I like that I don’t have to commit to one profession yet. I’m working on a film, a documentary, another exhibition, and general photography work. All of those things may or may not come to anything but it’s exciting to see what emerges. The project I’m working on at the moment is a short documentary about a man who has lived in Soho all his life. Hopefully that will come out before the end of the year. 

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Soho George

What was the most difficult aspect of your All Work No Play project?

What not to keep in. I have so many pictures spanning the last few years, so knowing what to inevitably cut or keep was difficult. Also I basically had to start a little business, printing and framing, it was a big task. Was really fun to work physically with your photos though; changes them completely.

What is your role in the production of Brakes? 

I became friends with Mercedes Grower (the writer/director) when I moved to London 4 years ago. Since then I started as an assistant, then a camera operator, an editors assistant, and an associate producer. It’s such a lovely project where everyone has had to pull together to get it done.

What would make your career a success, in your own eyes?

Just being able to earn a living off something I enjoy doing. I don’t really have huge aspirations for big budget feature films or wide success. I essentially want the freedom to work with people I’m interested in, and on projects I’m excited about. If I get to do that and afford to pay my way in life I’ll be a happy man.

FOLLOW JOE LYNN ON TWITTER TO HEAR ABOUT HIS UPCOMING DOCUMENTARY ‘SOHO GEORGE’ FIRST

ASK THE EXPERT…

June: Comedian Of The Month #29, Tom Lucy

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tom lucy

Tom Lucy

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.

Guildford-born stand up comedian Tom Lucy is only nineteen years old and has already supported the likes of Harry Hill, Simon Amstell and Russell Howard on tour. Upon walking on stage, Lucy has expressed that the first thing on his agenda is often to address his young age: “It’s almost like having a physical disability or something; you have to mention it as soon as you get on stage, or it makes people nervous.” He’s not apologetic for being so young, though, and at no point does Tom make any attempt to spout advice to those who have lived longer than him; there is, somewhat refreshingly, no sense of self-entitlement to be seen.

It’s worth questioning, then, whether being young in the comedy industry is something that serves to benefit a performer (this draws a neat parallel with MoodyComedy, with the site first coming into existence when I was fifteen; it is very much a case of trial and error, and learning as we go along). It seems that Tom has been able to use his apparent innocence to his advantage, with his cool-headed demeanour on stage giving the impression of experience way beyond his years. Any nerves are cleverly concealed, masked by an array of quirky mannerisms that he may not even be aware that he is doing. His material is honest and relatable, often covering issues relating to puberty and relationships, though Lucy still manages to appeal to an older audience as well. Unsurprising, then, that he has recently been crowned Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year.

For more information, visit Tom Lucy’s website and follow him on Twitter.

MAY COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Ask The Expert: Stefan Golaszewski (Writer and Director)

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Stefan Golaszewski is the writer and Executive Producer behind BBC2’s latest comedy success, Mum, as well as BBC3’s Him & Her, which won the BAFTA for best sitcom in 2014. Stefan is soon to be working on a second series of Mum, which has already been recommissioned by the BBC.
To learn more about the career of a comedy writer, I asked Stefan a few questions about his work…

What is your favourite project to have ever worked on?

It’s probably whatever I happen to be currently working on. Otherwise getting through the long and lonely days would be unbearable.

Golaszewski's Mum

Mum, BBC2

Did you achieve everything that you wanted to achieve with Mum?

There are so many things that can go wrong in making a TV show. You constantly bang up against the limits of your own talent and the schedule. There are always things I’d like to have written differently. There are always things we had to sacrifice in the chaos of shooting. There are always things I did in the edit that I wish I could go back and unpick. But the actors and the team were extraordinary and I wanted to make a show that was truthful, warm, funny and moving, that spoke about what it’s actually like to be a person, and people seemed to appreciate that, so I’m pleased.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

I like the act of writing. I like working with other people to make it better. I like the edit. I hate it when it goes out. The best thing is probably when people tell me my work made them happy. That’s why we all slave our guts out. So it’s lovely to hear it was worth it.

How would you advise young writers to get started?

Write all week. Take weekends off. Read things you didn’t know you were interested in. Learn to take criticism not personally but as a necessary step to improving your work for the good of others. You shouldn’t expect things to take off immediately, nor should you want them to. You need time to learn your craft, what it is you do and why it is you do it like that. Get your writing in front of audiences and learn from them. They’re usually right. Remember your work shouldn’t be a way of making yourself appear cool or clever or interesting. Its root purpose is the entertainment of others. They’re the ones who are paying for you to have a pretty special life. And remember that in writing there is no such thing as finished.

What is your next writing project?

A second series of Mum. More theatre.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PAST AND FUTURE PROJECTS, VISIT STEFAN GOLASZEWSKI’S WEBSITE

ASK THE EXPERT…