TV Review: Comedy Feeds 2015

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A whole new batch of Comedy Feeds have recently been released on BBC iPlayer with an abundance of bright new comedy talent being given the chance to create short comedy pilots for the television and online. And with an elite list of writers including the likes of Dane Baptiste, Greg James and Fern Brady, this series was set to be as strong as previous years from the get go.

Every new series of Comedy Feeds proves itself to be accessible to plenty, with actors and comedy stars from every corner of the industry. There’s a recognisable face in every episode, whether that be Michael Smiley popping up as Uncle Les in Fishbowl or Jarred Christmas in Dead Air playing the role of an irritating radio DJ from New Zealand (or was it Australia?).

© BBC

Radges © BBC

Radges is a particularly strong episode; written by Fern Brady and starring an array of young and talented actresses who may not be familiar to most, including Lauren Lyle, Lois Chimimba and Samantha Foley. Set in a teenage referral unit, the premise is reasonably dark, perhaps, but the atmosphere is not a downbeat one. This is a direct result of Brady’s sharp writing, which deserves commending here as she successfully avoids dragging out narrative or relying on clichés for laughs, which is a hard feat for sitcom writers these days as the tropes of comedy plots often seem to lead in the same direction, reaching the same destination. There are brilliant character dynamics crafted, expertly cemented by the addition of the group’s session leader, Miranda‘s Sarah Hadland, who gets some of the best lines.

Another entertaining comedy short is Fishbowl, written by Boy Meets Girl co-writer Andrew Mettam and starring Katherine Rose Morely, Mark Benton and Sally Lindsay. This episode again borders on the sinister, with nineteen-year-old Hattie being brought back home by her suffocating parents after just two months at university, and there is certainly potential for this to develop into something brilliant if given the chance.

© Bwark Productions

Fishbowl © Bwark Productions

It is fantastic for television platforms to be able to give so many creative individuals a chance to experiment with their comedy pilots because the results are not only as unique as they are impressive, but they also have so much time and enthusiasm invested into making them forthcoming pieces of excellent comedy.

THE 2015 COMEDY FEEDS ARE AVAILABLE ON BBC IPLAYER

TV Review: Taskmaster, Series 1

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Taskmaster is the brainchild of comedy heavyweight Alex Horne, recognisable to many as the front man of the Horne Section and occasional appearances on Friday night television on shows such Cats Does Countdown. Alex Horne is a comedian who knows how to make the Edinburgh Festival exciting; for fifteen years he has been delighting crowds with whacky conceptual shows and experimental games, with an admirably positive attitude when it comes to testing these extravagant possibilities. He is not afraid to push the boundaries and this gives Horne a fantastic creative advantage.

Taskmaster began as a year-long competition with comedians (and sometimes critics) being pitted against each other in a set of bizarre challenges, with Horne hosting and Mike Wozniak as his trusty assistant in recent times. Now the game has been given a new medium, a risk for a television channel (though perhaps not for Dave, which is already renowned for its experimental nature) and no doubt a delight for countless comedy fans. The television adaptation of the game is hosted by Greg Davies and Alex Horne and has a regular group of contestants, which binds the show together well and allows a sense of camaraderie to build as the episodes progress and the responses to tasks to become slightly more competent and imaginative. The comedians are diverse in their background, audiences and generations, making the whole programme feel accessible to a larger audience, with the five contestants being Frank Skinner, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan and Tim Key.

uktv-taskmasterIt is fascinating to watch the contestants figure out the best way to approach obstacles, particularly in group tasks where the thought processes are made vocal, but this perhaps makes them less constructive as opposed to when certain individuals are allowed to work on their own. As the series develops it becomes clear that the comics excel in varying areas. Take Roisin Conaty as an example: hopelessly slow at carving up a watermelon but a high-flyer in any rounds that require social skills, such as the task involving high-fiving a 55 year old member of the public. If you want canny solutions to problems that bend the rules, sometimes to the point of breaking them completely, Tim Key is your man. Time and time again on Taskmaster Key proves himself to be a devious, quick-thinking non-conformist, shaking up the system so carefully crafted by Davies and Horne, with hilarious effects.

Greg Davies is fantastic; he’s harsh, loud and ridiculous, completely giddy with power, and the relationship between Davies and Horne is clearly a long-lived one. They find each other, and themselves, utterly hilarious and it’s not self-indulgent because they are absolutely right. The whole group act like children and it’s refreshing to see it contrast against a genuinely sharp wit from all players. It helps dramatically that the tasks are so varied, often absolutely mental and incredibly funny to see carried out. A highlight has to be poor Josh Widdicombe’s attempts at counting the number of beans in a can, of spaghetti hoops in a can, of grains of rice in a bag… All in vain, however, because nobody else was even set that task. Poor soul. But anyone would be hard pushed to pick a favourite moment when the likes of Romesh’s backwards film Tree Wizard and Roisin’s demands that Alex Horne eat a toothpaste pie are involved.

CATCH UP WITH SERIES ONE OF TASKMASTER ON DAVE NOW

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH ROISIN CONATY

Seven Questions With… Diane Morgan

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© Matt Crockett

Diane Morgan is a face many will recognise, having starred in countless sitcoms such as Phoenix Nights and Uncle, being half of comedy double act Two Episodes of Mash with Joe Wilkinson and also performing stand up. But Diane is perhaps most well known for her hilarious role as Philomena Cunk on Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, where she explores various ‘moments of wonder’, such as “what is clocks?” and “where does your lap go when you stand up?” which are valid questions, I’m sure you can agree.
To find out more about the comedian behind the character, I asked Diane these seven questions…

1) Clockwise or anti-clockwise?

Are you asking if I prefer things that go clockwise? Because most things do. I don’t know why. It’s none of my business. Hey, let’s try and get John Cleese to make Anti-Clockwise! (The sequel.)

2) How do you feel about the result of this year’s election?

I found it utterly unfathomable. The Tories are an absolute unmitigated disgrace of a party. An abomination. Deluded. Lacking in empathy and devoid of all humanity. Too much? I don’t think so. If I ever meet Cameron, Osborne or Ian Duncan Smith it will take all my strength not to kick them in the balls repeatedly.

3) Who would you most like to impress?

Peter Cook. Now sadly no longer with us of course but if he was I’d gladly iron his newspapers before he read them, do his shopping and learn to make his favourite dish. I’d basically become his servant. I don’t think I’d impress him. I’d be too eager to please. It would be revolting.

4) Do you waste a lot of time?

The whole of my 20’s were wasted. I sat around staring into space a lot. I had a string of dead-end jobs. I went to drama school so I’m not qualified to do anything useful.

Most people waste their 20’s, it’s tradition. I do wish I could go back in time and shake myself. I didn’t start doing stand up until I was 28, although there was no way I could’ve done it before. Now, I feel sick if I waste a day watching videos on YouTube instead of writing.

5) Would you visit Mars if given the opportunity?

I would not visit Mars. There’s nothing up there! You can see that from down here! I can’t even be bothered to look at pictures of it in a book. Also, it’s asking for trouble. You’d probably need jabs and everything. Holidays are generally quite stressful and disappointing. So no thanks.

6) What is your favourite thing about performing as a comedy character?

It’s like wearing a suit of armour. Not literally of course. I mean you feel protected. You can pretty much say anything you like and get away with it because it isn’t you. It’s very freeing.

7) What stops you from being bored?

I’m never bored. Not now we have the Internet. I also have lots of funny friends and admin, and writing and food. I’m good at doing nothing too! (see question 4.) I can very easily just sit down in an empty room and not be bored. I’d make an excellent prisoner. I’d keep everyone’s morale up.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SHOWS AND FUTURE PROJECTS, VISIT DIANE MORGAN’S WEBSITE

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

August: Comedian Of The Month #19, Eleanor Tiernan

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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.

This month’s Comedian Of The Month is the ever articulate and artistically mature Eleanor Tiernan, a comic who is particularly recognisable on the stand up circuit as a result of her time spent supporting acts such as Tommy Tiernan, Stewart Lee, Reginald D Hunter, Ardal O’Hanlon and Jason Byrne. Irish comedian Eleanor Tiernan first began performing stand up in 2004; she starred in a play at the Edinburgh Festival in 2007 as well as performing solo stand up shows in later years, beginning with Irish American where she performed on a bill alongside American comic John F. O’Donnell.

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Tiernan’s comedy is insightful and educational, and each performance has a rather sophisticated feel, reflected in the subject matter of the material: past shows have explored ideas such as feminism and national identity. Timing is clearly an important aspect of Eleanor Tiernan’s creative process and the swiftness of her material benefits as a result, with the comedian showing a successful balance of slightly awkward silences with a delightful, chatty demeanour.

Upon visiting her website I came across a very thoughtfully written FAQ page which is proof enough of this comedian’s refined writing skill and natural ability regarding the posing of insightful existential questions in relation to religion, comedy and general life-living, without appearing pretentious or presumptuous in her answers. Modesty is a virtue in this day and age, and it is refreshing to come across it in such an unassuming, endearing performer.

Eleanor has been performing her latest hour Don’t Cry For Me Eleanor Tiernan at the Edinburgh Festival and is continuing to travel around Ireland and the UK with her stand up.

For more information, visit Eleanor Tiernan’s website and follow her on Twitter.

The Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards

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Sam Simmons

So the Edinburgh Festival draws to a close for another year. The final weekend saw a whole array of awards being presented and futures being temporarily flipped on their heads. The Edinburgh Comedy Awards are perhaps the most prolific of the entire arts festival and the effects of winning either the overall award for best show or the prize for best newcomer results in a great deal of publicity and ticket sales for the next year and beyond. Nominations for both titles this year, which were announced on Wednesday (26th August) with winner announced yesterday, were as strong as ever.

Those shortlisted for the award for Best Comedy Show were James Acaster, Joseph Morpurgo, Kieran Hodgson, Nish Kumar, Sam Simmons, Sarah Kendall, Seymour Mace and Trygve Wakenshaw. A diverse list, to say the least, with two of the comics above coming from Australia and another one being a mime act from New Zealand. Sam Simmons (who was MoodyComedy’s Comedian Of The Month this March) took the award along with the £10,000 prize, which was presented by last year’s winner John Kearns, for his bustling, surreal show Spaghetti For Breakfast. This was the third time the comic had been nominated for Best Show, much like James Acaster who’s show Represent saw him nominated for the fourth time, showing the high calibre of nominees.

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Sofie Hagen

The award for Best Newcomer is one that has proven itself time and time again to completely catapult the careers of the world’s brightest new talent. ‘New’ that is, at least, in terms of being newly recognised. A quick glance at the list of previous winners will demonstrate to any cynic that this award is not to be overlooked. Winners over the 35 years that the award has been running have included Sarah Millican, Harry Hill, Tim Minchin, The Mighty Boosh and Josie Long. This year saw Danish stand up Sofie Hagen claim the crown for Best Newcomer with her debut show Bubblewrap. Sofie’s show has been delighting audiences with her refreshing take on growing up into a proper adult and issues such as body image and the stigma around mental health. You can catch my interview with Sofie Hagen here.

And finally, the winner of the Panel Prize was Karen Koren who has worked as the founder and artistic director of the Gilded Balloon for the past 30 years. The Guilded Balloon also saw the launch of the So You Think You’re Funny? competition which has been running for 28 years.

A full list of past nominees and winners is available on the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards website.

Edinburgh Preview: Patrick Monahan – The Disco Years

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patrickmonaghanPatrick Monahan has an energy that could wake the dead. In a last minute preview before the Edinburgh Festival (which was, at the time, imminent), the Irish-Iranian-Geordie comic was adding the final flourishes to his latest stand up hour, working on cementing the overall structure of the show, yet he bounded on stage with the confidence of a man that new the next sixty minutes were to go swimmingly, regardless of how far progressed his material was in that moment.

A show that begins with several minutes of vigorous seventies style dancing from the older members of our Birmingham audience is not the way I expected Patrick to get the ball rolling, but comedy is all about new experiences, and we were clearly there to learn. The hour (and the rest) itself is a personal and honest account of the comedian’s experiences as a young boy growing up in Iran in the 1970s, with heavy influences from the world of dance, of course, as this appears to be Patrick’s speciality.

I was born in the late 1990s and it’s fair to say that I know very little of what went on in the 70s (or even the 80s and 90s for that matter) other than the obvious pop culture stereotypes and a brief understanding of international tensions at the time. Diverse, to say the least. But not only were us younger audience members (or “the children” as we were referred to) able to learn a little more about what living in the 1970s was like for many, we were also invited to be a part of the discussion, which resulted in many laughs and a unified feel in the room. Forgetting, possibly, that the house lights were up for the entirety of the show, Monahan nurtured and maintained a friendly, sociable atmosphere. Even if that meant unknowingly encroaching on regional banter with innocent questions like “which is nicer, Worcester or Wolverhampton?”.

Patrick Monahan is a truly charming comic who exhibits great care for his audiences as well as for the quality of his craft, making his show one of the most enjoyable and uplifting experiences to be had at the Fringe.

Patrick Monahan is currently performing his show The Disco Years at the Edinburgh Festival.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH… PATRICK MONAHAN

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Seven Questions With… The Jest

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The Jest are a comedy sketch group made up of Ella Ainsworth, Tristan Rogers, Jack Stanley, Luke Theobald and Bryony Twydle, a group of University of Exeter graduates who originally began performing as part of nine-person sketch group Simply The Jest. The group are renowned for expertly combining humour with elements of horror and disgust and this has seen them get to the final of the New Acts of the Year Award earlier this year. The Jest are performing their show The Five Humours at the Edinburgh Festival.
To learn more about the group, I asked them these seven questions…

1) How has The Jest evolved over the years?

Well, for starters, when we were starting out we were part of a nine-person comedy group, which meant over an hour show, everyone got 6.6666667 minutes of stage time each. It was a lot of fun to be part of but splitting up material equally was, unsurprisingly, a bit of a challenge. A couple of years back we formed a five-person group and our comedy has grown increasingly surreal ever since. Last year, we probably wouldn’t have considered ending our show with an audience member helping a man give birth to a pig on stage. But it’s easy to say a lot of things with hindsight. 

2) Indoors or outdoors?

When you’re on a roll with your writing/have to write regardless of whether you’re on a roll or not, choose indoors. Then when that gets too much, you’ve gone mad and you’re banging random keys on a laptop in the hope a sketch appears on the screen, switch to outdoors. Repeat for 12 months until you have something resembling an Edinburgh show.

© Camilo Queipo

© Camilo Queipo

3) Why sketch comedy?

Sketch comedy is all about teamwork and we love working as a team or, failing that, being on stage all at the same time. It’s also the form of comedy we loved growing up. The League of Gentlemen, French and Saunders, The Fast Show… As a child, you sit there thinking I could do that and before you know it, you’re in a leaking portakabin in Cowgate having a crack at it and telling yourself that this is how everyone starts off… right?

4) Is popularity vacuous?

No because we’re all incredibly popular so to say that the very idea of popularity is somehow meaningless, empty and a clear cover for major insecurities about careers in a risky industry is obviously inaccurate and wildly off the mark.

5) If you could add anyone to the sketch group, which one person would you choose?

Well one of our group members does a very impressive Maggie Smith impression which we use in the show and is regularly referred back to so it would be so brilliant if in the last sketch of the show he comes on and starts doing the impression when who should come join him on stage but none other than Juliette Binoche because she’s a great actress.

6) Opinions on The Great British Bake Off?

Only two of us have seen it owing to generally dreadful wi-fi in our Edinburgh flat. Thoughts from Jack are: ‘That lion bread face in episode 3 was impressive wasn’t it?’ while Ella’s are: ‘Why the hell isn’t iPlayer loading?’.

7) How did you do it?

In public, on stage, at 10.45pm every night unless we let extra people in last minute (wahey). Honestly though, we’re not sure how we do it. We get by on essentials mostly. Say a Kit Kat Orange for Tristan, a bowl of quinoa and courgette for Bryony, a breath mint for Jack, chorizoed egg on toast for Ella and a flat coke with fag ash floating on the surface for Luke… It’s little luxuries like that which really do make the difference.

THE JEST ARE PERFORMING ‘THE FIVE HUMOURS’ AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Seven Questions With… That Pair

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That Pair are a comedy sketch duo made up of long-lasting friends Kat Bond and Lorna Shaw. They are silly and upbeat, contrasting and complimenting their humour with more serious themes such as financial issues and the effects of gender stereotyping. As well as being featured on Radio 4’s Sketchorama, they reached the final of the Funny Women Awards in 2012 and have since been receiving great critical acclaim for their 2013 show Never Liked Her Anyway. That Pair are currently performing their latest show Letting It Go at the Edinburgh Festival.
I asked That Pair these seven questions to learn a little more about them…

1) Do you feel that life is too serious?

KB: I take life too seriously. She (life) is always trying to be chilled but I wont let her.

LS: Are you serious? You’re seriously asking me that? Get serious! Life ain’t silly enough. I think we should all remind ourselves daily that everything in this world is made up and most of it is ridiculous. So break the rules, lighten up and enjoy the ride.

2) What gets you up in the morning?

KB: Hunger.

LS: Not my alarm. I would snooze forever. The lure of a good cup of coffee usually works.

© Rosie Collins

© Rosie Collins

3) Which dessert is the king of all desserts?

KB: I love sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice-cream. Makes me less serious.

LS: Banoffee pie. Tiramisu is my Queen and New York Cheesecake my Prince.

4) Are you helpful?

KB: I try to be but often get in the way

LS: When asked I will always help if I can. I don’t like to impose offers of help for fear of offending or being told to go away. Ouch.

5) Why do you choose to perform as characters?

KB: To escape. Just kidding. No, I’m not actually, to escape.

LS: My characters are generally funnier than me… and better looking.

© Rosie Collins

© Rosie Collins

6) Do you like to plan ahead?

KB: I like to the plan the past. Ignore the future and eat through the present.

LS: No. Planning years in advance scares the hell out of me. But sometimes it has to be done. I like to let things unfold like a rebellious origami swan.

7) What motivates you as a performer?

KB: I love the physical output. The endorphins.

LS: The drug that is laughter. The unifying experience of live performance. Deep eh? Oh and getting to dress up.

THAT PAIR ARE PERFORMING ‘LETTING IT GO’ AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Jonny Awsum: Everything Is Awsum, Edinburgh Preview

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Jonny AwsumThere’s something inspiring about attending a comedy show, which you have no prior information about other than a name, and discovering something quite remarkable. Witnessing a preview of Jonny Awsum’s second musical stand up show (at the MAC in Birmingham, of course) was certainly a unique experience, with the comic bringing boxes of mysterious objects on stage which were to be used throughout the hour, starting with three audience members on the front row who were supplied with plastic silver trumpets.

It is really no surprise that a large portion of his comedy work is in the form of being the ‘warm-up guy,’ or Hype Man as it is apparently called, for the energy Jonny managed to summon from a mixed-aged Thursday night crowd in Birmingham was admirable. One reason for the sustained high-octane feel of the show was that the audience as a whole were called to action regularly, whether that be to cheer performers on in their harmonica solos, shout back obscenities, or simply hum along to songs. Just because some of us weren’t picked on, it doesn’t mean that we weren’t a crucial part of the show.

The most applaudable aspect of Jonny Awsum’s performance was that no audience member was ever the butt of the joke, which made for unexpectedly enjoyable audience participation. Jonny enabled us to create something fantastic as a group and it unified us all as one; I chatted to people I’d never have mixed with in my daily life due to age and general background and that is a testament to this comedian’s positive attitude and the uplifting nature of his show as a whole.

Jonny Awsum’s latest musical extravaganza is magnificent: exciting and skilfully crafted. It seemed as though he didn’t even need to be doing previews at this point in late July, but the crowd were certainly pleased that he was. Musical, interactive comedy is not my preferred style of entertainment, but this show made it felt like it could be.

Jonny Awsum is currently performing his show Everything Is Awsum at the Edinburgh Festival.

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Sell This Gig Out, An Edinburgh Initiative

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It’s common knowledge that being a stand up comedian is hard work. The travelling is arduous and lonely; there is often a loss to be made once all the costs are detracted from any money gained from ticket sales. The Edinburgh Festival is probably the most strenuous time of year for a working comic. Performers from across the globe travel up to Scotland for a month of entertaining, spectating and living out of suitcases.

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Michael Legge: ‘Tell It Like It Is, Steve’

Having worked on their new shows for the past however many months and performing them nearly every single day of the festival, there are plenty of comedians who live with a constant anxiety that nobody will even turn up to see them. Comedy is a volatile art form, and while this is what makes it so exciting, it is also what makes it a risky thing to dedicate your life, love and money to, as a performer. Comedy is a labour of love and those who pour the most into their art are sure to be the ones who can bask in the most future success or personal triumph. But, as you can see, it must take its toll, and a helping hand from a friend is sometimes the perfect way to lift the spirits, or, in this case, the ticket sales. This is where Michael Legge and his army of comedy folk come in.

Sell This Gig Out is Michael Legge’s initiative, which he has been utilising in recent years to allow groups of comics and comedy fans to promote shows through various social networking platforms. The idea is simple enough: Legge has summoned together a network of people who are willing to help each other, and, of course, who would be grateful for any help they may too receive. The group have been focussing on one comedian’s show per day so far but are also constantly recommending other shows to attend as well as attending them themselves, beginning as they mean to go on, by completely selling out Angela Barnes’ first show of the run.

Here we have a prime example of the wonderful camaraderie shown by so many of our most loved stand up comedians, and I, for one, find it incredibly uplifting.

If you want to recommend a show or have a show recommended to you, feel free to join the Facebook group and get to work using the hashtag #LetsSellThisGigOut.