Comedy

Prevenge Screening and Q&A with Alice Lowe

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Alice Lowe has been touring the country with preview screenings of Prevenge, including Chapter Arts Cardiff on January 24th. Hailing from the Midlands and having starred in comedies such as Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Hot Fuzz and Sightseers, Alice Lowe is an artist whose work I have always followed. Prevenge is the first feature film Lowe has directed, filmed over eleven days in Cardiff, and it is fair to say you won’t have seen anything like it before.

Ruth (Alice Lowe) is our protagonist. Her husband, and soon-to-be father of her baby, has been killed in a climbing ‘accident’. Prevenge begins under tragic circumstances with a bitter edge that becomes increasingly apparent, as Ruth and her unborn daughter crave vengeance. The setting is bleak, yet the cinematography is beautiful, and Lowe’s trademark sharp wit sends ripples of guilty laughter through the audience. Although this film will certainly satisfy fans of slasher horror, revenge movies and dark comedies, there is something else about Prevenge that makes it particularly unsettling. Yes, it is gory. Not your usual dimly lit hallways, full-moon horror, but  a far more vulnerable, open-air, broad-daylight violence.

© Alice Lowe

Though relatively short for a feature film, an impressive amount of action is compressed within its 90-or-so minutes. And not only this, Lowe’s aptitude for character development still takes precedence. Ruth and baby’s victims are often given limited screen time, yet audiences are given a well-rounded picture of who each of these people are and what they represent. We get an idea of their attitudes and personality traits deemed to be negative, thus meaning that their killings have particular comedic impact. And the faces of Ruth’s victims are recognisable, including the likes of Mike Wozniak, Tom Meeten and Dan Skinner.

The Q&A session after the screening proved valuable in aiding the audience’s understanding of the key issues of the film and artistic decisions in production. Alice herself is very astute in her creative thinking, as well as being relentlessly humble. She explains how she came up with the idea for Prevenge whilst six months pregnant, wrote the script in a matter of days and then, within a couple of months, they were filming.

An interesting discussion point that Alice raises following this regards Ruth’s antenatal nurse (played by This Is England and David Brent: Life on the Road‘s Jo Hartley), in that she is the only genuinely constant kind person who has Ruth’s interests at heart. Lowe makes it abundantly clear that worrying about whether audiences will like Ruth was never an item on her agenda, and it is empowering to hear her say this. The interesting thing, however, is that we do like Ruth, despite her sarcasm, callousness and brutality. We can each see an element of our own psyche within Ruth. Hearing Lowe’s perspective on various aspects of Prevenge‘s writing and production gives viewers much to think about. Audiences are left wondering who, or what, is the true source of our discomfort; is it Ruth’s actions or the fact they almost seem justified? Is Ruth alone or is she stifled? Is this baby an embodiment of innocence, or evil?

This film is an artistic triumph: an independent production that is definitely worth supporting. Prevenge will be returning to Chapter Arts Cardiff, as well as other cinemas across the UK, later this month.

Follow Alice Lowe and Prevenge on Twitter to keep up to date.

Crackanory Series 4 Preview

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The latest series of the ever-popular, dark anthology series Crackanory is looming. Here is quick preview of the latest set of episodes, to give you an idea of what sinister gems this new series has to offer, in time for January 30th, when the series begins on Dave.

The first episode in the series, entitled A Close Slave, is written by Tony Way. Dara O’Briain narrates the story of a playwright in ancient Rome, who is aided by his helpful slave when suffering from a particularly troublesome bout of writer’s block. Way presents viewers with an interesting blend of uneasy politics and delightful silliness, with the addition of various pieces of historical trivia on top. The drama levels are high as there is certainly a lot for our young protagonist to lose here. But as long as he writes the perfect ending, everything should go smoothly, right?

Living With A Lie, written by Nico Tatarowicz and performed by Sheridan Smith, follows the turbulent experiences of office worker Russell as he struggles to write his first novel. This story is one of lies and false impressions, with Russell’s fictional and genuinely disturbing ‘Aunt Janet’ making an unwelcome appearance across all aspects of his personal and professional life. The writing in this episode is particularly beautiful, with Tatarowicz’s use of metaphor making for poetic storytelling; the kind of writing that inspires others to write. And not only this, Steve Oram stars as Russell’s unsupportive manager Phil. This is definitely a highlight of the new series.

Crackanory S4 – Episode 3 – Bob Mortimer – The Despot of Tea

Bob Mortimer narrates the third episode in the series, Arnold Widdowson’s The Despot Of Tea, and his trademark matter-of-fact delivery shines through in this tale of Geoff, who becomes an unintentional propaganda icon when his acting career takes a surprise turn. This somewhat uneasy tale follows Geoff as he travels to a former Soviet state for of an acting job, only to find out that he has been recruited by the country’s president Alexei to get the nation’s people back on side. If this twisting thrill-ride of a story wasn’t enough for you, it’s worth watching just to hear Mortimer say Sir Slurpington-Boots.

The Frankenstein-esque The Survivor is a delightfully unsettling piece of television. Written by Alex Kirk and narrated by Anna Friel, this tale recounts the difficult discoveries made by Thomas, who awakes in a strange house in the middle of the countryside to the news that his parents have died. He is bed-bound and helpless, pined over more like a family pet than a patient. Nothing is as it seems in the warped, dystopian world Thomas finds himself in, and viewers are kept guessing right up to the very last scene.

Episode five, Proxy Lady, features Mel Giedroyc’s recognisable, playful delivery that is pleasingly blunt in parts. Mel introduces us to 27 year old Beth, a miserable hotel worker who’s life becomes infinitely more interesting when she receives an ominous email from a woman named Greta (House of Fool‘s Ellie White). There is certainly something sick and twisted about the behaviour of the characters from the offset, but an unusual development is that it appears to be Beth who is the heartless one, rather than the mysterious loner she has dealings with.

Crackanory S4 – Episode 5 – Mel Giedroyc – Proxy Lady

Devil’s Haircut is written by Sarah Morgan and narrated by the ‘cool kid’ of comedy Doc Brown. It is a tale of ‘four white men in waistcoats singing stolen slave songs.’ Well, that’s what the sultry and mysterious Lil (Sophia Di Martino) claims a barbershop quartet is, and our protagonist, Spencer, happens to be a part of said barbershop quartet. Seduced by Lil’s red lipstick and intense gaze, the singer finds himself implicated in a pact that he had not intended to get involved in, with the love of his life suddenly becoming a source of great fear.

The Office‘s Mackenzie Crook narrates The Disappearance, written by Toby Davies. This is a story of misdirection, one that explores the border between magic and madness, pushing it to its absolute boundaries until, inevitably, something has to break. This episode is pacy and impactful, with an air of The Prestige about it. It features Dominic Coleman as Solomon the successful magician whose love for the craft, family relations and sanity begin to crumble around him.

And finally comes the final episode in the series: Pickled, written by Kevin Eldon and narrated by Miriam Margolyes. This tale begins with a close look at Benedict, a man who goes from riches to rags as his extravagant lifestyle catches up with him. Benedict’s life is in tatters around him, entirely of his own doing. Add a haunted house to the mix and it looks likes things aren’t going to be looking up anytime soon for our poor protagonist. Margolyes’ storytelling is fantastic and dramatic here; perfect for portraying the tense relationship that develops between Benedict and the ghostly old man he meets in the abandoned house.

This latest series of Crackanory perfectly epitomises what the art of entertaining storytelling is all about. The narrators are well-chosen and each story is innovative and unpredictable; definitely worth a watch. Crackanory series 4 begins on Monday 30th January at 10pm on Dave.

Ask The Expert: Sarah Henley (Founder of NextUp)

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Sarah Henley is part of the team responsible for creating the online stand up comedy platform NextUp, a company that organises the recording of stand up shows from the likes of Tony Law, Richard Herring and Lou Sanders and publishes them online for comedy fans to devour. Sarah is also a playwright and director, as well as being the founder of ComComedy.
To learn more about Sarah’s career, I asked her a few questions…

What triggered you to set up the NextUp initiative?

Dan, Kenny and I (three of the four NextUp Founders) used to run a comedy YouTube channel and monthly live variety comedy night called ComComedy. It involved showcasing great up-and-coming comics by filming parts of their set and interviewing them and sharing the videos online. We went up to the Edinburgh Fringe each year to film and interview comics and couldn’t believe the amount of high quality shows, which might get a tour or a short run in London, but would then just disappear. We figured that there was a much bigger audience for those great shows, and that they just needed the right platform; so NextUp was born!

Who is on the NextUp team?

Dan Berg. He’s got a great background in comedy and has even one a BAFTA for writing! He runs the company on a day to day basis –working across all areas of the business.

Kenny Cavey. Kenny has an incredible amount of experience in production and tech, so he’s our head of production as well as the person in charge of our user experience.

Stuart Snaith. Stuart has many years of experience in the comedy industry – he worked as Head of Comedy for BBC Worldwide and for NextUp he is head of content and partnerships.

Me. I work across a lot of different areas of the business as well, but one of my big focuses is on marketing and communications – making sure we get the message of NextUp out there to comedy fans and comedians alike!

© NextUp Comedy

How do you choose which comedians will feature on NextUp?

Good question! And something that I think will evolve as we get to know our audience more and what their particular likes/dislikes are. At the moment we’re trying to promote a really broad range so there’s something for everyone. We’re also really keen on showcasing the diversity of comedy out there that perhaps can’t find a platform on TV yet – there’s a way to go on this one but it’s something we’re passionate about. In the main, we’re looking for really well-crafted full hours of comedy.

What aspect of your work/career are you proudest of?

I think when we get a tweet or email from one of our subscribers saying that they’ve just discovered their new favourite comic…that’s when I know we’re getting something right!

How do you see NextUp developing in future years?

We’d love NextUp to grow and grow. We want to film more incredible comics and reach a really wide audience. We’re available worldwide so it’d be great to feature comics and market to other countries and really become the home of stand up comedy online.

SIGN UP TO NEXTUP COMEDY STREAMING HERE

ASK THE EXPERT…

December: Comedian Of The Month #35, Jordan Brookes

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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.

Happy New Year everyone! The final Comedian of the Month chosen for 2016 is Jordan Brookes, who came to my attention when he was named one of of the ‘Top Ten Ones To Watch in 2017’ by an expert panel consisting of Beyond The Joke‘s Bruce Dessau, Bob Slayer and Corrie McGuire. He even appeared alongside two MoodyComedy favourites: Stuart Goldsmith and Adam Hess.

Jordan Brookes reminds me of many of the people I knew at school. He is competent and clearly knowledgeable yet in an unobtrusive way, endearing himself to audiences almost without effort. Jordan utilises sarcasm and drudgery, which stand in contrast against the awkwardness that accompanies him onstage. And this comedian is strangely self-assured, despite audiences being perhaps inclined to assume he is an anxious character based on first impressions.

© Jordan Brookes

Often bordering on performance art, Jordan Brookes’ comedy starts small and develops with ease into something broader and more conceptual, such as his failed-time-travel skit. He is confident and artistically unafraid; a truly thoughtful comic with a calm air about him that reassures audiences that he knows what he is doing.

Jordan Brookes’ 2016 show ‘The Making Of…’ is now available on the new comedy streaming site NextUp, which is a site definitely worth signing up to at only £3.50 a month for unlimited access to stand up comedy content.

For more information, follow Jordan Brookes on Twitter.

NOVEMBER COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Review: Tony Law – A Law Undo His-elf What Welcome

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My first visit to Chapter Arts Cardiff is a memorable one. I am attending the Go Faster Stripe DVD recording of Tony Law’s latest stand up hour: A Law Undo His-elf What Welcome and am unsure what to expect from the zany Canadian comic this time around. I’ve heard he’s changed a lot in the past few months.

Tony Law arrives with his usual energetic vigour. He boasts a pair of Waitrose gardening gloves and has gaffer-taped his torso tightly, stating that he is ‘newly fat’, and is clutching on to two gymnastics ribbons. He opens the show with some interpretive dance. So far, so Tony Law.

But the performer has another string to his bow this year. It seems that he has become wise in his recently found sobriety. This latest show is far more self-reflective than previous years; Law has slowed the pace down ever so slightly and allowed a glint of vulnerability to shine through. He declares that he’s developed stage fright since giving up the drink, as well as a fear of crowds.

© Tony Law

A big change in Tony’s life comes from the purchasing of a ‘therapy dog’, a beautiful black German Shepherd. The comedian spends much of his time walking his new dog in the woods near his home. Of course, followers of Tony Law on social media will already be aware of this addition to Tony’s family, as he has a regular Instagram series entitled ‘Calling My Dog Back in the Woods’. His dog, as well as his family, are clearly this comedian’s world, and it’s truly a delight to see.

But Law’s comedy hasn’t changed as much as his general presence has; the contents of this latest show is similar to past years, full to the brim with off-the-wall concepts and ideas. He’s an auditory as well as visual performer, and the inclusion of music and various sound effects (note his series of aeroplane impressions and infamous microphone-foghorn) are interesting ways of breaking up the material and ensuring that the energy in the room remains at dizzy heights throughout the show.

Tony Law is somewhat of an enigma to me. No audience member can comprehend the journey Tony has taken, but his openness is refreshing. For a deeper insight into his transition from ‘off the rails’ Tony to the zen character we now see before us, listen to ‘Tony Law Returns’ on Stu Goldsmith’s Comedian’s Comedian Podcast. For those who listened to the initial interview back in 2014, you will notice a drastic different in his persona.

This comedian may have settled down considerably but he is still excitingly energetic. And the best thing about this whole debacle is that Tony Law seems to be enjoying performing so much more.

VISIT GO FASTER STRIPE FOR PHYSICAL AND DOWNLOADABLE COPIES OF STAND UP FROM AN IMPRESSIVE RANGE OF ACTS.

Seven Questions With… Luke Heggie

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Luke Heggie is an Australian stand up comedian who speaks with a hilarious blend of passive rage and cynicism. Heggie’s comedy reflects the various elements of life that he has to juggle, being a husband and father as well as a builder by trade and a comic by night. So it’s understandable that there are countless people that get on his nerves, and he isn’t afraid to tell us about them.
To learn more about Luke, I asked him these seven questions…

1) How does your day job affect your writing?

I work on building sites, so there’s no shortage of dickheads to write about. It’s a job I can walk around thinking about other things, muttering to myself, and generally working in my own head. It hinders me because I’m buggered by the time I get home, and have to force myself to stay awake to either go to a gig or write a bit.

2) What worries you? 

Death by violence. I don’t too much care about anything else. If I manage to stay alive, I can feed my family, and I live in a country where it would be somewhat of an achievement to starve to death.

© Danny Aarons

© Danny Aarons

3) Are you open to change?

No. I don’t like change, unless it directly benefits me and no one else.

4) What do you wish people would stop doing?

Cross-breeding poodles just to create a cutesy name for dogs. Crunching passionfruit in their teeth. Wearing those shoes with the stupid separate toes. Putting on hats that ride low on the skull so they can tuck their ears in. Despite being an adult, getting offended (usually on someone else’s behalf) at someone like me swearing. I come from swearing. Serving up tomatoes at a dinner party with the corks still in, and expecting me to eat them. Searching vigorously for a cause to align themselves with in order to self-promote, riding mobility scooters at peak shopping times, using tissue box covers, putting a cutlery caddy on the table – what’s in your top drawer cockhead? Making a noise when they yawn. Putting one hand up on the wall at the urinal. and telling me what I can and can’t fucking say.

5) Is having children selfless or selfish?

Neither. Depends on the motive. If you preach that the world needs a new leader (like your child will be one day) to guide it through the future, then you’re probably a deluded pikey. If you’re one of those who preach that the world needs less people, then you’re probably infertile, and/or no one wants to be near you, let alone start a family with you.

6) Do you have a guilty conscience?

No I don’t. If I ever did anything wrong I might; I’m not an idiot. But it’s yet to happen that I have done something to feel guilty about. 

7) Does anger ever hinder your comedy or writing?

If I’m angry at someone, I usually just go around and egg their house or car, and the issue is solved. I go for a quick run, and head home to write with a clear head. As a performer, I don’t bang the mic stand indignantly at social injustices, or get angry in general. By the time I get to a stage to say what someone has done to annoy me, I’ve usually settled the vendetta and let it go. I don’t care much for bottling anger. I’m a grown up.

VISIT LUKE HEGGIE’S WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

November: Comedian Of The Month #34, Rose Matafeo

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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.

New Zealand comedian and actor Rose Matafeo was first brought to my attention upon her appearance as a panellist on the latest series of Have I Got News For You. I imagine this is the same for many watchers of primarily British comedy, unless you happened to catch her at 2016’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival performing her highly acclaimed show Rose Matafeo is Finally Dead.

Rose’s comedy is fun, youthful and well-crafted. She effortlessly reels people in with her quietly confident charm, bringing an air of excitement to stage alongside an assurance that this performer knows what she is doing. Her occasional droll remarks allude to a darker, sarcastic side, which makes for an interesting balancing act between silliness and astute personal reflection.

Rose Matafeo

Rose Matafeo

It seems that Matafeo is somewhat of an internet sensation in New Zealand, with many peculiar YouTube videos (such as her series Feline Fine) and her ‘speed dating’ interviews with some of the biggest names in American comedy such as Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer, Trainwreck) and Saturday Night Live‘s Bill Hader. Rose also spent over two years as a presenter on U Live on New Zealand TV.

With a bright and exciting energy, Rose Matafeo is an artist I look forward to seeing more of as her influence on the British comedy scene increases, which I have no doubt it will.

For more information, follow Rose Matafeo on Twitter.

OCTOBER COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Review: Rhys James – Forgives and Adam Hess – Feathers

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Rhys James and Adam Hess have been touring the country with their latest Edinburgh shows, bringing them eventually to the studio room at Birmingham’s Glee Club. The audience gathered is small but the atmosphere is good; improved certainly by the obvious strong friendship between the two comics performing. They live together, enjoy annoying each other and frequently refer to each other in their sets. Adam can even be seen sat on the floor in the corner of the room during Rhys’s performance.

Rhys James’s comedy is sillier than I anticipated it being. The impression I have always had of him is a rather cutting, almost condescending one, and his presence on stage comes as a surprise. With strange idiosyncrasies like the abbreviation of “high presh sitch,” as well as the flippant “soz”, James’s comedy is energetic, playful and enthusiastic. Amongst the impression of careful craft in terms of joke and narrative structure, Rhys has charming elements of impulsivity, referring to the four empty seats on the front row: “They come to all my gigs.”

An indicator of Rhys’s understanding of the craft is his own comment on his comedy. He seems to be very self aware and reflective, casting opinions on his actions within the narratives as well as the reactions his jokes receive in the room. This comedian is able to develop a believable narrative that encompasses detailed and obscure observations he has made without leaving the show disjointed; in fact, it is rather seamless. Rhys James’s latest hour is excellently written. He is cynical and analytical, whilst remaining endearing, with the show even getting quite emotional towards the end as the comic considers his next fifteen years of life.

adam-h-and-rhys-j-940x470

Now, it’s not difficult to believe that Adam Hess was the naughty kid at school. Hess seems to have retained this strange blend of pride and shame, paired with an innate sense of mischief that makes him a really likeable performer. The comic tumbles onto stage with a somewhat frantic energy that builds as the show progresses, his material getting stranger and stranger as he delves further into rather odd experiences from both his childhood and adulthood.

It seems as though Hess has had a tough year. His extravagant tale of recent efforts to make a banana split alone on Valentine’s Day at 2am is rather depressing. But his flailing desperation isn’t dampening of the mood, but rather bordering on hysterical. Adam knows he’s an object of pity according to this narrative, and plays it to his advantage. And if you let your mind wander for as little as one minute, you will jolt back to attention having missed a multitude of ideas that fly at his audience with impressive pace. His joke economy reflects his attention span, perhaps, and watching Adam perform has moments that are exhilarating.

It is interesting to consider the effect of social media presence on the stand up style of these two performers. Both shows are well-formed, with space for spur-of-the-moment audience interaction and callbacks where each comic rebounded off the enthusiasm the audience were already reflecting back. There are concise jokes and multi-layered scenarios, perfect for the Twitter generation and incredibly handy for keeping the energy up within live performance.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT RHYS JAMES AND ADAM HESS’S WEBSITES

October: Comedian Of The Month #33, Eddy Brimson

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Eddy Brimson

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.

October’s Comedian of the Month is actor, writer and stand up comedian Eddy Brimson, who appeared on a bill alongside Andre Vincent, Funmbi Omotayo and Ben Norris (the latter, being a recognisable face on MoodyComedy) at Glee Club Cardiff last month.

Gliding on to stage, Eddy Brimson has a stern but surprisingly warm and genuine demeanour. He acknowledges the fact that he is an intimidating presence at first impression with the assertive recognition, “I’m very aware of my face”. He also controls a rowdy Saturday night comedy audience with efficiency, beginning with ruder material but later evolving his set into something much more personal. While Brimson is clearly able to please a crowd, he can also focus in on much smaller details of scenarios and conversations, providing unexpectedly idiosyncratic observations as he does so.

Eddy certainly has a soft side, and this comes to light in his slightly more whimsical material, such as that about his concern for the panda species. He is also unafraid of opening himself up emotionally in front of an audience, speaking briefly about his recent divorce, for instance, and this counteracts any disconnection allowed to form through the use of crowd work and informalities.

Eddy Brimson’s comedy is well-crafted and uncomplicated; his voice confident and cutting. He is certainly a performer to watch out for on the weekend comedy circuit.

For more information, visit Eddy Brimson’s website.

SEPTEMBER COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

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!

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