Comedy

February: Comedian Of The Month #13, John Kearns

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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 strange character comic, John Kearns.

Winning Best Newcomer at the 2013 Foster’s Comedy Awards and following that up with the 2014 Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award saw Kearns make history and he has continued to blossom ever since. With tousled wig and oversized, crooked false teeth, this comedian really epitomises what might be considered “niche” in the comedy world, being, in his own words, “a joke that got out of hand”.

Talking of John Kearns, Bruce Dessau (Beyond The Joke) recently said “this work is very much for people who see a lot of comedy and crave something with a stronger flavour,” so perhaps this explains why I am such a fan of Kearns’ surreal comedy, but I’m not quite sure that’s it. I can also see how he could potentially appeal to a much larger audience, spanning over all ages, as he can certainly be compared to the likes of Harry Hill and Reeves and Mortimer, who have charmed adults and children alike for decades.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSmPFjmq9Vk

The absurdity borders on tragic at times, which makes for truly interesting viewing, and this is balanced by relatively frequent and astute observations derived from the simplest of things, like “I saw a five-year-old wearing a watch,” which earns a laugh in itself but is then developed even further. With his childish mannerisms and lively delivery, John Kearns really puts the joy into stand up. It is a pleasure to see him on stage as he clearly has a lot of fun, as well as bringing an enthusiasm to his performances which can only be admired.

Follow John on Twitter.

JANUARY COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Seven Questions With… Rob Auton

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Rob Auton

Photo: Julian Ward

Rob Auton is truly one of a kind. He performs comedy, writes poetry, and is even an incredible painter. He once wrote an entire show based around the colour yellow which shows just how different his approach to the performing arts is. Auton plays with metaphorical concepts as though they are physical things, which opens up a whole new realm of incredibly thoughtful comedy. If comedy is to be considered an art form, Rob Auton is truly one of its leading young artists.
I asked Rob these seven questions to learn a little more about him…

1) When did you first encounter comedy?

I can’t remember. I guess it was when I was little I must have laughed at something. It was probably something such as a dog existing. Or the sun. Stuff like that was hilarious to me. Still is really. Comedy has to be something you find funny doesn’t it? I remember when I was about 5 or 6  I had a bike that was black and it was called a Raleigh Wildcat. It had a sound effects box on the front. In the village where I grew up there always used to be this old man called Bill who stood at his gate, when I went down the street pressing the sound effects he would shout “The Daleks are coming.” It isn’t that funny now but when I was a child I would nearly fall off my bike from laughing at him because I really believed he thought I was a Dalek.

2) Where in the world would you never go?

Paintballing in the snow near Newcastle. I went paintballing in the snow near Newcastle once and I remember looking down at my hand and it was dripping blood onto the snow. Someone had shot me from close range and the paintball had cut my hand somehow.  The paint from the paintball was mixing with the blood so it was like some sort of crap Damien Hirst spin painting that hadn’t been spun yet.  I would never go there again.  I always give the enthusiastic guys at the camouflage netted tables in shopping centres a wide birth when I see them.

3) Do you have any weird talents?

I’m quite good at making scrambled eggs in a pan in a kitchen and chicken drumsticks outside on the barbecue. What came first the scrambled eggs in a pan in a kitchen or the chicken drumsticks outside on the barbecue? I’ll start with the scrambled eggs. I don’t want to tell people how to suck scrambled eggs but the key for me is loads of butter in a pan, really low heat, put the eggs in and stir it for ages (3-4 days) put in loads of salt and pepper and take it off the heat before it is cooked as it keeps cooking on its own. With regard to chicken drummers on the barbecue the key is to get loads of that division one pepper powder. What is that stuff? The stuff that has been ground down into dust and put that on until you’ve got enough on and then put more on and then put salt on in the same way. Basically so the chicken drummer looks like a chicken drummer that you’ve dropped on a beach and the beach is made from salt and pepper. Quite a chicken themed answer that I’m afraid, sorry to the none chicken eaters. You can use the same techniques with any food really.

4) Something you wish you believe in?

Magic tricks. I would love it if a person could be sawn in half and then put back together and be perfectly fine.

5) What is the best item in a sweet shop?

The chewy bits in the middle of Cola Cubes.

6) Does being a comedian feel strange to you?

I don’t know what I am but whatever it is it feels strange sometimes yes. If you are calling me a comedian then yes it does feel strange to be called that. The idea of doing gigs feels strange but when I get up on stage and just try to say my piece it doesn’t feel strange to me at all. It feels good for me to try and get my ideas out of me and into other people.  Sharing them to see if other people like them or not. If I have an idea and it makes me laugh and I say it on stage and other people laugh at it too then it makes me feel like I am part of something and not completely crazy.

7) What kind of people do you surround yourself with?

It is very rare that I am ever surrounded but I try to spend time with people who aren’t going to walk past a fish tank without looking in.

ROB AUTON’S SHOW: THE FACE SHOW IS AT THE SOHO THEATRE FROM 5TH-7TH MARCH. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHOW, THE WEEKLY STAND UP POETRY NIGHT HE RUNS AND HIS BOOK.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Seven Questions With… Tiff Stevenson

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Tiff StevensonTiff Stevenson is a very diverse stand up comedian, actor and writer who also runs the Old Rope new material night at The Phoenix in London. In recent times, you may have seen her on shows like Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Mock The Week, and she’s even performed at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2011 for the final of ITV’s Show Me The Funny. Tiff is currently touring her latest show Optimist, where she discusses the harsh realities of adulthood while also trying to dissect her own personal outlook on the world.
I asked her these seven questions to delve a little deeper…

1) What is the strangest thing you’ve ever done?

It would be easier to ask me the least strange. Most of them in a professional capacity. Over time I have been a tequila shot girl, club podium dancer, street theatre performer, promo person, snogged Finchy from The Office (during an episode not just a random lunge), was the lead in a Dizzee Rascal video, I ran around the streets of Liverpool with Ellie Taylor searching for women called Michelle and I once swam with sharks during the Edinburgh fringe… actual sharks not Kate Copstick.

2) Do you attempt New Year’s Resolutions?

Attempt would be the best description. To be honest I’m on a self improvement jag most of the time 

3) What is the best gigging experience you’ve ever had?

Ok a few so here goes:

Reading Festival 2013 & 2014 – just my perfect crowd really. Young people with a dark/outsider slant and discerning older people with great taste in music. Full tent of 3,500 people. Leeds is often great too but Reading pips it. Also, playing places like the Apollo are pretty great as the laughter comes back at you in waves.

In terms of small intimate rooms then The Phoenix in Cavendish Sq is the nuts. It is where I run Old Rope every Monday, it’s absolutely the best comedy room and I’ve had some of my best gigs in there. So many! I did the Melbourne Comedy Roadshow and some of the theatres there are amazing, you are on a mixed bill with other great performers. Also Hannibal Buress runs a room at The Knitting Factory in Brooklyn which is pretty hard to beat.

4) Which animal would be the worst pet?

A human called Tiff Stevenson. She would wear all your clothes and shit all over the carpet, but then she would do a funny joke and you’d have to forgive her.

5) What is the best thing to do on a Sunday?

Sunday morning is spent reflecting on how funny you are. Normally an hour or so in the mirror saying things like ‘You are the best’ and ‘Who wants a British Comedy Award anyway?’.

Then 4 hours of comedic sit-ups which is basically watching marathons of Buffy, Supernatural or this new show called Friends… don’t know if you’ve heard of it? It’s about 6 friends who live in New York and meet up in a coffee shop. It’s a period piece where they all dress in 90’s clothes.

Sunday evening is spent shouting at the cat and my boyfriend then sticking my fingers up to Nike by wearing their ‘Just Do It’ leggings whilst sitting on the sofa doing absolutely cock all.

Sunday late evening – I try to sleep then inevitably get all my joke ideas so stay up till 3am.

6) What is the best thing about being alive?

Serving my cat, I am merely a slave to his demands. Occasionally he rewards me by leaving a sick on the carpet or bringing in a pigeon that he has murdered.

7) Do you have any advice for new comedians?

Go buy tickets to see Tiff Stevenson on tour and you will learn everything you need to know. Also write, write more and get stage time.

TIFF STEVENSON’S SHOW: OPTIMIST WILL BE AT THE SOHO THEATRE FROM THE 25TH- 28TH FEBRUARY

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Review: Josie Long, Cara Josephine

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I have wanted to see Josie Long live for a long time due to her infamous political comedy but also because she is one of the most articulate, kind-hearted comics out there. Cara Josephine is her least political show for a long time and I think that may be because the message of this set is far too positive to be weighed down by the heavy nature of British politics- we can forget all that for a little while. Supported by the eccentric Tom Allen, these two supplied a superb Wednesday evening of entertainment.

Tom Allen

Photo: Steve Ullathorne

Tom Allen expertly juggles being slightly sinister with being endearing, friendly and flamboyant; his delivery fluctuates between being downbeat and slow-moving, and charmingly playful. With a presence similar to that of the well-spoken stand up comedian Simon Evans, Allen showed an incredibly dark streak; a welcome contrast to the abundance of crowd-pleasing ‘safe’ comedy that has emerged in recent years. Tom showed a talent for altering the metaphorical distance between himself and his audience, as we soon began to warm to each other and he opened up more and more about his family and his childhood.

Josie and Tom were very different in their material, delivery and stage presence but I noticed one major similarity: what they say is perfected by the way in which they say it. Tom Allen’s material would not be done justice if spoken by anybody else; he has a compelling presence on stage and a very distinctive voice. In Josie’s case, she uses her delightfully childish humour to break up heavily emotional or political segments which makes for a fantastically rounded and widely accessible show.

Josie Long’s Cara Josephine is a carefully constructed work of art. She begins on the surface, talking about her recent experiences taking Maths A Level as a 32 year old because she kept having nightmares about taking Maths A Level (I know, it makes perfect sense), and gradually getting more and more intimate until we reach the crux of the show: issues regarding our own self worth. I had heard that this was Josie’s most personal show to date, but had not expected her to be so wonderfully open about her past loves and losses, and make it so bloody funny.

Josie Long

Photo: Giles Smith

With a passion for poetry and an Oxford University education under her belt, Josie makes no effort to hide how well-read she is, and, frankly, why should she? I really appreciate the kind of comedy that values intelligence and the art of learning, and this show in particular enables audiences to learn about the woman on the stage, but also about her perception of events that happen to us all throughout our lives. This comedian talks to an extent of the difficult time she had as a teenager, and seeing where she is now, and despite only being seventeen myself, I think all of her fans feel a strange sense of pride for all that she has achieved.

This is because Josie Long is everyone’s friend. She opens herself up to her audiences, making herself vulnerable, all for the sake of her art, and I think that is something to be admired. Her comedy certainly blossoms because of it. With her infectious, bubbly personality, Josie has managed to build up consistently warm and friendly audiences which meant that the atmosphere in Wolverhampton was supportive and encouraging. This lady talks of growing old, but in my eyes she’ll be young her whole life: she has clearly learned a lot in the past few years, but hasn’t let this harden her in anyway and she remains as bright-eyed and spirited as ever.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH… JOSIE LONG

Seven Questions With… Phil Wang

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Phil WangPhil Wang is a very interesting stand up comedian who combines a calm, almost sedentary delivery with sharp, uncompromising wit. Phil’s Chinese-Malaysian heritage adds another dimension to his anecdotes, which, teamed with his “astute” observations (and insightful comments on them), shows that this self-proclaimed nerd is only just getting started.
I asked Phil these seven questions to learn a little more about him…

1) What’s your favourite word?

“Yuck”. My mum says it a lot and it reminds me of her. The silly old girl.

2) Do you prefer being alone or with people?

I prefer being alone, typing answers to interview questions I’ve been emailed. It’s my favourite form of communication. I can take as much time as I like (before the deadline), and no one complains if I’m naked. At least I can’t hear them because I’ve got my headphones in and they can’t shout in a library.

3) If you could support any comedian on tour, who would it be?

Physically: James Acaster. He doesn’t look too heavy.

Morally: Andrew Lawrence. He seems to be going through a lot of stuff right now.

On tour: Fin Taylor. We are soul mates, cursed by our opposing sexualities to never fully consolidate our beautiful union. But our service station chat is top notch.

4) Do you have any superstitions?

I’m the only person who thinks 7 is an unlucky number.

5) When is the best age to die?

110. That way it’s obvious you gave life your all. Or maybe 101, being the largest realistic palindrome to achieve.

6) Do you want your comedy to provoke people?

Yes. Provoke them to come to more of my shows.

7) What would you do if you could do anything?

Add another fucking question you maniac are you trying to kill us??

PHIL WANG WILL PERFORM HIS STAND UP SHOW: MELLOW YELLOW AT THE SOHO THEATRE ON THE 23RD AND 24TH FEBRUARY

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

Review: Bramall Comedy Night, Andrew Ryan, Ben Norris & Romesh Ranganathan

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Last week saw the fourth instalment of the University of Birmingham’s ever-growing comedy night with a stellar line up consisting of Andrew Ryan, Ben Norris and Romesh Ranganathan. This month undoubtedly saw the biggest crowd so far which was very nice to see.

Irish comic Andrew Ryan compèred the evening and he was one of the best I’d ever seen fill this difficult role, with unwavering energy and and effortless charm. In a way that reminded me of Jason Byrne (no, not just because he’s Irish), Andrew is very skilled at developing a unique set based on the audience on the night, from what I saw. A fifteen year old on the front row received most of the comedian’s conversation as he was so young, which was a near miss for me, being seventeen and on the front row myself!

Ben Norris was next, walking on with a stern face and surprising us all with his lighthearted style of comedy; I don’t think many people were expecting him to be so lovely, but he really was. With hilarious personal anecdotes broken up by a few fantastic one-liners, Norris presented a perfect blend of the topical and silly, with the dark and twisted. I laughed all the way through his set, particularly because his observations of aspects of politics and religion were spot on, and would definitely pay to see him again soon.

Romesh Ranganathan

The last act of the night was one of my favourite stand up comedians, Romesh Ranganathan, and I was delighted to finally be able to see him live. Talking about his kids, one of whom is an “unacceptable human being”, Romesh’s comedy has something for people of all ages (he’d probably be horrified to hear that I am one of five girls, when he thinks three boys is ridiculous). His material is very specific to him, covering the things he has experience of such as parenthood, teaching, veganism and dealing with racism, all tied together with his trademark passive aggression and sarcasm.

It was a pleasure to finally see Rom in person and I will definitely be following what Andrew and Ben are up to from now on (and of course attending next month’s comedy night at the Bramall).

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHT: JANUARY 2015

Seven Questions With… Gus The Fox

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WARNING: SENSITIVE CONTENT AND VERY STRONG LANGUAGE.

You may have come across this foul-mouthed fox on Twitter, or heard of him through recommendations from Noel Fielding, or even seen him going through your bins. When he’s not harassing members of the public, he enjoys upsetting animals, visiting his friend, Cwis Packham, and a little arts and crafts. Gus is the most flawed little creature, but you have to love him a bit.
I offered Gus some therapy in the form of these seven questions…

1) Meanest thing anyone has ever said to you?

Considering people say all sorts of fucked up shit to me every five minutes, that’s a pretty tough one. It’s weird that these days everyone seems to be knocking about with foxes knitted onto their jumpers and campaigning against us getting fucking murdered by Boris Johnson and such, but whenever I seem to meet anyone when I’m out and about, it’s absolute fucking carnage. I suspect I get treated like horse shit because I look like the result of what would happen if you covered Dean Gaffney in bacon and rolled him down a hill in a barrel full of tampons. People are always kicking me and calling me a revolting little bollocks and I guess when you’re a fox that’s just par for the course. The other day an old lady was watching me wandering about her back garden and I sneezed and all this grey sort of juice came out of my eyes and she threw a tin of pilchards at me and called me a rotten cunt before she was sick on her cat, which was actually pretty funny.

I suppose the meanest thing anyone ever said to me was the absolute tirade of of insults my own dished out on me after they found out that I fucked and killed my own gran. That was an awkward Christmas.

Gus the Fox

© Gus the Fox

2) Who is your favourite person?

I don’t really like most people. I’m not exactly what you’d call a ‘people person’. I quite like Cwis Packham because he invites me over to his bungalow to watch porn and eat Jaffa Cakes. The other day I was over there and Cwis thought it would be funny to nail me to a cross in his back garden and then he invited Adrian Chiles and Frankie from The Saturdays over to spray paint me gold and then they FedEx’ed me to Nicholas Serota and tried to submit me as an early entry to the Turner Prize, so he’s a hardly a fucking saint. Despite the fact that it was the single most painful experience that I’ve ever had to endure it was also a complete waste of fucking time because I ended up looking like a shit Jeff Koons rip-off.

I also like Victoria Coren Mitchell because she’s got two human penises and she showed me them and trusted me not to tell anyone. That’s a huge amount of trust and the sign of a true friend. I’m probably one of the only people to ever see her naked and it’s such a baffling and confusing sight that it makes you feel a little bit giddy.

3) Do you believe there is an afterlife?

Religion’s a funny one. It sort of feels like the whole thing would be redundant by now and everyone would just grow up and stop talking shit but even in this age of enlightenment it feels like there’s still a wave of resurgence and it never goes away. As a fox I was brought up to follow The Mighty Slug but I’m starting to have serious reservations that a slug that was born in 1992 can possibly be the creator of all things. For one thing there’s loads of evidence to suggest that there was life prior to 1992. You only need to have a vague knowledge of Slade and the invention of washing machines to realise that the universe must be more than 23 years old.

I don’t know. Faith is powerful tool. It seems that everyone has their own agenda. I’m always a bit wary of agnosticism. It strikes me that that if you sort of possibly believe that there might be a place that you go to for the rest of eternity after you die it might be a good idea to fucking knuckle down and do some research instead of wasting your life going to Lazer Quest and taking photographs about your dinner on Instagram. Seems like quite an important thing not to be giving your wholehearted attention to.

I hope there is an afterlife because I’ve been watching my cousin, Ian Bannister, slowly decomposing on the side of the North circular ring road for the past few weeks and if that’s how this stupid little life ends for us all then it’s not ideal. He’s got a family of centipedes living in his lifeless, truncated rectum at the moment which isn’t that much of a laugh.

In short, I doubt there’s an afterlife unfortunately. Not least because the term ‘afterlife’ is, in itself an oxymoron and a paradigm. Just because you want something to exist doesn’t make it so. I’m pretending I’m eating a roast dinner at the moment but it’s actually just some soil. Pretending you want something that’s better than what you’ve got might make things slightly easier but it doesn’t mean it’s good for you.

Gus the Fox

© Gus the Fox

4) Something that makes you sad?

Lenny Henry.

5) Are you wise?

Last night I drank loads of WD40 and got so messed up that ate my own testicles in an attempt to make a duck laugh, so I probably wouldn’t say that I’m ‘wise’ exactly. Having said that, I’m probably not as fucking stupid as some of my dickhead mates though. The other day my mate Liam Flint (a frog I know with alopecia) accidentally sold himself into some sort of horrible sex trafficking operation. I don’t know how you even do that to yourself by accident. What a div.

My mate Sexy Chris is a right plum as well. A few years ago he read some stupid Chinese proverb that he found in a fortune cookie or some shit and it said something about ‘building a nest inside your own mind’ which he took literally like some sort of enormous feathery cock. Anyway he spent the next few days shoving all these sticks and bits of fluff into his own head. Just cramming it all into his ears and up his nose until his head was the size of basketball ball and started looking like Alan Sugar with Bell’s Palsy. Anyway he had a seizure and now there’s something wring with his brain because he says that every time he blinks it feels like he’s trapped inside a small box for about 3 weeks. He spends about 90% of the time crying these days which is pretty funny.

Sexy Chris

© Gus the Fox

6) Do you ever feel lonely?

I sometimes do in the winter but during the Spring and Summer months there’s usually loads of wasps and bees knocking about so I’m usually pretty happy with that. If I ever get lonely I’ll usually get married to a moth. I’ve been married to 789 moths to date and I’ve eaten every single one. There’s not many people who can say that… even Martin Clunes has only been married to 4 or 5.

7) What would you eat for your last ever meal?

I was given a ‘last meal’ once before when I got abducted by Tim Henman and he bundled me into his van. He took me into his garage and chained me to his Police Acadamy 7 (Mission to Moscow) pinball machine and held a gun to my head and made me watch him perform a play he’d written about Bombay mix. He made me choose my last meal and I went for the Bombay mix because, in all fairness, it was a captivating performance and quite a good play.

Before he could execute me Henman tripped over and blew his own head off. I was well surprised that that never got in any of the papers.

Follow Gus The Fox on Twitter and visit his website for more information about his book.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

iPlayer Preview: Funny Valentines

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If you watched the BBC iPlayer shorts from June 2014, you’ll have seen for yourself how these miniature comedy installations really do open up a new style of viewing. Last year’s six hilarious bitesize programmes allowed us to sample a whole range of funny creations from the likes of Matt Berry, Reece Shearsmith, Micky Flanagan and Meera Syal, and it’s no surprise that the news of a brand new set this month was more than welcome.

Rom Com is the increasingly popular Romesh Ranganathan’s Valentine’s-related short, starring Aisling Bea. Together they make up the world’s seemingly most awkward first date ever. The episode follows Romesh as he is rigorously prepared for his evening with this quite mysterious young woman by his very own verbally abusive relationship guru, who also happens to be a figment of his own imagination. Rom Com is a dark and oppressive comedy, and is made bitterly funny thanks to both of its stars.

Katy Wix’s Dear Jean Pierre is a silly story of a quaint French romance, as it reaches its emotional final moments. In this remarkable tale, Wix relives the moments where the relationship began to decline, and brings her wonderfully childish humour along for the ride. With her trademark hopeful and innocent nature, and a knack for surprising us with various twists and turns along the way, Dear Jean Pierre is a complete comedy delight.

© BBC/Baby Cow/Guy Levy

Matt Berry’s Wild Love is certainly wild, shockingly funny and crude. In the sequel to last year’s Lone Wolf, Berry narrates the mating antics of various creatures ranging from golden frogs to “colonial hopping dogs”. This undiscovered world is absolutely crazy, and even our beloved narrator himself seems to get carried away by the absurdity of it all, which makes for hilarious listening. Writer, Bob Mortimer, and Berry have come together yet again, to create something fantastic, and it’s not too difficult to visualise this becoming a series one day. Watch out David Attenborough!

Bill Bailey brings his brilliant song-writing skills to present a parody of the romantic-rock music industry by remaking one of his own songs, Love Song. It is bleak, harshly funny and typical of Bailey’s hilarious comedy. It also really made me want to watch his ’96 live show Cosmic Jam again as this man’s material is absolutely timeless. Music Lovers is Sara Pascoe’s surreal comedy short about a Norwegian band, Monozygotic, who are promoting their new album, but it turns out there is much more going on behind the scenes that are revealed throughout. I loved this because it’s completely different from anything I’ve seen Sara do before (and because I got to hear Elis James’ Norwegian accent.

© BBC/Happy Tramp/Guy Levy

Elephant, starring Nick Helm and Esther Smith, is the sweetest little comedy I’ve seen in a long time. It follows a very clumsy yet likeable pair of young almost-lovebirds as they embark on the world’s cheapest almost-date ever. The visuals of this one are absolutely beautiful, with bright natural lighting and smiles all round and the over all effect is a slow-burning, lovely episode that really warms the heart. The Lady and the Fly from Modern Toss is very different from the rest of the episodes due to its animated format. A fly has fallen in love with a human woman and her apparent rejection has made him feel like ending it all and becoming a “self-netter” by flinging himself into a spider’s web, ready to be eaten. Modern Toss have created something that is cleverer than most observational comedy, as the ideas are implied through the fly’s narrative, rather than in explicit statements.

These iPlayer shorts are such a great new development in online viewing and I look forward to a third batch at some point in the future.

Watch all of the fantastic comedy shorts on BBC iPlayer

Seven Questions With… Kim Noble

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Kim Noble has played a part in many brilliant sitcoms over the years, including playing Doctor Jim in Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace; you may even recognise him as the bipolar flag from series one of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy. With stand up shows that blend humour, filmography and themes that are too often regarded as “taboo”, Noble makes it his art to divide the public and spark controversy, which is exactly what comedy needs in order to thrive. His material is often incredibly dark and wicked, his delivery fluctuating from lethargic, to frantic, to furious; Kim Noble is a comedian who goes beyond the realms of our constructed normality, and does so with pleasure.
In order to find out a little more about him, I asked Kim these seven questions…

1) If you could smash anything with a hammer, what would it be?

A goat. Straight betwixt the eyes. You know. In that sweet spot. Man! And when you land it just right there’s nothing better.

2) What book should everyone read?

My book. 

Buy it here on Amazon:

(I haven’t provided the link because I haven’t actually written a book… well I did but the publisher basically said it was shit… he didn’t like my obsession with goat massacres) but if you want a book, you can pop round and take one from my shelf.

3) Something that you wish you had invented?

The wheel. I mean it’s just a really good bit of design and useful to boot. that or the Henry Hoover. Like the wheel: useful and good design.

Kim Noble

4) What is the hardest aspect of your profession?

People think it’s just sex sex sex sex. Constant sex. On tap. 24/7. Sex. Morning noon and night. Sex. Constant fucking. Hardcore filthy sex. Non stop sex. But it isn’t like that at all! Trust me. It’s the opposite.

5) Who is your favourite person from history?

Anyone with a nice smile.

6) Who is your favourite comedian to work with?

Mostly they are wankers so I don’t.

Fielding: idiot, Kearns: nonce, Munnery: nonce, Christie: (don’t know), Key: nonce, Meeton: paedo, Simmons: dick head, Tate: fucken bitch.

Etc etc etc.

7) Why did you do it? (make of this question what you will)

Do you want to go for a drink?

Follow Kim Noble on Twitter and check out his hilarious Youtube channel

GET YOUR TICKETS FOR KIM NOBLE: YOU’RE NOT ALONE AT THE SOHO THEATRE 3RD FEB-7TH MARCH

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

January: Comedian Of The Month #12, Maeve Higgins

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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.

My first Comedian of the Month for the new year is the fantastically funny Irish star of The Alternative Comedy Experience, Maeve Higgins.

Opening with lines like: “I don’t know if you know my parents. Do you know my parents?” Maeve quickly sets the scene for her strange style of conversational comedy. She is one of the most likeable stand up comedians I think I’ve ever known, but she’s no pushover. I have no regrets in saying that this lady is absolutely adorable and very endearing; her material is silly and childlike, often being almost whimsical.

She likes to play with and manipulate the comfort levels of her audiences, often acting as though she’s just a sweet little lady who wants to try a bit of comedy, but by acting so out of her depth, it just shows us that she really isn’t. Her material can often warrant awkward pauses, but she is quick to assure her audiences that she is, in fact, in total control- the awkwardness is a part of the whole package. And in creating this false sense of fear or anxiety, she earns all the more laughter as a relief from the stress once viewers realise that everything is fine.

Presenting her home country of Ireland as some kind of mystical foreign land, Higgins effortlessly slips into an almost surreal form of comedy, with tagged-on lines like: “I can do both of those things at the same time. Simultaneously as they say in my country,” and references things like ‘marmalade season’. And while she performs, she appears to be almost ageless; her delivery can border on deadpan, but she’s also energetic and youthful in equal measure.

Maeve Higgins is a very exciting comedian, and I look forward to seeing what she creates in the future.

Follow Maeve on Twitter and for further information, visit her website.

DECEMBER COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH