Comedy

Review: Bridget Christie – A Bic For Her & An Ungrateful Woman

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Sat in the middle of the second row of a small arts centre with nobody sat in the seat in front of me, it wouldn’t have been unusual to feel on edge, exposed or even anxious at the thought of spending two hours sat eye to eye with the force that is Bridget Christie. But it may come as a surprise for you to hear that as an audience member, I have never felt more comfortable than when sat listening to Bridget perform her material.

Two slightly shortened sets were performed, Bridget’s 2013 show: A Bic For Her, and her latest one: An Ungrateful Woman. Both followed a similar theme (because, believe it or not, she hadn’t quite ran out of material on feminism just yet) and supported each other well, with well-informed subject-matter that never leaned towards feeling heavy or boring. Unknown to some, Bridget Christie’s shows haven’t always been so orientated around social change. In fact, in a recent episode of the Comedian’s Comedian podcast, she divulged that in her earlier years, she once dressed as a pea and sat on stage with just her head outside of a box, watching her audience be seated.

An Ungrateful Woman

It is clear to me that this lady is afraid of very little and with this, she can do very much. She talked of her own personal triumphs that help deal with misogyny on a small, day-to-day level, involving a hilarious anecdote about magazine stands in supermarkets, but also interweaved material around issues surrounding suggestive advertising, FGM, Michael Gove, a certain snooker player and Beyoncé.

So, we know that this comic can do surreal as that’s what she’s done in the past, but these two shows were different: they were hard-hitting and informative yet still immensely enjoyable. There are still elements of the fantastical within her comedy, with energetic and preposterous slapstick routines that accurately portray what others have hinted are “things a female might do”. Packed to the brim with sarcasm and a slight hint of derailment, A Bic For Her and An Ungrateful Woman bring to the forefront how important feminism is in today’s society and remind us that there is no such as thing being satisfied with something as insane as one nation having “better” inequality than another.

With her assertive self-confidence and, dare I say it, actual proposed solutions (so you can stop your “raging feminist that just moans about everything” stuff now), I left Bridget’s show feeling assured that someone else, well, the woman herself, had the situation in hand.

You can see where Bridget Christie is on tour right now by visiting her website.

(And an additional side note, that I am sure you are all aware of: I encourage you to watch Emma Watson’s speech to the United Nations that she gave this week. It is inspirational in the same way that Bridget’s performance was for me.)

Stand & Deliver

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In June 2014, a proposed magazine finally became a confirmed project as Stand & Deliver’s KickStarter campaign proved to be a huge success. Enough people (including myself) had pledged a donation towards the printing of the magazine’s first edition so the making and distributing of this beautiful product could get underway.

Stand & Deliver aims to fill the gap in the market for the comedy nerds of the world. It combines comedy, journalism, art and photography into one stunning package and I’m sure (well, I hope) that that is an exciting prospect for any reader of this site. One of the main reasons I supported this project was because the sheer amount of care, love and passion gone into it was painfully apparent. Seeing another person’s passion for what is most important to them in life will always, in turn, spark interest from me: I’m a big fan of hard work and effort.

stand & deliver

A page dedicated to all of Stand & Deliver’s supporters

As well as this, the magazine promises contributions from many of my favourite comedians and artists including Tony Law and Dave Brown in the first edition. I even spotted an article from last month’s Comedian Of The Month, Gavin Webster. That article in particular was of great interest to me, and really summed up what Stand & Deliver Magazine seems to be about: doing things for the love of doing them, namely: for the love of comedy.

Not only is the content of Stand & Deliver magazine made with care and innovation, the physicality of it is also of magnificent quality. The paper is strong and there’s so much of it that it’s more of a book than a magazine, and who doesn’t love a good book? Having read the first edition from cover to cover, I have already learned so much about obscure things like foreign comedy circuits, opinions on hecklers and my favourite: the Machynlleth Comedy Festival.

And finally, I would like to applaud the people at Stand & Deliver for their insanely hard work and can’t wait for next month’s copy to arrive! You can pick up your copy of the magazine here.

TV Review: Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, Series 2

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I wrote a post towards the end of July reflecting on the first episode of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy: Tales from Painted Hawaii (series two) but this series has been so dense with artistic talent and clear passion, that I couldn’t possibly not revisit it after all five episodes.

It’s no secret that I am a massive fan of Noel Fielding and his work, so was obviously hugely excited that the long-anticipated second series had finally arrived. These episodes have taken a long time to produce because they are one of a kind; the process of making them seems to be more rigorous than that of various other Sitcom style shows. Love Luxury Comedy or hate it, it is impossible to deny that the makers of this show have presented their audience with great innovation: with the bright and complex animation from Nigel Coan; an eccentric soundtrack from Fielding and Kasabian‘s Serge Pizzorno; along with brilliantly intricate set and costume design from James Dillon and Ameena Kara Callender.

As well as the obvious beauty and detail involved in the visuals of Luxury Comedy, the stories are also packed full of references to art and literary culture such as Andy Warhol (of course), George Orwell and Yoko Ono. This alone is proof for me that the makers of Luxury Comedy have not been lazy during the creative process: every scene is punchy, a little bit mad, but also intelligent.

Reality Man

© MoodyComedy

Watchers of series one who weren’t impressed may be pleased to know that this series is a lot more relatable for audiences, with occasional cynical statements that can catch you off guard.

Smooth: “What do you do to escape?”

Reality Man: “Panel shows. What’s funnier than five men in shiny shirts taking a side-ways look at the week’s news?”

In this way, I think this series is a lot more self-aware, in fact, one episode even focuses on the idea of the show only having one viewer (a Brummie named Terry, played by Steve Oram) and the fact that they must save him from certain death.

In addition to the lovely Noel, the show is full of immense comedic talents such as his Mighty Boosh co-stars (Dave Brown, Rich Fulcher, Richard Ayoade, Simon Farnaby and Tom Meeten) and of course, the delightful star of Doll & Em: Dolly Wells and Tom Meeten’s partner-in-crime: Steve Oram (Sightseers).

I would have to say that this programme is probably one of my favourites to ever appear on television, particularly this new series. It appeals to all of my interests: comedy, music and art (and Noel Fielding of course) but most importantly of all: Luxury Comedy is a source of inspiration to me. Every aspect screams quality and I sincerely hope the show and its creators flourish in the coming months as a result.

The whole of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy: Tales From Painted Hawaii is available on 4OD.

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Revisited: S1E6, The Creeping Moss From The Shores Of Shuggoth

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Episode: The Creeping Moss From The Shores Of Shuggoth

Air Date: 3 March 2004

Summary: Another mist has appeared over Darkplace but this time, it’s green! On this occasion, it gets through the air vents and the result is a young woman named Linda getting infected and turning into cosmic broccoli (of course). Unfortunately for Sanchez, he falls in love with Linda, who is now terminally ill, and this even results in him contracting the broccoli disease (much like an STD) and has to have emergency surgery. This episode is not only a commentary on the issues of AIDs in the world, but is also a story of love and loss.

broccoli

What Else? More new music is played in this episode such as Matt Berry’s song: One Track Lover which features some wonderful rapping from Thornton Reed. Somehow, the tapes that contained a part of the programme have been destroyed (under mysterious circumstances) which means that these must be explained through the use of photos of the events and a commentary from Dagless. There is also a brilliant and entirely not un-realistic fight scene between Dag and Sanchez.

Quote of the Episode:

Thornton Reed: “When I heard my wife died, I could barely finish my lunch.”

Familiar Faces: Julian Barratt appears for a third and final time as the priest. We also see Graham Linehan as a member of hospital staff and Kim Noble as a barman (as well as his usual role of Doctor Jim).

THE END:

So, that is the end of my revisit to Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace. I hope you enjoyed reading about them and maybe hearing about them for the first time (or just remembering how much you loved the show in the first place!).

THE REVISITED SERIES

Seven Questions With… Angela Barnes

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Angela Barnes is a brilliant comedian who takes usually unnoticed everyday situations and effortlessly turns them on their head; she is unique, quick-witted and most importantly: brave. With appearances on Russell Howard’s Good News and, more recently, Mock The Week, Angela has shown an array of strong and diverse material to fit any occasion (maybe not a funeral, but we can’t have it all). Her comedy is relatable, silly, and therefore, absolutely wonderful.
To learn a little more about the person behind the comedy, I asked Angela these seven questions…

1) What inanimate object best describes you?

I think a 4-colour biro best describes me. I always use a 4 colour-biro, so my writing will match my mood.  So, maybe I am a biro with just 4 colours: Red – happy, black – sad, blue – angry, green-mental.

Yep, that about covers it.

2) What is the first thing you notice about new people?

Whether they have a face. Or, at least, I reckon I’d definitely notice if they didn’t, so…

3) Is there a certain subject that you would never write material about?

At the moment, I won’t do any material about my previous working life. That’s mainly because I am a pessimist, and am certain that this comedy lark will almost certainly go tits up, and I will have to go back to doing what I used to do. I’m not going to risk my chances of getting a job by writing gags about it.

4) What’s the most recent thing you’ve done that was really stupid?

I was walking through town the other day, and a homeless gentleman was approaching me. I tried to work out how to get away from him, what excuse to give him for not giving him any money. I avoided eye contact and barged past him, but he followed me. I sped up, so did he, I was feeling uncomfortable. Then he caught up, tapped me on shoulder and said “sorry love, your flies are undone, thought you’d want to know”.  He was just being nice. i gave him a fiver and berated myself for being a self-important twat.

5) Which season of the year is your least favourite?

I think my least favourite season is whichever season I am currently in. I always think I love summer, but then I remember hay fever and sunburn. I burn stupidly easy. I was complaining to my Mum about having to plaster myself in F50, she said  “well you redheads do burn easily don’t you”.  Might surprise you, but this is not my natural hair colour. It is nobody’s natural hair colour. I said, “yes Mum, you’re right, when I got my hair dyed, it was a mistake getting the matching skin graft”.

My hay fever starts in February and lasts til October. My doctor gave me a new nasal spray, it works, but it genuinely smells of flowers. Thanks for that Doc, if I had a peanut allergy, I’d want my lifesaving adrenaline shot to smell of sun pat wouldn’t I?

Then I think I like winter, Christmas lights, mulled wine, woolly tights. Then I remember that being cold sucks, and that in my job, I often have to stand on train platforms at silly times of night in the middle of nowhere. I remember how much I miss light, how much I hate snow, and then winter loses its appeal too.

I used to think I had Seasonal Affective Disorder, but now I think I might just be a miserable arse. Yes that’s it.

6) What animal would you most like to be?

angela barnesI’d most like to be a donkey. There are not many people who don’t like donkeys. Apparently, so many old people leave money to donkey sanctuaries in their wills, that they don’t know how to spend it all. Spend my days grazing on a sweet pasture, with top of the range hay and a pimped up stable, thanks to some spinster who hated her family. That sounds like a good life to me.

Also, donkeys know what’s what. In Animal Farm (not that one, the Orwell), Benjamin the donkey gets what’s going on before any of the other animals.  Eeyore in Winnie The Pooh knows that life is essentially shit, and you have to make the best of it.

I guess I’m just a good old fashioned pessimist. I wouldn’t have it any other way, when you always expect the worst, you can’t be disappointed.

7) What is the best thing that has come out of being a comedian for you?

I’m going to try really hard not to sound wanky here, but no promises.  I wanted to be a comedian for as long as I remember, but I thought it was something that the cool, confident kids did. The realisation that comedy is a perfect creative outlet for those of us that have never felt like we belonged properly was an immense thing.

I can be me, albeit a sometimes exaggerated version of me, and it doesn’t matter that I’m not the prettiest girl, or the thinnest girl, or the coolest girl, people still want to hear what I say (sometimes). And finding that out was the best feeling in the world.

I can’t believe that someone like me is allowed to do this. And get paid for it.

For more information on Angela’s latest shows check out her website, or her Twitter at @AngelaBarnes.

SEVEN QUESTIONS WITH…

August: Comedian Of The Month #7, Gavin Webster

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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.

With August being the month of the Edinburgh Festival, even those of us stuck at home have been introduced to many new comedians through various television and radio shows covering events there. This month’s favourite comedian discovery, Gavin Webster, was one of those who was lucky enough to be able to perform on the TV show, Edinburgh Nights with Sue Perkins, and he did a very good job of it too.

What I liked about watching Gavin Webster’s short set on this Edinburgh variety-style show was the way it had elements to suggest imminent derailment. Webster showed an interesting blend of comfort and mild danger, with a deceptively nonchalant delivery and carefree nature.

In this way, his style is similar to that of Tony Law: he gives the appearance of chaos whilst remaining entirely in control. The audience is lead to believe that he has run out of ideas or that the show hasn’t gone to plan. A mere few minutes into his Edinburgh Nights set, he announced: “I’m beginning to run out of material now,” which is the kind of thing that gets a big laugh but leaves an intriguing sense of anxiety in the air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGEngpLiQ6g

Webster is automatically likeable; he is a Geordie man of the people. His accent is wonderful (his own, and his impersonations) and he seems like a genuinely nice guy on stage: relatable and approachable.

Coincidentally, upon deciding that Gavin Webster was to be this month’s Comedian of the Month, my copy of the first edition of Stand & Deliver Mag (a post about of that will be up in the coming weeks) arrived with an article written by him within it. He wrote a brilliant piece about the roles within stand up comedy in today’s society and talked with true passion about a subject close to many of our hearts: genuine, clever comedy. Here, in 2014, we are surrounded by countless comedians: on television, in pubs, at art centres. Some, we follow on Twitter and others we pass in the street. They are everywhere and that is a fantastic thing but it is important that the passion and care for comedy by performers and audiences alike is kept alive.

For more information, visit Gavin Webster’s website and follow him on Twitter.

JULY COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Revisited: S1E5, Scotch Mist

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Episode: Scotch Mist

Air Date: 26 February 2004

Summary: This episode really sums up what Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace is about. It is dark and mysterious, but most importantly: radical. A mysterious mist has been looming over Darkplace and claiming various victims who happen to be wondering around outside. Doctor Rick Dagless knows something about the mist: it is, in fact, Scotch Mist. Dag, Liz and Sanchez decide to go outside into the cold to try and find out more about why the Scotch Mist is there, armed with miniature handheld fans to keep the mist away. Meanwhile, someone has given out Thornton Reed’s number as a massage parlour and it is causing him considerable distress…

Scotch Mist

What Else? There is some new music in this episode which is interesting for us to hear but we also receive some life lessons. For example, we learn that you should never buy cheap batteries from a dodgy market stall because your handheld fan won’t work for very long at all. Another lesson we are taught is that you should never be racist (which apparently, not a lot of people know). This is because Rick Dagless has said many racist things about the Scots when he spent the night in Glasgow: he had to learn the hard way.

Quote of the Episode:

Rick Dagless: “I ran. Ran like my life depended on it. Which it did.”

Familiar Faces: Kim Noble is featured a lot in this episode as Doctor Jim as he is one of the first victims of the Scotch Mist.

THE REVISITED SERIES

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Revisited: S1E4, The Apes Of Wrath

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Episode: The Apes of Wrath

Air Date: 19 February 2004

Summary: There is something mysterious in the water at Darkplace yet nobody has realised it yet. Despite the fact that Sanchez transformed into a horrific ape-man within seconds of having a sip of his drink. Despite the second fact that eventually everyone in the hospital is infected except the only two who prefer to drink coffee: Rick Dagless and Thornton Reed. Finally Dagless discovers what is causing people to change and pays a visit to the water store room, and is surprised by what he finds there…

The Apes of Wrath

What Else? In this episode we get insight into Dagless’ presence in the hospital, and let’s just say, you can definitely tell that Garth Marenghi wrote the episodes because everyone on the ward seems to think Dagless is the best doctor that ever walked the Earth. The fact that nobody could work out what was causing the ape transformations highlights the stupidity of the characters at Darkplace, and makes the experience all the more hilarious for the audience. The secret also comes out that since filming Darkplace, Madeleine Wool, who plays Liz Asher, has disappeared and is presumed dead.

Quote of the Episode:

Lucien Sanchez: “Not my fault, monkey bastard hands.”

Familiar Faces: Julian Barratt returns as the (slightly evil) priest and we see Noel Fielding as a criminal ape.

THE REVISITED SERIES

TV Review: Siblings

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It’s always a great feeling to discover a new Sitcom on a popular television channel that surprises you with its innovation and originality. Siblings is one of those programmes for me.

This show follows the lives of sibling housemates Hannah (Charlotte Ritchie) and Dan (Tom Stourton) as they go about their days attempting to do as little work as possible and spend their time having a good time instead. Hannah has a regular office job where her manager is a ‘functioning alcoholic’ which means it is incredibly easy for her to escape responsibility on a daily basis, and generally spend less than five hours at work each day. Dan, on the other hand, spends all his time at home being bored out of his dim-witted brain. This results in him doing the most moronic things yet somehow avoiding the consequences (due to luck, rather than skill), a rather over-used concept but approached in an entirely new way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soMOeO_7Mdk

This is a Sitcom set in an entirely normal environment, yet what makes Siblings so insane is the characters within it. It’s a familiar habit of mine to allow my brain to tick over and get distracted while watching these kind of programmes but this one is an exception because of the wacky dialogue and actions of the brother and sister duo. As well as making many stupid decisions throughout, Hannah, in particular, is actually quite a horrible person (though I love her, but maybe that says a more about me than it says about anything else). For example, in order to make a good impression on her new boss in Episode One, Hannah makes it her duty to prove that the other office workers are not a patch on herself. Whilst in conversation with her new boss, Annette (Tracy Ann Oberman), and co-worker, Kevin, she suggests rather loudly:

“Kevin, what was that thing you were saying the other week about how gay people shouldn’t be allowed to live by the seaside?”

Siblings is a true breath of comedy-fresh-air and I look forward to watching the rest of the series over the coming weeks. You can catch up with the episodes so far on BBC iPlayer and watch Episode Three on BBC 3 at 10.30pm tonight.

Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace, Revisited: S1E3, Skipper The Eyechild

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Episode: S1E3, Skipper The Eyechild

Air Date: 12 February 2004

Summary: This episode is allegedly based on a true story. A giant eye impregnates one of the patients at Darkplace which results in the birth of a mutant eye-child. Rick Dagless MD has emotional wounds regarding his dead son, Skipper, (who was born half grasshopper) which leads him to steal the baby eye and hide him from everyone at the hospital. He also calls the new child Skipper in hope of filling the hole in his life that was left by his son when he died. Unfortunately, Rick is eventually backed into a corner and this results in him being bitten on the hand by the mutant eye and he panics…

skipper

What Else? This instalment of Darkplace is, yet again, packed full with top-of-the-range special effects. There are some authentic-looking wires to hold a helicopter in the sky and very realistic makeup, such as fake blood (it definitely doesn’t look like Ketchup at all). We get insight into Sanchez and Dagless’ special handshake and also see how it only takes mere seconds for Liz to ruin her makeup with tears after an insult, which isn’t particularly convenient for the busy woman.

Quote of the Episode:

Dean Learner: “I haven’t acted since. Some would say I didn’t act during, but er, those would be unkind people. I did my best.”

Familiar Faces: Graham Linehan as a hospital security guard.

THE REVISITED SERIES