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February Comedian of the Month #44, Rachel Parris

March 12, 2018 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment
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.

Rachel Parris is a comedian, musician, actor and improviser, and performs as part of the Jane Austen-inspired comedy improv group, Austentatious. I’ve known her name for the last few years, but this month marked the first time I saw anything from her on television.

Parris is a regular face on the satirical sketch, faux-news show The Mash Report on BBC Two, which returned for its second series at the end of January and stars the likes of Nish Kumar and Ellie Taylor. Though at times I find this show a little testing to watch (I’ve never been able to get on with the man-in-suit-mocking-the-news format, it seems contrived and occasionally plain irritating), Parris is the reason I keep tuning back in.

Her skit about the harassment of women in the first episode of this series is a piece of comedy gold. Not only is it well-delivered, cheeky and surprising, but I think it also achieves what it initially set out to do: paint a clearer picture of the day to day harassment and casual sexism that women all over the world face.

© BBC

Nish’s ill-judged (perhaps scripted) comments about feeling uncomfortable after receiving an unusually long hug from Rachel evolves into one of the best moments of the sketch: ‘Don’t look at the script, Nish. It’ll be fine, Nish. Of course we wouldn’t do anything to make you feel uncomfortable!’ Parris replies within a split second, a cheery smile on her face and a glint in her eye: ‘Welcome to womanhood!’

Parris’ character is composed, patronising and she makes her points eloquently. She owns this show, and I’d certainly like to see more from her off the back of this success.

For more information, follow Rachel Parris on Twitter, or visit her website.

COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Posted in: Comedian Of The Month, Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Austentatious, British Comedy, Comedian Of The Month, Comedy, Ellie Taylor, Nish Kumar, Rachel Parris, Satire, The Mash Report

Review: Bramall Comedy Night Daliso Chaponda, John Robertson & Ellie Taylor

January 20, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

It is always a signal of a friendly, supportive atmosphere at a comedy gig when the compère decides to sit with the rest of the audience and watch the acts. That seems to sum up the feel of the monthly comedy nights at Bramall Hall in Birmingham, and is perhaps why audiences are consistently keen.

Daliso Chaponda is not a comic I was familiar with prior to Bramall Hall’s most recent comedy night but he is certainly an example of someone with a great enthusiasm and respect for the craft of stand up comedy, frequently being the one laughing the loudest at the rest of the evening’s entertainment. Chaponda himself is an extremely endearing performer, speaking in hushed tones with the audience quietening in order to listen. This somewhat delicate demeanour contrasts delightfully against the occasional expletive or crude remark, making his set one that ticked all the boxes, as well as providing that little bit of extra shock factor.

john robertson

John Robertson

With this next act being the proud creator of live-action videogame The Dark Room (look it up if you haven’t already), I was unsure of what to expect from Australian comic John Robertson. I was expecting, however, that he would naturally require a microphone to amplify his voice across the relatively large music hall, but alas he did not. Robertson is the epitome of the naughty boy at school who everyone knows is an attention seeker (he is, of course, a stand up comedian) but is still the most popular boy in the class. Incredibly loud and well-articulated, this act surely won’t please every audience member but that didn’t seem to matter with so many people being on board from the get-go anyway. The next twenty minutes were a storm of unpredictability, shouting, audience interaction and ideas that weren’t always followed through, with the majority of us being left wanting more.

Ellie Taylor, last June’s Comedian of the Month and presenter of popular makeover programme Snog, Marry, Avoid, is a confident presence on stage, with an aptitude for audience communication as well as storytelling. Her height, while providing a space for material about her time spent as a model, allows Taylor’s stand up to take on a more physical element. The fact that this comedian is not afraid to be goofy or silly definitely works in her favour, with a warmth to anecdotes that ensures an immediate audience connection. Seeing a live performance from Ellie Taylor was something that had been on my to-do list for a long time and her set showed great promise for a fantastic new Edinburgh show in August 2016.

BRAMALL COMEDY NIGHTS

Posted in: Comedians, Live Comedy, Reviews Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, Daliso Chaponda, Ellie Taylor, John Robertson, Live Comedy

June: Comedian Of The Month #17, Ellie Taylor

July 3, 2015 by Becca Moody 3 Comments
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.

The latest person I have chosen as my Comedian of the Month is the multi-talented Ellie Taylor, who recently performed stand up on The John Bishop Show as well as hosting two series of BBC3’s Snog Marry Avoid in the past. Having previously worked as a model, as well as in marketing and PR and presenting, this comic certainly has a diverse list of past experiences to draw material from.

With a natural ability to make friends with pretty much any audience, Ellie is an immediately likeable performer and her natural charm exudes in her stand up. She only began her stand up comedy career in 2010 and has already managed to build an impressive list of television credits as well as making it to the final of Funny Women in 2011. Even watching snippets of her interview on Sunday Brunch is enough to be assured that Ellie is a natural performer; she admits it herself, as though its a bad thing.

ellie-taylor-2-lst147391-2

She also seems to be incredibly wise for her young years, with an understanding of why she’s gone down the career path she has on top of having a general integrity as a performer: the Ellie Taylor that audiences see seems very much to be the same Ellie Taylor you might see if you bumped into her at the supermarket. Not only this, but it also appears that she just gets what makes a comedian too: “I wanted to feel some value in my life. How can I get value? Ah, showing off!”.

Ellie Taylor is a charismatic, bright and breezy breath of fresh air, and this won’t be the first or last time you’ll hear her name on the comedy scene.

For more information, visit Ellie Taylor’s website and follow her on Twitter.

MAY COMEDIAN OF THE MONTH

Posted in: Comedian Of The Month, Comedians Tagged: British Comedy, Comedian Of The Month, Comedy, Ellie Taylor
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