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Ask The Expert: Sian Harries (Writer)

October 7, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment
Sian Harries is a comedy writer and performer who has recently worked on television shows such as Man Down and Never Mind The Buzzcocks as well as writing and performing in the radio sketch show Here Be Dragons. Sian is currently working on a new sitcom project with her husband, comedian Rhod Gilbert, and has recently announced that a third series of Man Down is also currently in the works.
To gain insight into the career of a comedy writer, I asked Sian a few questions about her work…

1) What is the biggest perk of being a comedy writer?

Getting to laugh a lot every day with some of my favourite people. My husband Rhod and I are writing a sitcom together and last Friday we were in a meeting discussing it with Henry Normal when he said “isn’t it wonderful that it’s Friday afternoon and we’re laughing about dirty underwear and this is our job?”

It also means I am never bored as I can find the funny in anything. I think it was all those years spent going to church as a child and being forced to sit and do nothing but be in my brain for an hour. I’d make up relationships between the vicar and the old ladies in the choir stalls; affairs, scandals, you name it. By the time it was over it was like I was watching an episode of Dynasty.

2) How was your experience writing for Man Down?

Writing a sitcom is hard. I think Greg once described it as “trying to do a jigsaw designed by Satan” and I’d take it one step further and say it’s like “trying to do a jigsaw designed by Satan, that you’re trying to finish in record time as your mother hoovers around you.” There were days where I thought I’d be sick with laughter making up hosts of funny characters and acting them out with Greg and Steve; other days where all we’d done was drink far too much coffee and written down the phrase “oh Bobby!”

Rik Mayall dying was such a shock. We’d written for him on the first series and he was our childhood hero. The day of his funeral we all abandoned our work and drove to Brighton, in a car with no roof, playing The Smiths very loudly, got smashed and went on a log flume. I don’t know why but it seemed rebellious and a bit Rik-like I suppose. It was extra difficult because a few weeks later Greg’s real life dad died as well. So that Christmas Special episode was incredibly poignant for us and we knew we had to address Rik dying. You can’t not mention the king is dead. To us he was irreplaceable.

Here Be Dragons

The cast of Here Be Dragons, with Sian Harries (3rd from right)

3) Are there any unexpected differences you have found between writing for TV and writing for radio?

I love writing for both TV and Radio. With TV I love how you can have a small visual gag happen in the background to undercut something a character is saying e.g. in the first series of Man Down I wrote a scene where Dom the guru is giving a motivational speech whilst in the background several ornaments are being knocked over by his enormous bottom.

Radio however, is far more freeing, you aren’t limited to what can happen within that little space. The audience have to use their imaginations so you can set radio comedy pretty much anywhere you want without spending any money. Furthermore, because less money is being spent, it also means there are fewer people in nice jackets telling you what you can and can’t do.

4) Would you rather be performing or working behind the scenes?

I think the dream for me is to write something I think is hilarious and then to perform it the exact way I imagined it being done. Although there are plenty of times I’ll write for someone else and I’m blown away with how funny they make it themselves. I have no interest in doing stand up. I far prefer it when I’ve learnt a scene off by heart and I’m working with people I find funny and I can mess around with. I would hate to be recognised in the street like Rhod is, it’s not for me. I enjoy leaving the house looking like shit too much to go back to having to think about my outfits. It’d be like being a self-conscious fifteen year old again. I also love eavesdropping too much, listening out for funny bits of dialogue or exchanges, and you can’t do that if you’re recognised.

5) Who would you most like to write a role for?

The ideal person I would write for would be Judy Dench as I think her comic timing is impeccable. I saw her in a brilliant  play called The Vote and I think she said the F-word and it brought the whole house down. She reminds me so much of my wonderful late grandmother and it’d be a dream to have her play a character I’d based on her. There are so many women I’d love to write for though; Julia Davis, Jennifer Saunders, Emma Thompson, Celia Imrie, Alison Steadman, Sharon Horgan… far too many to list.

ASK THE EXPERT…

Posted in: Ask The Expert, Comedians, Interviews, Radio, Television Shows Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, Greg Davies, Man Down, Rhod Gilbert, Rik Mayall, Sian Harries

This Year In Comedy, Part 2

December 30, 2014 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

2014 was the year that truly proved that the British comedy scene is an exciting place to be. But with all things in life, there have been ups and downs and the industry has lost some of its brightest talents this year.

Two of these, for myself in particular, hurt the most. Star of The Young Ones, Rik Mayall passed away suddenly on June 9th, as a result of a heart attack after his morning run. The news was a shock to everyone, especially as Rik was only 56. Rik Mayall was a shining light in the world of comedy: he was kind, clever, and never afraid to act like a fool. He didn’t take himself too seriously and managed to bring out the inner child in all who watched his hilarious on-screen performances. Television suffered a great loss when Mayall died this year, particularly as he was due to be recording a second series of the magnificently funny Man Down (starring Greg Davies, Roisin Conaty and Mike Wozniak) that summer.

Rik Mayall

Rik Mayall

Two months later, the beloved Robin Williams, who will always have a special place in my heart as Mrs Doubtfire, tragically died on August 11th after a long period of severe depression. The world was silenced to hear this, especially, I gather, people currently working as comics who had worked with him or been inspired by him when they were young.

Every generation knew Robin Williams. His acting credits are endless, including Mork and Mindy, Mrs Doubtfire and Flubber to name a few, as well as being an iconic stand up comedian. The story of what happened is heartbreaking, but at least something positive came out of it: in the days that passed after the world received the news, people slowly started tweeting, blogging and, most importantly, talking about depression. Robin Williams taught the world that mental illness is all around us, even in the places where you might not expect to find it, and his legacy as a fantastic actor and comedian will stay with us all for decades to come.

Robin Williams

Robin Williams

2014 brought about the natural end to various loved sitcoms. The seventh, and final, series of Not Going Out was broadcast throughout October, November and December, with the final ever episode airing on Christmas Eve. As well as this, Miranda Hart announced that the final episodes of her playfully childish television hit Miranda were to be aired on Christmas and New Year’s Day, after having spanned three series.

As if this year hadn’t had its fair share of controversies, Vine celebrity, Dapper Laughs (Daniel O’Reilly) dug himself a hole when his awful and misogynistic television show On The Pull was aired on ITV in October. The “comedian” had been previously criticised for his comments regarding women and his horrendous rape “jokes” so it was no surprise that an online petition was launched to get Dapper Laughs off of our television screens. When this petition was successful, some complained that it was a denial of free speech and a dangerous act of censorship, but quite frankly, I think the danger came from the way O’Reilly fed and encouraged rape culture through his own stupidity; in my eyes, he committed a crime. But no fear, he will, of course, be back in 2015, so he wasn’t really sorry at all.

To end on a positive note, however, for the first time in five years, Never Mind The Buzzcocks has found a permanent host in the incredible funny Rhod Gilbert. Rhod is absolutely brilliant at hosting the programme; he is eloquent, witty and sarcastic and has already been successful in developing a comfortable and, most importantly, funny atmosphere.

2014 has been a year of many surprises, some good and some bad. I hope 2015 is equally as interesting and even more funny. Happy New Year!

READ PART ONE OF MY YEAR ROUNDUP HERE.

Posted in: Comedians, News, Television Shows Tagged: British Comedy, Comedy, Dapper Laughs, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, News, Rhod Gilbert, Rik Mayall, Robin Williams

TV Review: Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Series 28

December 16, 2014 by Becca Moody 2 Comments

Never Mind The Buzzcocks has entered it’s 28th series and what could possibly make this all-inclusive and sharp-witted musical-based panel show any better? Rhod Gilbert, that’s what.

There are an array of valid reasons as to why my love Buzzcocks never falters, with Noel Fielding being pretty high up on that list, of course. Not only does this panel show exhibit a rare trait, being that it welcomes those people, mostly comedians and musicians, who aren’t necessarily the most popular in their field, but also because it is timeless: Buzzcocks gives us a break from politics and satire and focuses purely on music and funny things.

And Rhod Gilbert truly is the icing on the cake, with his deadpan sarcasm and astute comic timing. He makes the tasking job of hosting such a programme look effortless whilst inviting his contestants to get involved and partaking in hilarious small talk that is obviously unscripted.

It is easiest to observe Gilbert’s talent when we compare it to the countless other celebrities who have sat in the hosting chair over the past five series since Simon Amstell’s departure in 2008. Think back to the episodes of Dizzee Rascal, Peter Andre, Jack Whitehall and James Corden, just to name a few, for name’s sake. Everyone did well; they had the correct level of control over the teams whilst maintaining a relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere, they successfully read their lines, they earned quite a few laughs.

Though many guest hosts have simply got the job done and little more, a rare few have shown great skill and ease whilst sat in the hosting chair, such as Adam Buxton, Sir Terry Wogan, Alice Cooper and musical comedian Alex Horne. I am a firm believer that a great host, with a firm hold over contestants and audience alike, can really make a panel show brilliant.

This new series of Buzzcocks has also welcomed many excellent comedic talents, with Roisin Conaty, Sara Pascoe, Katherine Ryan, Aisling Bea, Joe Lycett, James Acaster, Paul Foot, Romesh Ranganathan and Bobby Mair being amongst some of my favourites.

The Never Mind The Buzzcocks Christmas special is on Monday on BBC2. You can catch up with the rest of the series on iPlayer.

Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Noel Fielding, Phill Jupitus, Rhod Gilbert

TV Review: Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience, Series 5

October 8, 2014 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Rhod Gilbert is the King of Similes and the possible love-child of Dylan Moran and Paul O’Grady. Words cannot easily express the comedic talent of this man, nor is it a simple task to pinpoint his style of comedy without relying on a selection of direct quotes.

Work Experience is a show that sets a challenge and then sees it accomplished. During each episode, the comedian is made to learn all about a new profession for the first time and complete a trial run of that career choice. It sounds simple enough. But what Work Experience teaches Rhod, and the television audience, is that there are a great number highly underestimated and undervalued workers out there with incredibly arduous jobs. When the slightly odd format and incredibly deadpan comedy of Gilbert are combined, this makes for real entertainment.

Rhod Gilbert

Not only is the programme humorous, but it is also informative and eccentric, with stunning camera work (particularly evident in episode one: Fisherman). With such a massive amount of laughs and lessons crammed into half an hour, you’d think it would feel heavy or even boring, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

These mini documentaries leave you feeling educated, entertained and contented (the latter being down to Rhod Gilbert’s presence alone). It is light-hearted, friendly and often pretty stupid (again, down to Rhod) and is one of those programmes that feels so personable, it’s as if we are reading funny man’s own diary. He allows himself to be vulnerable and makes it clear when he is afraid or out of his comfort zone and that is something of great value and importance to me as a viewer.

To catch up on the latest series, visit BBC iPlayer


Posted in: Comedians, Television Shows Tagged: Comedy, Rhod Gilbert, Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience

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