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Ask The Expert: Chris Evans (Not That One)

April 12, 2020 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Chris Evans is the founder of the film production and distribution company, Go Faster Stripe. From Stewart Lee to Seymour Mace, Go Faster Stripe has produced a huge variety of live comedy recordings, and the company continues to grow its catalogue each year.

MoodyComedy chatted to Chris to find out more…

Hello Chris! How did Go Faster Stripe begin?

Hello. Thanks for asking me to do this – but I am hardly an expert. We started as a bit of a ridiculous dream. I read somewhere that Stewart Lee was having trouble getting his show recorded for DVD. I had seen the show, and I thought it was ridiculous that no one wanted to film it. 

At that time I was working in a little arts centre in Cardiff and as I was wandering through the theatre one afternoon I thought that it would make a great venue for a DVD recording. A couple of days later – in the bath – I remembered I had a couple of mates that were cameramen, and I knew a chap who was handy with his sound recording equipment. So – by chance – I had all the components in place to record Stew’s show, and I wrote to him and told him. To my huge surprise and absolute delight he agreed to come down. 

We filmed the show, and then we surprised ourselves again when it came out rather well. So Go Faster Stripe was formed to release it. I had a pint with Stew to celebrate, and he suggested I got in touch with Richard Herring to ask if he had anything he’d like us to record. And then it all went from there. I now have my dream job. I am very lucky.

Where did your love of comedy originate?

I don’t know. I mean we all like a laugh, don’t we? I had a friend from school that shared my love of comedy. We used to record Radio 4 comedy shows and were hungry for any laughs we could get our hands on. We used to go to the bookshop in Cardiff and browse their comedy book section. Now I’m thinking about it, I think I was just after funny things to say to my friends in school. You know, so I could be popular. We all want to be popular, don’t we?

© Chris Evans

Who do you most enjoy watching perform?

I enjoy watching people comfortable in what they are doing. I love the likes of Tony Law and Simon Munnery – you can tell immediately that neither of them are copying anyone else. And that they’ve evolved their own styles.

Why do you continue to do what you do?

This is my perfect job.  I wouldn’t change it for anything. I try and keep things sustainable, and not risk too much on any daft projects, whilst at the same time making sure I get involved in daft projects.

What element of your work are you most proud of?

I’m over the moon that I’ve managed to save some excellent shows for future generations. And I like to think that we’ve done it with a little bit of style. I like that we’ve managed to get our DVDs jam packed with loads of extras and hidden stuff. 

Oh, and I’m really proud of a Robin Ince DVD we made that plays in a different random order every time you put it on. It took ages to get that to work.

VISIT GO FASTER STRIPE HERE

ASK THE EXPERT…

Posted in: Ask The Expert, Interviews Tagged: British Comedy, Chris Evans, Comedy, Go Faster Stripe, Richard Herring, Robin Ince, Seymour Mace, Simon Munnery, Stewart Lee, Tony Law

The Quest For Wonder Series Preview

April 7, 2016 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

The Quest For Wonder is a new web series written by Trent Burton and stand up comedian Robin Ince and directed by Trent and Melinda Burton, pitched at all ages, with the core audience perhaps being parents and primary-school-age children. The star of the show, alongside Ince himself, is physicist and presenter Brian Cox; the pair having blossomed throughout thirteen series of the Radio 4 programme, The Infinite Monkey Cage, which began in 2009. This mini-series of six bitesize episodes makes for satisfyingly easy viewing, as a result of a sharp script and artistically pleasing puppetry production.

Cox and Ince present us with a declaration of knowledge in the most sincere of forms. The Quest For Wonder seems to fill the space left where every one of those rare, genuinely passionate teachers once stood. This is for those teachers that leave their egos at the door and make it their mission to instil some form of passion in their students. All that said, and much like with some teachers I’ve encountered, I found myself willing one them, one of the puppets that is, to swear. Though perhaps that has something to do with the fact a stand up comedian is part of the cast.

© Trunkman Productions

© Trunkman Productions

The self-mockery is in abundance, Brian and Robin voice their own puppets, but there isn’t a sense of caricature about the humour. The writing shows an astute awareness of audience perceptions of Brian Cox’s quirky presenting style, whilst adding surreal elements to his character, stemming from the fact that the physicist has lost the physical manifestation of his ‘Wonder’; a strange, blue, hamster-like creature, no doubt much appreciated by younger viewers. The characters themselves are bickering and knowledge-obsessed but successfully skirt the borders of irritating. And while the laughs are plenty, there is also room for a transaction of knowledge to take place with both characters frequently bringing relevant and interesting scientific concepts into the discussion.

The Quest For Wonder is a fantastic new initiative to support the work of the Science Museum and help encourage people of all ages to take an interest in all realms of science.

WATCH ‘THE QUEST FOR WONDER’ FOR FREE ONLINE FROM THE 7TH APRIL

Posted in: Comedians, Previews, Web Series Tagged: Brian Cox, Melinda Burton, Preview, Robin Ince, The Quest For Wonder, Trent Burton
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