Goodbye my Luther

On Tuesday evening, British TV lost one of its heavyweights.  I will admit to mostly being a viewer of American TV shows, with the odd notable exception, but I am and always will be a sucker for some of the great dramas produced by the BBC and ITV.  Luther is one of these. I would go so far as to say that this BBC production has been my favourite show since Life On Mars (we don’t mention Ashes To Ashes).

When Idris Elba returned to Britain to play DCI John Luther it seemed a slight comedown for an actor who had been the magnificent Stringer Bell in The Wire. Not so.  Elba stepped into the red tie and grey overcoat of Luther, and instantly a classic show was born.  A British cop show that felt like all the great American ones, with a cop going above and beyond to ensure that justice was done, rules were bent, stretched and often broken to get his man.

 When we first met Luther, he was hunting down a child kidnapper, and the first show started with Luther letting, no helping, the bad guy fall off a building.  Here is a man not to mess with.  Along the way he lost pretty much everyone he cared about, all in the pursuit of doing the right thing.  We saw him build a great chemistry/friendship with DS Justin Ripley (the underrated Justin Ellis) and alienate friends, allies, co-workers and pretty much anyone else who got in his way.  At the end of the day, justice was served, and damn the personal cost to himself.

What other show would be brave enough to have our ‘hero’ team up with a confirmed psychopath, Alice Morgan (an utterly beguiling Ruth Wilson) because she is more trustworthy than his fellow cops.  My favourite scenes from the three series of Luther have been the ones with Elba and Wilson, sparkling with chemistry and sexual tension.  Idris Elba as John Luther is an actor entirely right for the role, hunched over, hands in pockets, he inhabited a tortured character and made us care about him, gave him a humanity often lacking in these roles.  Can somebody please give him a good role in Hollywood now please? Or do I have to write one for him?  He can come and be in our film if he wants…

I didn’t want this to be a memorial for a TV show, that would be crazy, but creator Neil Cross and Elba have said they would like to continue the adventures of John Luther in a series of films. Can I buy a ticket now?

York 24/7: The shop manager

We asked writers to keep a diary of their day on July 24 for the York 24/7 project. Running two shops and making a movie means a long day for Steve Shooter

 

12.15am
My 23rd ends on the 24th, after a long night of filming for our movie project. Sleep time!

6.20am

Apparently it is morning. Time to get up for another long day in the new shop. The company I work for has decided to open a retro Fifties-style milkshake bar on Church Street and it opened on Saturday, so haven’t really stopped. Going to be a long day.

8.15am

Jumping out of wife’s car on a packed (as always) Gillygate and walking through town, a favourite playlist in my ears – the soundtrack to How To Make It In America, a long cancelled TV favourite of mine. Never fails to make me feel better!

9am

Open the doors to customers, enjoying a little peace and tranquillity before the delivery arrives. I use the time to make sure all my paperwork is sorted, till has change in, and pretty much set up for the day. Time to update the Twitter and Facebook feeds for both Candy Avenue, my American sweetshop and Stars & Shakes, our new business.

9.15am

I have a little fun making a Vine video of the shop. Anything for a bit of promotion!

10am

Traffic kicks in on Church St as all the delivery vans jostle for position, trying to reverse in and out of Swinegate. Mucho fun.

11am

Had a bit of a run on fruit shakes. I suppose it makes a kind of sense. It is as close to health and detox as we get. The fact we make all our fruit flavoured shakes from actual fruit seems to impress people. None of this syrup flavouring for us, entire bananas, big scoops of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.

11.10am

My sales assistants, Hannah and Alice are out on Church Street giving away samples. I have to come to the rescue of one of them, moving on a slightly creepy guy.

1pm

Got a bit busy, been out and about sampling, having some chats with locals and tourists alike. Been trying loads of new flavours out, see what people like. I’m a bit of an old lady magnet, they can’t keep away. Must be my charming nature. Or something.

3pm

Finally grabbing some lunch, got pretty busy for a while there, always nice. Turns out launching a new business, very close to your competition, is pretty hard work. Quick roll from Thomas the Baker and I’m back to work.

3.30pm

Got an email through with some cool photos of the shop taken on our opening day, so I stop for five minutes to upload them to the Facebook page. Hannah and Alice are really getting the hang of the way the business works.

4pm

Take our first pre-order. Group of international students are having a party on Friday and they want large selections of shakes in various flavours for their guests to enjoy. Excellent.

6pm

Shop is finally closed, cashed up and clean. Finally getting into a routine with the closedown. Been a very long day. Takes me ages to drag myself to the bus.

6.30pm

Home!

8pm

After a hectic week, seeing plays, movies and gigs, nice to settle down with my wife to catch up on Luther, Dexter and True Blood. Sore feet, but back out to do it all again tomorrow.

11pm

Sleep, glorious sleep. Switch on the fan…

Review: Playboy conjures up chemistry and comedy

Review: Playboy Of The Wide World
Venue: The Friargate Theatre, July 21

Hedgepig Theatre has been at the forefront of the Yorkshire theatre movement over the last year, so I had very high hopes for their production of Playboy Of The Wide World. Did they satisfy those hopes? Well…

Playboy Of The Wide World was originally a very Irish play, set in rural Ireland at the turn of the last century, by JM Synge. Director Andy Curry has wisely chosen to transplant all the relevant details from the original play to rural Yorkshire at an unspecified time, although relatively recently.
As Curry himself puts it, “it seems incongruous for us all to don ‘Oirish’ accents. We’ll stick to what feels right for us.”
On this evidence, it is hard to argue with the logic. Playboy tells the tale of a mysterious stranger who appears in a small backwater village pub late one night, telling a tall tale of being on the run, having killed his own father. To tell too much more would ruin the fun, but needless to say, shenanigans abound when the father turns up, very much alive.
The action begins with barmaid Peggy (Roxanna Klimaszewska) busying herself around a simple yet effective bar set, until she is rudely interrupted by her father and his drunken friends, and then our “hero” Chris.
Jamie McKeller as Chris owns the stage, and indeed the audience as he inhabits one of the most physically demanding characters I have seen at the theatre in a long time. Small wonder he lost nearly a stone during the week of performances!
His chemistry with Peggy was excellent as McKeller and Klimaszewska sparked off a whirlwind romance. Stuart Freestone as Peggy’s intended husband was a wonderful ball of neuroses bringing some great big laughs with another very physical performance.
The rest of the cast were very good, but I have to give special mention to Anna Rose James and Jon Adams as supporting players performing two characters each. Adams is both a burly farmhand and Susan, a local maiden, and James plays a similar maiden yet rocking the biggest fake moustache I have ever seen to double up as farmhand. Well played Julia Smith, costume designer.
That a romantic comedy farce can finish with a cast performance of Phil Collins’ Against All Odds and still make me laugh is testament to the strength of the company and the goodwill built up during a hilarious performance of an old classic play, with a ridiculously committed cast.
I look forward to the next Hedgepig production.

Review: Sitting Room Comedy a hit with Miss Osho

Review: Sitting Room Comedy
Venue: Monkbar Hotel, July 18

I was delighted to find that the air conditioning was on full blast at the Monkbar Hotel for Sitting Room Comedy’s latest event, after another day of heatwave! Sitting Room Comedy is fast becoming a go-to for excellent midweek comedy in York with a very strong line-up for July. 

Compere Fern Brady hit the stage to welcome us in, dropping a few bits of new material in alongside some of her best tried and trusted stuff, warming up a slightly hesitant crowd nicely – although I think she scared a few of the more mature members of the audience.
Gavin Webster is a Newcastle based comedian, who made his debut (according to Wikipedia) on the same show as Ross Noble in the early Nineties. 
He told us right off the bat that he was working on new material for his show Don’t Give Money to Comic Relief, and other opinions.
It seemed to me as though a lot of this new material might not make it to his final Edinburgh show. It wasn’t that the material is not funny, just that he didn’t really connect with this audience, and some of it felt very dated and a bit… blah? 
Surely he isn’t the first person to point out that Bob Geldof has loads of money. Webster is a funny man, but on this occasion it seemed his slightly manic stage persona alienated more than it charmed.
After a much needed break, and a lovely cold drink, Fern took to the stage again to introduce star of Channel 4’s Stand Up For The Week Andi Osho.
Whether it was planned or not, Osho’s opening relaxed a crowd who were still a little dazed by the heat and first half, declaring as she did ‘S*** I’m not ready’ as she took the stage. I have seen Osho on the TV quite a few times and always found her topical material to be charming but never quite connecting with me, not sure why, but on a hot July night I was utterly won over. 
From some relaxed banter with the crowd to some very near the knuckle new material, Osho worked the room brilliantly. It was a genuine treat to see her in such an intimate setting before the inevitable big venue tour and DVD release.
A much more hit than miss night for Sitting Room Comedy and I look forward to the next one.

Review: The Gruffalo’s Child is great fun for all ages

Review: The Gruffalo’s Child
Venue: Grand Opera House, July 9

Many years ago, I remember reading The Gruffalo to one of many young cousins I had the pleasure of babysitting. It features the simple tale of a Gruffalo who is scared of a Big Bad Mouse, in reality a normal mouse who thinks on his feet.

Told in simple rhyming couplets, it is a favourite of many children, and indeed parents, the world over.
This show, a sequel, focuses on the Gruffalo’s Child, and her exploration of the off limits woods near her cave. She seeks out all the creatures her father is not afraid of, en route to meeting the Big, Bad Mouse.
The story is told via a very simple stage setup, three actors and a lot of songs. Some catchy, some less so.
On this hot Tuesday afternoon, I was expecting a lot fewer people than actually came along. In fact, York’s Grand Opera House was rumbling with the noise of several hundred kids and parents of all ages.
As I arrived, tucking myself away at the back, the actress playing the Mouse (Lesley Cook) was up in the Dress Circle chatting to the crowd, interacting nicely with the kids, keeping them occupied.
The introduction of the Gruffalo himself scared several smaller children enough that they left, and I give massive credit to the actors for getting through the show with a general hubbub of small child noise!
The cast were excellent, using the simple set to convey movement, some catchy songs (Stick With Me) and very clever physical performances to tell the story. There were nice lines to keep the grown-ups happy – well, if you like a pun, and I do. My favourite was “Mice Krispies” by the way.
My only criticism really is the section where our heroine meets the Fox. A very talky segment, requiring way too much concentration for a four year old, especially with the sound being a little on the quiet side. I found myself straining to hear occasionally over the din of melting children.
Great fun for all the family, especially the four to eight age range. Just make sure you pick up a bottle of water…

Review: Birds Of A Feather are still a hoot

Review: Birds Of A Feather
Venue: Grand Opera House, Tuesday, June 25

It has been a long time, almost 15 years, since Birds Of A Feather was on TV. I have vague memories of watching it on a Sunday night with my mum, in what would now be classed as a very “safe” night of viewing, along with Keeping Up Appearances and Inspector Morse.

More than 100 episodes, almost ten years… this is a show ingrained in the nation’s consciousness. It centred on Essex girls Sharon (Pauline Quirke) and Tracey (Linda Robson), the wives of incarcerated men, living in Chigwell. Their neighbour, Dorien Green (Lesley Joseph) a wealthy but snobby woman, forever cheating on her husband, is a regular visitor to the sisters’ kitchen.
This stage version of the show is set in the present. The sisters still live together, but Tracey’s 16 year old son, Travis, now lives with them.
From the telly days, I recall Sharon and Tracey sitting in a kitchen, neighbour Dorien running in with whatever trauma the script called for that week. I also still know all the words to the theme tune apparently! For the stage production most of the action takes place in Tracey’s living room. Unlike the cosy setting of the sitcom, this space felt a touch too big for the jokes.
All of the main cast still have their chemistry and the writers play to the actresses’ strengths. Tracey plays the straight role to Sharon’s cheeky chappy character, Dorien pops up to be a little outrageous.
The audience enjoyed it immensely. I found myself smiling all the way through and there were a couple of really good belly laughs.
My only real criticisms are an ill-advised video section in the first half, which was too dark to see properly, while the second half felt a bit stretched out, again showing the sitcom roots. For me, it became a little melodramatic.
Pauline Quirke has some of the best comic timing I have seen in a long time, pulling it back from the brink of going too far.
Fans of the show, or anyone looking for a non-challenging night of funnies, won’t be disappointed. These are characters I would happily check in with every once in a while – the ensemble’s chemistry makes it a fun night out!

Review: Lisa Stansfield still queen of soul

Review: Lisa Stansfield
Venue: Grand Opera House, June 10

Monday saw the return of Lisa Stansfield to the live stage in the UK. For a period in the late Eighties and early Nineties, she was one of the biggest pop stars in the world, having massive hits here and in America. She performed duets with George Michael (before he started falling out of cars) and Queen, and won loads of Brit awards.

Stansfield won Ivor Novello awards and sold over 15 million albums. So, not much to live up to with a musical comeback then? Her first album in nearly ten years is due out soon and so I expected to hear a lot of it.
I will be honest, what I know of her is primarily based around my parents being fans while I was in my teens, but I knew there would be at least a couple of songs I would recognise.
The show started in a rather odd fashion, with a DJ on the stage, playing Northern Soul classics. No arguments from me, just a little strange, no introduction or dancers or anything – just a DJ with great tunes.
After a short interval, it was show time. The band appeared, and started playing. Halfway through appeared the lady herself, looking stunning.
It has been said before, but it always astounds me that a voice so big and soulful can appear from such a tiny woman, but then in-between songs, out comes a really strong Lancashire accent. Not relevant, just always makes me laugh.

On stage, on song: Lisa Stansfield performs at the Opera House. Photograph: Steve Shooter

We were introduced to a new song, a little more delicate and refined than some of the older, dancier material, but beautiful nonetheless. We were treated to versions of all of Ms Stansfield’s biggest hits, including her underrated cover of Barry White’s Never Never Gonna Give You Up.
Fans old and new were up dancing to the classics Someday, People Hold On, Change and All Woman, but there was only one song that could be considered for an encore, what I would think of as the defining Lisa Stansfield song: All Around The World.
A great live band, including a very strong horn section, backed up what was a great way to start off the UK leg of her tour. On this evidence, Lisa Stansfield has not lost a step, and this audience went home very happy indeed – and I look forward to the new album.

Review: Rapping stand up is highlight of TakeOver comedy night

Review: TakeOver13: Comedy Night #2
Venue: York Theatre Royal, Saturday, June 8

York Theatre Royal’s Takeover Festival was well underway by the time their comedy night hit the stage, an intriguing line-up headlined by Noel James. It was affected by the sunny weather, leaving the stalls at the Theatre Royal feeling a little cavernous for stand up, being maybe half full.
Our compere for the evening Chris Turner kicked off proceedings with an amusing bit of banter with the crowd. Some lovely self-deprecating gags about his dress sense went over very well, before he busted into what was my favourite bit of the night, a gangster rap generated by random words from the crowd. For a young middle-class white man dressed like his grandfather, the boy can freestyle.
Michael J Dolan on the other hand, is a ball of neuroses; his entire set is about how rubbish the world, and the people in it, are. My major issue with Dolan’s performance is that it felt like a run through for his Edinburgh Festival show, but way too early in its development. Some great material in there, but needs more work before being exposed to a crowd who paid £15 a ticket.
After an interval (which at 15 minutes felt too long) we returned to a set from Chris Stokes, who again, felt like he was working through new material in preparation for Edinburgh. One or two very strong gags and a decent Alan Bennett impression didn’t quite compensate for a very self-indulgent set, which felt more like a Stewart Lee tribute act. (Oh, and he looks more like Lord Sebastian Coe than Brian Cox).
York’s own Ben “Spoon’ Winterton was up next for a quick open spot, rattling off some decent one-liners, all nervous energy and twitchy delivery.
After another break it was time for our headline act, Noel James. Welshman James is another act who seems like he doesn’t really know what kind of comedian he wants to be.
The crowd seemed to enjoy his whimsical, surreal set, but for me it veered from one extreme to another, at points sounding like Bill Bailey, and at others doing silly wordplay. For me, the highlight of his set was a Robert De Niro impression which was uncanny.
An amusing enough evening, deserving of a bigger audience, but a lower price! My wife and I left the show talking more about the compere Chris Turner than any other acts. If you get a chance, see him.

York’s new film will be a Transatlantic Smash – with your help

 


This blog was always supposed to be about comedy, and it will be, but of a different sort. Unfortunately, due to some personal issues, I have had to put Knock Knock Comedy to one side for the short term, meaning my comedy focus has been on the movie I am producing.
Local comedy pop duo Peter Marshall & The Lomos wanted to make a film, and they have asked me to act as producer for the project. It seems I have a knack for making things happen, and the film is well underway.
The film, which I am lovingly, and partially jokingly, calling Project Hollywood, has an official title, which is Transatlantic Smash. The basic outline of the plot features the formation of the band, and their attempt to win a Eurovision-style song contest. Along the way they will meet girls, write songs, make terrible puns, but most of all, have fun.
We have decided to use an unusual method to make the film: we are improvising it! What we have is a very detailed breakdown of each scene and some amazing performers, ranging from stand-up comedians to experienced actors via some committed amateur volunteers.
None of us have ever made a film before. We have all been involved with other people’s projects, but this is our own little labour of love. Along the way we will be calling in favours from friends, relatives, local businesses and pretty much everyone we have ever met.

Fancy taking part?

This is where you come in. We also need help from people we have never met too! We don’t have any money, we don’t have celebrity fans, but we have passion and enthusiasm, and a good idea.
We had our first two days of shooting in my house (it was free you see over the last couple of weeks, so the main cast could get together, meet up properly and workshop a couple of scenes. We got some really funny stuff, and are now looking forward to having the budget to film somewhere outside my house.
Along the way will be looking for actors, extras, runners, people to hold lights, people to make sandwiches, drivers and loads of other roles. Please help, or I will have to do all of them.

We made a video, please watch it, if you like it, please consider contributing. We know how hard the economy makes everything at the moment which is why we are offering some great perks in return.
If you give us £1 we will thank you in the credits, £20 gets you a DVD of the film and a CD of the soundtrack. Fancy a private gig from the band? Donate £250 and we will pile into the car and turn up on your door.
Basically, please help!

Review: Boothby and Co are the funny business

 

 

Sitting Room Comedy

Venue: Monkbar Hotel, Thursday, May 9

Sitting Room Comedy have made the Monkbar Hotel their home in York, running regular events with some excellent names from the comedy circuit having made appearances for them. This night of musical comedy, part of the York Spring Festival of New Music brought together a couple of well established names I recognised, with a couple I didn’t.
It was a little strange returning to the Monkbar, given that I used to run charity comedy nights there and that almost a year ago, my wedding reception was in the very room we sat down in. The set, for it is a set, is very intimate; making what is a massive room feel cosy and welcoming.
Compere Tom Taylor, whose awkward charm welcomed us with some fun banter and a song, kept the event moving along, bringing Helen Arney onto the stage.
Arney is disarming, cute and funny, but there is a kind of manic charm to some of her ukulele-led songs. You might also call it a sinister whimsy. The highlight of her set was a song about dating a boyfriend in a coma.
Next up was Nick Doody, known to me as a comedian on BBC Radio’s The Now Show, with some very funny stories. As he himself puts it, he is a stand up doing a bit of music, fitting with the theme of the event. Doody brings a very likeable stage presence, self deprecating but very funny indeed.

For me, the show really picked up pace with the introduction of Kirsty Newton, starting her set with a country song about allergies, which had me chuckling. Newton is much more musician doing comedy than comedian doing music, and her songs had a very natural feel, evoking tears of laughter from my wife at her song about being left handed.
As one of only a few left handers in the room, it hurt, but not as much as it made me laugh. If you get a chance to see her, please do.

And then, onto the main event of the evening, Boothby Graffoe. I have seen Graffoe before, but not for about 15 years. In that time he has developed into a “multi-award winning comedian and songwriter”, and on this evidence he deserves the plaudits.
Graffoe showed why he has been consistently one of the UK’s best comics. When a show ends with a wholly unexpected sing-along, and you don’t mind, that is when you know you are in the hands of a master.
A greatly enjoyable night – marred only by a very loud talker in the crowd – was had by all. July brings the TV favourite Andi Osho to York, well worth a visit to this unconventional venue for.

Review: Big hearted Mick Foley, the wrestling raconteur

 

Review: Mick Foley: Tales from Wrestling Past
Venue: York Barbican, May 1


Mick Foley, hardcore legend, three-time WWE Champion, Hall Of Fame member, two-time New York Times bestselling author and now comedian?

Well not quite. While Foley is well known as one of the best talkers in the wrestling business, what he does is tell stories. On this Tales From Wrestling Past tour, they are almost exclusively wrestling stories, which works for me.
I should point out, I’m a wrestling fan. It is not something I am ashamed of, but something I don’t necessarily tell people, and as our compere for the evening Chris Brooker pointed out, sometimes it is just nice to be in a big room full of like-minded people.
Wrestling is our dirty little secret, and in a room full of large, hairy men, Mick Foley is our king. He doesn’t fit the stereotype, doesn’t look like movie star The Rock (about who we heard a very funny and dirty story), but became a big star by having the most personality and heart. He made the most of his skills as a talker, and it is here that we find ourselves eagerly awaiting entertaining.
Compere Brooker did a great job of setting the tone for the evening, warming up the crowd with some excellent banter, while support act Carl Hutchinson “fandangoed” onto the stage with great energy and some good, but clearly new, wrestling-based material.
Then the man himself entered the room to a standing ovation, shambling onto the stage, knees ruined by years of leaping onto concrete floors, wearing not one but two Santa shirts (Foley loves Christmas). He introduced his act with some nicely self deprecating jokes, finding the level of wrestling geekery in the room and some nice local based lines.
Being on tour for the last few weeks has clearly helped Foley refine his local referencing, a strong Wayne Rooney joke and some colloquialisms often missed by Americans left us feeling like this was a unique show, not the same hour trotted out repeatedly.
A very enjoyable couple of hours indeed. If you know who Al Snow and Diamond Dallas Page are, don’t mind a dirty story or two, then this is the show for you. And to this crowd, on this night, Foley is indeed god.

Review: iShandy is a whole new animal

Review: iShandy
Venue: York Theatre Royal, April 23

To call the latest York Theatre Royal production an adaptation of Laurence Sterne’s The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman would be appropriately both true and not true at all.
Sterne wrote Tristram Shandy’s first volume in 1760, and it has been attempted many times, most notably by Steve Coogan and Michael Winterbottom in their film A Cock And Bull Story. As Director Damian Cruden himself says in his programme notes, “our production of iShandy makes no sense whatsoever,” and who can argue with that?
The novel, ostensibly the life story of Yorkshire gentleman Tristram Shandy, has a non linear structure complete with blank pages and the lead character not even born until Chapter Three. Shandy is famous for being “unfilmable” and challenging to read, but also for being incredibly prescient and bawdy. If Sterne didn’t invent the concept of meta-fiction, then I don’t know who did!
iShandy cleverly places the action in the living room of Susan, a teacher, and host of a book club. The club are meeting to discuss Tristram Shandy wearing period costume and with appropriate snacks. To tell you too much more would really spoil the show. Needless to say, it follows the Sterne model, dipping in and out of the story at will, randomly commenting on the action, sometimes being a straight translation, at others bearing no relation to the text.

Trailer

It pleases me to see writer Richard Hurford say of the show “iShandy is not an adaptation and we never intended it to be” – because as a straight-up page-to-stage version it fails miserably. But that is the whole point; iShandy takes the idea of Sterne’s novel, and runs with it, creating a whole new animal, a hybrid stage full of insanity. My wife and I enjoyed it greatly.
The strong ensemble cast was anchored by Elizabeth Bower as Susan/Susannah. Others may have got better lines or bigger laughs, Bower was the standout. One or two of the actors could have taken a lesson from her in waiting for a laugh; I missed a few lines because the laughter overpowered them.
The set design and lighting were simple and effective, although a search for Tristram himself took it to all kinds of unusual places…
I was at various points, charmed, confused and highly amused! We especially liked the footnotes conceit, a brave choice for writer/director and cast, which provided some great giggles.
iShandy proves that you can make an adaptation of an unadaptable work – if you don’t adapt it at all, yet somehow make a hilariously fun show both for those who know Tristram Shandy and for those who don’t.
After all, has anyone ever read it properly?

Review: Passion, beauty, charisma, Angels & Insects

Review: Angels & Insects
Venue: York Theatre Royal, April 18

I must confess, I was not familiar with former York student AS Byatt’s story Morpho Eugenia, upon which Angels & Insects is based, but I have vague recollections of seeing Patsy Kensit in a mid-Nineties film version. York Theatre Royal and Useful Donkey have combined to produce a two-person version of a complicated and multi-faceted story.
It tells the story of an Amazonian explorer and entomologist who returns home penniless to Victorian England to be taken in by a wealthy aristocrat. While cataloguing his benefactor’s collection of insects, he falls in love with the beautiful and mysterious daughter of the household. But then the apparently perfect family facade slips, and some grim secrets emerge.
Director Juliet Forster needs two strong, reliable actors to bring this stage adaptation to life, and in Joanna Hickman and Jonathan Race she has them. I last saw Race stepping into the formidable shoes of David Leonard in the Theatre Royal pantomime, but here he displayed a completely different set of acting chops (literally, sporting excellent sideburns!).

It is a hard task to play the narrator of a complicated story and the lead role without it becoming messy. But Race brought a charm and wit to his performance which allowed the audience to connect with a fairly long list of unseen characters without having to resort to caricature.

The dual role of Matty and musical accompaniment is one performed by Joanna Hickman with great passion. The performance requires both flamboyant musical skills and a reserved, almost brittle charisma, which Hickman pulls off with aplomb.
The performances, though excellent, would be nothing without the beautiful set design and props. I have to give major credit there: without giving anything away, the design team earned their money.
That the play runs for the best part of two hours with no intermission is a credit to the whole production team. Not once did I get bored or feel ready for a break. A couple of pretty intense performances, without so much as a glass of water, is a testament to the actors’ abilities, and at the end I overheard one audience member use the word “exquisite” to describe it.
I didn’t go quite that far, but I urge anyone with even the slightest leaning towards drama to check out Angels & Insects, an excellent night at the theatre.

Review: Short, sweet and side-splitting Shakespeare

Review: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) – Revised
Venue: York Theatre Royal, April 17

As a former English teacher, I approach any version of Shakespeare with trepidation, but also hope. Although I no longer teach, I still love the Shakespearean experience, and hope that every version will be accessible to the youth of today, while retaining the spirit and language.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company aim to present The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) in 97 minutes. A very bold claim, but I have heard good things about them. Turns out, all the good things I have heard are correct. The show is fast, funny and very good.
The three actors involved all have excellent comic timing and a likability which helps you bridge the slightly more complicated parts of the show – and it can be complicated. There are 37 plays and 155 sonnets to get through, some get glossed over with a throwaway mention, others get more time. But where else would you see a mechanical miniature Godzilla, sing along to The Lion Sleeps Tonight and hear The Fresh Moor of Bell Air in one night of entertainment?

And entertainment is the word. From the opening, it is clear that this is not the other RSC and that we are here for the laughs. I laughed constantly for nearly two hours, and it was clear that the 12 year old in front of me and an older gentleman in his 70s were enjoying the show as much as us.
After all, who doesn’t find the line “Jobbie in your stew” funny as part of Macbeth? You don’t? Then we can no longer be friends.

In short, a wildly entertaining, hysterically funny night out, and if you get the chance to see it, you should. Highly recommended for all the family. If you know a little about the plays it wouldn’t hurt, but if not, who cares?

Running a comedy night, I deserve the booker prize

 

So, it has been a while since I wrote one of these. Sorry, sometimes having a day job, a weekly radio show, a comedy club and a wife can be a little hectic!
We have now run three Knock Knock Comedy nights. You know about the first one, the second was Valentine’s Day. We took a risk, booked an amazing headline act in Mace & Burton and a really strong support line-up.
We hyped it, flyered it, advertised it, Tweeted it, Facebooked it and everything else you could think of. Turns out Valentine’s Day is maybe not the night for comedy!
We had a great audience, just a small one. Those who attended were treated to one of the highlights of last year’s Edinburgh Festival, RomComCon. It made us laugh, and I’m not ashamed to admit, it made me cry a little! If you get a chance, see it.
I promised to share tales of trying to book acts, and some outrageous demands. Recently I contacted a fairly famous agency to book an act I hold in high regard. He was unavailable on the date I needed, so the agent offered me a few other acts. I looked into it, researched, checked out a few videos and narrowed it down. The act I chose was available on the date I needed, we agreed a price for his performance and I thought all was set.
Two days later I get an email from his agent informing me that on top of the agreed fee, he would need over £100 in petrol money to attend the gig. Needless to say, he is no longer on the bill…
My current favourite was the guy (again to remain nameless) who asked for a spot on an open mic night. He then later asked if he would be paid for it, and then if the gig (in a tiny room, free entry) would do Edinburgh previews. Seems some “comics” don’t know what an open mic night is.
I was approached at a gig I ran by an aspiring comedian asking to be booked on my next show. His words were: “I have done over 20 gigs now”. You may be familiar with how comedy works, on the circuit in particular, but there are acts, really good acts, with five years and 300 gigs experience doing shows for free in the hope of a paid gig.
This particular comic emailed me the next day asking for a gig. He then Facebooked me a week later, and then approached me again at the next gig I attended. There is a difference between being keen and annoying the hell out of me. Chances of this particular person being booked? I’ll let you do the maths…
Our next show is April 4. We have the incredibly funny Sara Pascoe, fresh from her appearance on BBC1 show Live At The Apollo. You may have seen Sara in Being Human, Twenty Twelve and Free Agents.
The support is from local favourite James Christopher as compere, former York St John student Richard Massara, Nick Banks and Al McWilliam.

US Comedy: Not so much to laugh at?

 

It seems I disagree with TV reviewer Lucy Bellerby on what makes a good US sitcom. I agree that Parks and Recreation is decent, and does indeed have a great cast, although Amy Poehler and the character are too brittle and unlikeable for me to really latch onto it. I don’t deny Poehler’s comic ability, but give me Tina Fey every time.

My major issue comes when it comes to The New Normal. This show is everything wrong with TV today. It has taken a serious issue, and inserted bland stereotypes into the mix.
The lead couple, David and Bryan, are supposed to represent the 21st century gay couple, when in actuality all they are is the stereotypical overtly camp gay man and his long-suffering, not very gay at all, partner. That this show comes from Glee creator Ryan Murphy should be of no surprise to anyone, given how broad and generalised all of his characters seem to be. Even Ellen Barkin, as the demon mother, is nothing more than an easy pot-shot at Republican, conservative America.
I will hold my hands up, I only watched the first two episodes, but by the end of the first I was ready to give up. I only went back for a second episode because I wanted to give it a chance to escape from the pilot episode constraints. It didn’t. I found the show horribly offensive, and I’m not easily offended.
If we are talking funny American shows, 2 Broke Girls has just the right level of broad jokes and snark to make it edgy and clever, while retaining a few good belly laughs an episode. It does this without tipping over into smug, self-indulgence, like HBO/Sky Atlantic’s Girls. It helps that Kat Dennings (also known for her role in the Thor movie) is delightfully vicious but also sweet.

You should also check out Happy Endings, Cougar Town and Community.
While it is true that in Britain we have been lacking in really good quality comedy in recent years, there are still gems to be found: Sky’s Trollied and Moone Boy, and BBC’s Heading Out are all worth a look.

Starting a comedy club in York is serious business.

When the lovely people at YorkMix asked me to write them a blog about comedy, my first thought was “How the hell do I narrow all of comedy down to a few hundred words?” So I won’t.
What I thought I would do is focus on the aspect of comedy that I deal with, starting a new club and the challenges it involves.
I launched Knock Knock Comedy Presents in December, with a launch show made up of comedians I genuinely really like watching. I found a venue I really like, The Post Office Club, and booked the line-up.
What I didn’t factor in was the first snow fall in nine months. At 5pm on our launch night it snowed, leaving many of the people who intended to come, fighting to get home in horrible weather. Sometimes the world works against you.
We had an audience, a small but friendly one, and enjoyed ourselves. Now the real challenge begins.
I decided we’ll run a show on Valentine’s Day, an odd choice, but with good logic behind it. Our headline act is known collectively as Mace & Burton and bring their show Rom Com Con to York for the first time. I thought it would be a great show to programme, considering many people’s apathy towards Valentine’s Day.
We booked a support line-up, all comedians I am a fan of and the show is now set.
The big challenge is finding an audience. In York there is a fairly big comedy scene, but it is oddly expensive.
Regular shows include Hyena Lounge (City Screen), Stand Up York (Barbican) and Sitting Room (Monkbar Hotel), not to mention the regular touring shows at the Opera House.
For me, although they provide household names, comedy is becoming too expensive to attend live, especially with shows like Live At The Apollo, Stand Up For The Weekend and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow regularly broadcasting stand up shows.
Take into account tickets, parking, a drink or two, maybe a babysitter and you can be looking at £50 or £60 for a two-hour show, more for a big name. Our intention is to bring up-and-coming acts, on the verge of a mainstream breakthrough, to York for a reasonable price by keeping our tickets prices low. The venue is a social club so drinks are reasonably priced and there is free parking.
We want to be the gap in the market between free open mic nights like the one at The Gillygate pub run by local comedy collective Can’t Sing, Can’t Dance, Don’t Care’ and those much higher-priced nights.
Finding the correct balance is proving to be a challenge, I am funding this club out of my own pocket at the moment, so for every Sara Pascoe (Live At The Apollo, Stand Up For The Weekend) who is coming to play for us in April, there are lots of massive names I can’t afford to hire.
We are not going to be able to book Michael McIntyre or Peter Kay for a gig with a £5 ticket price, but what we can do is bring exciting, experienced comedians to York, and sprinkle in a mix of young hungry comics.
The coming months will see us promoting Sara, Andrew Ryan (Russell Howard’s Good News) and John Scott (pictured left) shows, along with giving headline spots to people who deserve them, but haven’t had the chance.
Our Valentine’s show is the perfect example. Mace & Burton’s show should be occupying the same spaces as Dave Gorman’s shows, and I can’t wait to have them appear in York.
Hopefully, next time I write here, I will be telling stories of some of the responses and demands I have received from comedians I have tried to book… I have had some astounding ones.

SixMix: My 6 favourite comedians.

Stand up comedy is a very subjective thing, but I consider myself to have pretty good taste in the matter. I wouldn’t have started promoting my own comedy shows if I didn’t.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and I have narrowed it to comedians who may not be the nation’s favourite. I have a long standing argument with my in-laws over Billy Connolly (they are Scottish), who I don’t like, having a purple beard and saying f*** a lot don’t make me laugh. And I have left off comedy “megastars” like Peter Kay because while he is very good at what he does and connects with audiences, what he does is basically remember things from the past.
Therefore, the six I have chosen here are favourites of mine for very different reasons, but I would urge you to check them out!
In no particular order…

Ross Noble

Noble is not so much a comedian as a randomist. I have had the opportunity to see him perform about 8 times, all on big tours, and I can honestly say every single time I have left the theatre with a sore face from laughing. I saw his show twice in the space of two weeks at opposite ends of the country and the show was completely different both times. Two different two-hour shows a fortnight apart? I don’t know any other comic who could do that, because he doesn’t have routines, he has a very, very strange brain…

Jon Richardson

Now making his mark on the comedy world thanks to spots on 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Stand Up For The Week, I first saw Richardson at The Hyena Lounge about three years ago. His material, well crafted and self deprecating, was carried with a very humble charm. Jon Richardson is finally stepping out of his flatmate Russell Howard’s shadow. Should be a much bigger star!

The Boy With Tape On His Face

I know what you are thinking, that is a stupid name. Yes it is, but it is also technically correct, for he is a mime, with tape over his mouth. Yup, me too, but the man is genius, finely-honed timings, a perfect soundtrack and brilliant audience interaction. See him before it costs you £40 a ticket!

Tim Vine

The punmaster general, perhaps better known as Lee Mack’s sidekick on Not Going Out, is one of the cleverest comics in the game. He is also the world record holder for most jokes told in a minute. If you don’t find one of his jokes funny, don’t worry, there will be another along in 4 seconds. There are lots of one liner comedians, in my opinion, none finer than Tim Vine.

Lucy Porter

The cutest, most adorable comedian on this list, but also one of the finest working comics in the country for years. Lucy Porter has always been on the edge of becoming a massive star, making TV appearances all over the place, while still gigging hard. A clever comic brain combined with easy charm makes her a joy to watch.

Peter Marshall & The Lomos

The name on this list you are most likely to not recognise, this musical comedy duo make crazy, addictive songs and mix the odd charisma of Peter Marshall with the musical ability of nominal straight man Spencer Vale (The Lomos) to create something insane and beautiful. Watch this space…

So there it is, my top six comedians, all very different, but perhaps giving a flavour of the mix of styles I am looking to bring to Knock Knock Comedy Presents.
Our newest comedy club comes to The Post Office Social Club, Marygate on Wednesday, December 5. The line-up is headlined by York’s very own Peter Marshall & The Lomos, and also features James Christopher, Jerry Bochum, Al C McWilliam and will be compered by Nick Banks.
A really strong line up for our first show, the aim being to mix rising local stars with experienced professionals from the comedy circuit.