Fans of intellectual, thought provoking comedy would wince at this act, but if silly is your bag, then these two are bankers.
Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill form the duo, with Amy living up to the act’s name by relishing her role dressed as a hot dog. With the humble sausage being inherently funny, even to the most prudish, the audience are set off tittering immediately.
Silly comedy can easily nose dive and, despite its frenzied nature, needs a finesse in order to decipher the material most likely to work for a audiences.
Chris and Amy achieved this. Helped by inventing a clever vehicle for their jokes in the form of a mock seminar on internet advice, they gave themselves a structure for their seemingly random punch lines.
The duo bounced off each other well, with Amy providing the set ups for Chris, who’s deadpan delivery hit home the unusual, yet hilarious jokes.
Although residents of comedy clubs around Manchester, the duo will certainly find a home at Edinburgh this summer, with their comedy capturing the essence of the fringe festival.
Athena Kugblenu performed a set at Manchester’ regular comedy night, XS Malarkey, and in doing so demonstrated she has the ability to make her mark on the comedy scene.
Having received favourable reviews at last years Edinburgh Fringe, Athena has made more headway in this show and, despite being first on the bill, had the audience in stitches from the start.
A young London talent, Athena’s material is new, fresh and sharp. Her ‘resting bitch face’ routine is a hit, and by cleverly comparing relationships to a mobile phone in another skit, she is able to make a series of well thought out gags and innuendos.
Her exploration of racism, and particularly sexism, is refreshing, and she executes her jokes with the skill of an experienced comic.
Her persona resonates well with the slightly younger crowd, displaying an in trend attitude, while maintaining her relatability.
Salford welcomed, not one, but two rising talents on the comedy circuit in Tom Allen and Suzi Ruffell last night. With the Lowry Studio packed out the room wasn’t quite big enough for the two of them, but that in no way compromised the quality.
Knock about banter I think best describes the start of the show, with both comics making off the cuff jokes in tandem. It is clear from the outset that both possess a quick wit, and their obvious friendship helps the audience warm to them almost immediately.
With Ruffell leaving the stage momentarily, Allen introduces her to perform her solo set by starting a Mexican wave style of applause originating from the back corner. With the performance dynamic shifted, Ruffell is able to fully show off her hilarious personality.
Ruffell is from a working class family in Portsmouth, an upbringing which floods her act with fantastic material. Her charm echoes that of Danny Dyer and Micky Flanagan, but pigeon holing her like this is an injustice as she is far more versatile.
She tells stories of her family getting through tough times, but always with a refreshing positive outlook. Her buoyant attitude to life rubs off on the audience, and is a welcome contrast to the despairing outlook many comics take.
Energy and wholehearted commitment is never stifled in Ruffell’s performance; her illustration of characters is fantastic and, alongside funny quips, make excellent anecdotes.
One anecdote stood out. An encounter on Ruffell’s doorstep with a Jehovah’s Witness was always going to end up in a fiery encounter for a gay woman despite her best intentions to remain polite. It says something about Ruffell’s character however, that she managed to turn this into a humorous routine.
Ruffell is the new face of working class comedy, her humour is down to earth and instantly relatable. Her story about her free bar incident fully highlights this.
Coming out after the interval, suited and booted, Tom Allen’s confidence resonates brightly. As it should, this was very much his audience.
The camp comic started by cleverly twisting the things straight people tend to say when first meeting a gay person.
Allen is a naturally funny stand up, his presence on stage exudes humour and every time he opens his mouth he has the audience cracking up
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His dry, yet camp style of delivery is fresh and new. His jokes, quick and sometimes subtle, match his persona brilliantly.
His set centres around one particular occasion at a party when he became trapped in a bathroom, but a shiny new bathroom at least. He dips in and out of this one anecdote throughout his set, which helped him wring out the humour from the dire situation.
Allen commands a room expertly and, despite his exquisite word choice in jokes, it’s his physical humour that gets the biggest laughs. Exploiting awkward humour by putting a leg up on a chair, or leaning on a table that’s slightly too low, has the audience in stitches.
Referencing previous routines from earlier in a show is common for comedians, but Allen’s throwback to past jokes goes above and beyond as he did this for Ruffell’s gags as well. It was impressive, not only because it showed he paid attention during the earlier set, but also because it helps establish both comics as a team.
Although Allen stated that he has little innuendo in his show compared to other gay comedians, there is still a degree of naughtiness. His constant assurances that his benign statements are not innuendos in fact create the innuendo to waves of laughter.
The show is a superb mix of styles with both comics bouncing off each other extremely well. The variation in material is also impressive, as it would be far easier for both comedians to simply fulfil their stereotypes.
Ruffell and Allen provide plenty of side-splitting laughs in a show that will please everyone.
With northern charm on tap, Justin Moorhouse comes in at seven in my recommendations for comedians currently on tour.
His material is instantly relatable, almost as though you’re having a laugh with him down the pub. However, his execution is what sets him apart. Once the laughter starts he rolls with it expertly, adding jokes to the anecdote to create the belly laughs.
There’s always a dig at someone from the Mancunian, but his friendly tone makes it impossible to be offended. No one’s ever been fat shamed by a teddy bear, and Justin is just a teddy bear.
His new show was performed at the Edinburgh fringe and with the 46 year-old well versed in touring, as well as numerous appearances on TV, tickets offer excellent value.
Next in the countdown is Sam Simmons. He’s possibly the silliest comedian currently touring. The Australian’s material is refreshing however, very different from mainstream stand up but despite this he’ s popped up on several TV shows including 8 out of 10 cats and Room 101.
If you like your jokes to have structure and make sense then maybe Simmons isn’t for you. He appeals to anyone with a childish sense of humour, the type of things that adults shouldn’t be laughing at.
He stretches the tools available to a stand up comedian, making novel use of props, clipboards and voiceovers. He also exploits his physical features, much like other comedians, but Simmons has considerably more to go off which I don’t think’s rude to say.
Simmons likes to mess with his audience, particularly when his material doesn’t quite land, with his aussie hard edge and, like anyone from that part of the world, he’s great at swearing.
If you like absurd humour then check out his tour dates and as always thanks for reading, look out for number 8 coming soon.
Kicking off my list of top stand ups currently on tour is the disdainful comedy of Miles Jupp. Always with a gripe to get off his chest, Miles cracks audiences up with his middle class loathing.
He’s appeared on a wealth of panel shows and played many roles in film and TV, most notable being Balamory in which he played Archie the inventor, brandishing the delightful pink sweater and kilt combo.
Turn of phrase and carefully chosen expressions of wit drive the laughter in his sets. An undertone of condescension only adds to the comedy. His stand up has earned him spots on the coveted Live at The Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.
He’s not a gag man, instead he crafts anecdotes to display his annoyances at the world, which are often very relatable. He’ll then exaggerate his privileged background to rise above his audience, maintaining an amusing allure.
If you like your comedy more laid back and less intense, his new show is certainly worth considering. Check out his tour dates. Tickets range from between £17 and £20.
No.9 in the countdown coming tomorrow, thanks for reading.
Great Britain has had a wonderful Olympics, and thus we have found solutions to all of our problems.
Our Government and opposition parties are currently in disarray, but when we have a woman beating up other women with spongy gloves, politics doesn’t matter. If Boris Johnson ever gets into a bust up over Britain’s foreign policy with Angela Merkel, not an entirely hypothetical scenario, we’ll send over Yorkshire’s Nicola Adams to fight our corner. Left hook, right cross, then working the jab, a naughty below the belt shot and then those trade deals will soon sway in Britain’s favour.
Who cares if we have potentially self inflicted an economic melt down by leaving the EU when a bloke who makes Peter Crouch’s robot look smooth runs faster over 5k and 10k than anyone else? Mo Farah’s advertising partnership with McDonald’s will certainly boost the UK’s economy. Every time he celebrates a win it leaves the millions of bemused viewers craving chicken nuggets, some even opt for the classic Big Mac with large fries and a drink.
There’s also been reports of another well known fast food chain trying to hire the services of Katrina Johnson-Thompson, Britain’s up and coming heptathlon star. She’s gained the nickname KJT, but the fast food outlet want her to change her name to Kentucky Fried Chicken apparently. Others have been approached by sponsors such as the Brownie brothers in the triathlon, taekwondo fighter Orangejade Jones and of course Tom Daley Lee Triangle.
And why fear terrorists when we can outrun them on a bike? Granted it’s hard to get away from someone in a velodrome, but I say we send our sprint team to Aleppo for some reconnaissance work. They can jump in a pedalo to cross the channel. Then across Europe and to the middle east, I’ve looked at a map and it’s all downhill. And if anyone can watch their backs, it’s our paranoid Olympic cyclists, oh and owls as well.
So there we have it, our Olympians will undoubtedly solve all our country’s problems.
ONE of the most anticipated shows of the 2016 Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, ‘In The Fuehrer’s Face’, was performed at Salford’s King’s Arms on Saturday (July 23) afternoon.
Experienced actor and stage performer Patricia Hartshorne displays her many talents in this one woman cabaret show all about none other than Adolf Hitler.
Taking its name from a 1943 American propaganda film starring Donald Duck, ‘In The Fuehrer’s Face’ is a 50-minute mix of stand-up comedy, songs, both funny and poignant, and captivating stories.
Hitler, synonymous with the atrocities he committed, is a rich source of material, but material that has to be handled with care.
Hartshorne’s choice of anecdotes in this respect is superb, focussing on those who, as she put it, gave Hitler one in the eye.
Her anecdotes are fascinating, always keeping the audience hooked by seamlessly transitioning between a melange of diverse characters.
There’s no real costume changes, besides a few hats and, of course, Hitler’s signature toothbrush tash, but this isn’t necessary due to Hartshorne’s acting prowess.
Hartshorne’s multilingual talents are also on display, performing songs and bit parts of monologues in French and German.
Listening to some of the show in something other than the audience’s mother tongue adds an extra dimension, helping the audience to buy into the historical characters by bringing them to life.
Songs come at regular intervals throughout. Some are funny, such as the classic ditty about Hitler’s infamous monorchism (or his one ball) and the other about the master race, in which Hartshorne encourages the audience to blow raspberries upon raising her two fingers during the chorus.
Other songs were relatively heartfelt. A rendition of La Complainte Du Partisan, a French song originally by Anna Marly, is sung beautifully and changes the entire atmosphere from jovial to reflective, almost as if a switch had been flicked.
A dirge about Hitler’s wife, Eva Braun, had a similar despondent effect later in the show.
Not only is the switch flicked back, but the fuse box explodes.
The risk involved in such a stunt does pay off; helped by the content of the rest of the show, but one would certainly advise her not to wear them whilst walking down the street on a gusty day.
The stories told are claimed to be true, and in amongst them are little titbits of Nazi history, some of which are so ludicrous that they earn a laugh themselves without needing a corresponding gag.
Despite this, there are plenty of jokes, particularly at the beginning, helping to warm the audience up, with Hartshorne’s assured delivery creating light ripples of laughter. A joke about a certain Mr Donald Trump however, got a bigger reaction.
The show finishes on a repeat singalong of the Master Race, and, although the show has poignant touches, the good old hand gesture rounds up the show rather well.
In The Fuerher’s Face manages to look at a well-covered subject from a whole new angle, with Hartshorne proving herself to be a brilliant character actress capable of providing seriousness as well as silliness.
SKETCH double act James & Seaburn performed their very first preview of their new show Pigeon Trousers at the King’s Arms last night (July 16). I was there for us to see the show that will be making its way up to Edinburgh next month.
The King’s Arms is a lively pub perfect for comedy, however, James & Seaburn would have had the right to be a little aggrieved with the pokey studio they had been given, far from ideal for their show full of props and swift costume changes.
Pigeon Trousers is the double acts second show at the Greater Manchester Fringe and consists of a mix of songs, sketches with bits of stand up and improvisation thrown in. The title of the show is meaningless; in no way is it a bird fashion show, but it sums up the sporadic jumps between contrasting sketches rather well.
Both comics are accomplished musicians, but strike the balance of songs to sketches well. Ian Seaburn appears to be truly at home with a guitar around his neck and Nicola James has a voice that many a professional singer would be proud of.
One musical sketch that stands out focusses on an all mythical horse glam rock band called Rockin’ Horses. The costumes alone are funny and the unique idea allows for a wealth of character based jokes which are delivered superbly. The characters reappear to conclude the show, however, the song didn’t work on this particular night due to the fact that it was the first time they had performed it together.
Many of the sketches contained the idea of bringing either inanimate objects or animals to life by giving them a human perspective. A pair of socks that went through a break up, a hand bag and dagger moaning about securing film roles, a poem from a cat and of course the Rockin’ Horses are all inventive ideas that are performed with high energy and enthusiasm.
A call back to an earlier sketch at the end of the show is one of the most surreal moments, but the twisted logic it derives from is a hilarious piece of sketch writing. The homemade costumes presented a side-splitting image that sticks in the memory.
There’s no getting away from the fact that the show is silly. The duo know this better than anyone, their smirks throughout the show indicating that they themselves love this type of comedy. They hilariously allude to the silliness of the show when they seemingly attempt to perform a serious section about hoe some idioms contradict each other. The explanation that ensues uses dubious mathematics and is done at a comical speed to ensure maximum stupidity is achieved.
Tonight’s show wasn’t slick, and even though it was a first preview and you would allow a wide margin for error, the two experienced comics missed the professionalism mark by a distance. Improvisation held the show together but in a way the mistakes and mishaps added to the mishmash feel of the show.
As was said at the end, the duo learnt a great deal from the first outing of their show. The sketch ideas are unique and although eccentric, they are easy to follow with good jokes, and a smattering of clever puns. With more efficient transitions and stronger assurance in their performance, Pigeon Trousers has potential to be a big hit in Edinburgh and beyond.
THE KING’S Arms in Salford is host to a range of shows throughout the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, and last night (June 8), Piano Cad perched upon his trusty piano situated in the Snug to play a few numbers straight out of the 1930s and 40s. Our reporter Adam Lewis was among the few to seek out the free performance…
Piano Cad, known as David Bottomley when out of character, gently entered the cosy pub room to a ripple of applause to perform his show ‘Cloth Cap and Clogs’. With the demeanour of a war time gentlemen and the moustache to match, the man from London sauntered in and settled down on his piano stool.
A nice little ditty about alcohol got the show rolling, attracting titters from the intimate audience. Island of Pomona was up next, but this was only a warm up for the best song of the show, the hook of which contains the lyrics – ‘she loves to shimmy with me and her mother does too‘.
The tempo of the tune helped the rather repetitive punchline land, with the final line of the song providing a twist which earned the biggest laugh of the night.
An elaborate anecdote about the royal family followed the song. This was very much the pattern of the show. The stories he told were abstract, but the imagery he created captured the Salford audience, however, he struggled to get any hearty laughter. The story did, however, provide a fluid link into the next ditty God Save the Queen and Her Fascist Regime.
He then played a sweet song about love which contrasted well to the political song, even if it’s on the lighter side of political comedy. A Salford specific anecdote followed, surrounding the local hero L.S. Lowry.
Again, the story was abstract but was told in a believable style. He may have pushed it too far however, losing some of his audience, but there were a few good gags playing on his character’s ignorance.
The atmosphere was laid back making for easy listening. With only a smattering of people in the small room, the performance felt personal with Piano Cad almost telling stories on a one-to-one basis.
Shows with tiny audiences can feel awkward with performers visibly struggling with their act, but this was certainly not the case here. Piano Cad’s character felt natural and easy to warm to; very rare for distinct personalities.
Matchstick Men and Matchstick Cats and Dogs is the song to round up the half an hour show. There was a somewhat awkward moment as there was uncertainty to whether it had finished, but a generous round of applause did eventually mark the end.
It was pleasure to sit back and enjoy the performance, particularly in the King’s Arms as the venue contributes a great deal to the aura created by the piano.
The friendly atmosphere continued after the show with David breaking character to chat with those that came to watch.
The show offers a delightful flavour of the fringe, and fully enhances an evening’s enjoyment.
Piano Cad performs his free show at The King’s Arms on Sunday 10th July at 9pm.
The Adam Lewis Comedy Blog 