Weekend Guide

Here’s the JUICE Guide to some of the best stand-up comedy showing around the country this weekend!

Friday Night – Bush Hall, Shepherds Bush, London
Stewart Lee, Tony Law & Daniel Simonsen

This glorious old venue hosts a stunning line-up tonight. The comedian’s comedian, Stewart Lee is gearing up for his Edinburgh stint, so don’t be surprised to see some of that new show creep into his performances over the weekend. Lee is joined by the stunningly unpredictable Tony Law, who admirably blends improv. clowning with surreal concepts.  Also on the bill is award-winning Norwegian comic Daniel Simonsen, who’s off-kilter, European-flavoured stand-up has won him numerous accolades in a short space of time.
Tickets are £16.50 and are still available

Saturday Night – Queen’s Square, Bristol
Adam Buxton, Omid Djalili, Sean Walsh, Mark Oliver & Arthur Smith

The Bristol Comedy Garden continues this year with two comedy shows back-to-back. The first is a special presentation of the best of Adam Buxton’s show ‘Bug’. Buxton will present his favourite videos and comments from the recent BFI shows. In the second show, Omid Djalili, Mark Oliver & Sean Walsh will be performing on a bill hosted & MC’ed by the legendary Arthur Smith.
The event takes place on the beautiful lawns of the Queen’s Square in the heart of Bristol, underneath a Big Top.
Tickets cost between £18.50 and £24 – click here for more details

Sunday Night – The Cannon, Newton Pagnall
Gary Delaney Edinburgh Preview

The most quotable comedian on the circuit will be previewing his brand new Edinburgh Show on Sunday night. Delaney is a regular guest on Mock The Week and has also brought his razor-sharp comedy to Dave’s One Night Stand. His last last Edinburgh show sold-out every single night of the festival and received numerous 4 & 5 Star Reviews. Get in on the ground-floor and see his next show develop for the bargain-price of just £4!
Grab your tickets now!

JUICE Chat with Fern Brady

“they weren’t allowed to eat the curry until I was finished doing jokes about feminism and the media and politics”

What attracted you to performing stand-up?

“I gained stage time performing as a lapdancer from 2006-08. Once a Geordie stag in a lime green mankini has heckled you repeatedly with “THE LEFT ONE’S BIGGER THAN THAN THE RIGHT ONE” the notion of performing comedy while wearing all of your clothes is relatively benign. I also felt ordering drunk men to their knees and beating them with a whip while shouting “Neigh like a horse! Neigh, horsey, neigh!” really built my confidence and ability to interact with an audience.

I then honed my writing through doing a eulogy at my granda’s funeral in 2008. It went so well some people actually forgot their grief and laughed through the tears. At the wake people were asking for copies of it. That’s when I knew I had something.”

How would you describe your comedy?

“Heart-warming stories gently mocking the working-class caricatures from my childhood in Glasgow’s tenements. “Brady brings the salt-of-the-earth characters of her childhood to life in her Scots lilt – Bessie the eccentric spinster from next door, Earnest Jim the chimney sweep and her rosy-cheeked alcoholic father Paddy are all mined for chuckles by this enchanting female comedienne. You always believed in racist stereotypes about the Scots – who knew they could be this funny?!?!”

Your comedy has been described as “nihilistic”. Do you feel nihilistic? Or have reviewers just confused existential nihilism with “being Scottish”?

“They often do – and why wouldn’t they? As anyone who’s not a total mongo knows: we are nothing if not defined by our nationality, something Benedict Anderson elaborates on in ‘Imagined Communities’ (1983). The Scots are dour, depressive and resentful – just as people from the African nations love to dance, eat watermelon and rape our white women.

I sometimes fantasise about being English. I think about how smooth my accent would be and how I could walk through this country unstigmatised. How when I order chips in a comedy club, staff would nod obediently, not laugh and say “That sounds like ‘chaps’! ‘Chaps’! Say it again!” before telling me they have an aunt from Stirling as if we’re then going to have some sort of affinity with one another.

I’m glad you asked anyway as sometimes people don’t and I start to worry I’m no longer Scottish. I feel my identity slipping away. I think: “does he know I’m Scottish cause he hasn’t mentioned it yet”. But you mentioned it and the balance of the world is restored.”

Where’s your favourite place to perform?

“In a comedy club. I once had to gig in front of a curry buffet and they weren’t allowed to eat the curry until I was finished doing jokes about feminism and the media and politics. They just wanted their curry. Still traumatised.”

You started gigging in 2010 and in just three years you won place as Finalist in prestigious nationwide competitions, Hackney Empire New Act Of The Year and So You Think You’re Funny. Surely it’s all downhill from here?

“The other night someone asked me to come to their Komedy Inkubator to work on my jokes. “They don’t even realise my status in the comedy world” I thought to myself. I went into the toilets and cried.”

Who are your favourite comedians on the circuit right now?

“I hate comedians. My boyfriend’s very funny. When we break up, as all relationships inevitably do, I’ll look back on this interview and regret I ever mentioned him.”

Who are your favourite comedians to travel with?

“A Manchester act called Danny Sutcliffe. Imagine you put a Lakeland terrier in a man-costume then got it drunk. That.”

Where can people learn more about you?

“Come to my Edinburgh Fringe show The Lunchtime Show at Just the Tonic’s Tron, 1-25 August 12.30 – 14.00. You could follow me on Twitter but you won’t hear my Scottish accent then.”

You can see Fern performing in Stafford on Friday 31st May when JUICE takes over The MET Studio!

JUICE Chat with Tony Jameson

Tony Jameson is one of the most sought-after comics & MC’s on the circuit. His engaging style and fabulous hair have made him a mainstay at the major comedy clubs. He looks forlorn & enigmatic in that picture above, but in reality he’s a very silly chap.

JUICE: How did you get your start in comedy?

“I guess I started comedy the same way a lot of people do, by going to an open mic as a punter for 6 weeks in a row and thinking ‘my god, this is terrible, I’m sure I could do better’. I spoke to the organiser, and a few weeks later I was booked in. I wrote my set about 2 hours before the gig, and that was that.”

JUICE: What attracted you to performing stand-up?

“I’ve always wanted to do stand up, even from an early age, but I never knew how to get into it. I also think it was better I started when I did (I was 28) as I probably thought I had some life experience and something to say. I think I’ve disproved that with my show title.”

JUICE: Your Edinburgh show is called ‘Football Manager Ruined My Life’. How bad did it get?

“The show is basically a retrospective look back over the past 20 years as I realised I’d played every version. Essentially I’ve grown up with this video game, so during good times and bad, the one constant in my life has been Football Manager. There have been some stupid moments which get covered in the show.”

JUICE: What can we expect from the show?

“Expect some silly stories, references to players you may / may not remember, and most of all, its also accessible to people who haven’t played the game. I was very conscious when I started writing the show that I didn’t want to alienate people who didn’t know about the game.”

JUICE: Who are you looking forward to seeing at the Festival this year? Who should we be looking out for?

“My comedy wife, Katie Mulgrew is taking her debut show up to The Fringe this year, so I’ll be very keen to see that. Also, Romesh Ranganathan and Sean McLoughlin are doing their first hours, both of whom are fantastic acts.”

JUICE: Stand-Up Comedy – art or science?

“Totally art.”

You can see Tony’s brand new show “How Football Manager Ruined My Life” in Stafford TONIGHT at Number 15! E-mail us for tickets!

BBC Clip

A short video of Michael J Dolan performing for the BBC! You can see him live in Stafford on Tuesday night, performing a Preview of his brand new Edinburgh show at Number 15!

JUICE Chat with Michael J Dolan

“There’s no point being right all the time if no cunt’s listening.”

Michael J Dolan is one of the most interesting and cerebral comics in the UK. His fiendishly well-written material seethes with a palpable misanthropy that has won him rave reviews and celebrity fans. We spoke to Dolan ahead of his upcoming Edinburgh Preview in Stafford on May 14th.

JUICE: How did you get your start in comedy?

“There’s a handful of archetypal routes into stand-up, I came via the ‘depressed parent’ trail. As a kid when one of your folks is depressed you don’t have the faculties to see what’s wrong but you can sense something’s up, so you start clowning and get laughs and you feel like you made it ok. If my mum had discovered Prozac a couple of decades earlier I might be a lawyer now.”

JUICE: What attracted you to performing stand-up?

“That last answer stank of some hard therapy, if I’d never seen that bad psychiatrist I’d probably have said something else. Certainly the appeal of forcing large groups to listen to you, and if they interrupt they get kicked the fuck out of the room is a big draw. There’s no point being right all the time if no cunt’s listening.”

JUICE: Your previous Edinburgh Show ‘Dress To Depress’ garnered you glowing reviews and won you a high-profile fan in Sarah Millican. As a self-confessed curmudgeon, has this success improved your outlook on life? Are you now a cheery fellow?

“Let’s be honest there were some shit reviews as well. I’ve had plenty of those. My favourite bad quote is “watching Michael J Dolan die on stage is akin to watching somebody deliberately scrape their fingernails down a blackboard for twenty minutes”. If that sounds like your cup of tea you should come along.”

JUICE: What can we expect from your new solo show ‘Nothing Will Ever Be Alright Again’?

“Death, madness, apocalypse.”

JUICE: Who are you looki”ng forward to seeing at the Festival this year? Who should we be looking out for?

“I don’t know who’s on really. I’ll probably book a ticket for Alexei Sayle, he’s definitely on. Phil Ellis’s show is shaping up to be the funniest thing anybody will see this year, I was at one of the previews and it was dynamite. I’ll try and see Bridget Christie, Nish Kumar is good, Peacock and Gamble, all them. Mostly though I imagine I’ll be sat in the flat playing Lego City.”

JUICE: Stand-Up Comedy – art or science?

“It’s definitely not science.”

 

You can see a special Preview of Michael’s brand new Edinburgh show (along with Tony Jameson) on Tuesday 14th May at Number 15. E-mail juicecomedy@gmail.com for tickets!

JUICE Chat with Rosie Wilby

“My flat burned down days before the album launch. One man started really laughing at this.”

Rosie Wilby was a music columnist during the height of Britpop, and her passion for music led her to release her own critically-acclaimed album in 2000. After performing at Glastonbury and supporting the likes of Bob Geldoff and Jamie Cullum on tour, Rosie segued into a career in stand-up comedy.

JUICE: How did you get your start in stand-up?

Rosie: “I was a singer songwriter and when my band broke up I started talking and telling self deprecating in between the songs as I realised I didn’t want to be yet another seemingly over earnest woman with an acoustic guitar.”

JUICE: Who have been your comedic influences over the years?

Rosie: “When I was growing up, Eddie Izzard and Victoria Wood were staples. When I started to learn about comedy, then I got into the slightly more surreal acts like Simon Munnery, Paul Foot, Tony Law and Stewart Lee.”

JUICE: Who are your favourite comics on the circuit right now?

Rosie: “The ones I’ve named above, plus Zoe Lyons who is just a brilliant master of her craft. Her new solo show is brilliant. Just excellent pure stand up, delivered with huge energy.”

JUICE: You’re new show arrives in Stafford on the 16th March, what can we expect from “How (not) To Make It In Britpop”?

Rosie: “Well, this show is a little different from my pure stand up set and previous solo shows like The Science of Sex as it’s a nostalgic and more gentle trip down memory lane interspersed with acoustic renditions of the songs which people have really loved and have been downloading on iTunes now my ancient album is available digitally for the first time (downloads were barely invented when it was first released!).  I suppose I’m going for the sort of tone of those hybrid shows which cross theatre and comedy, a bit like John Peel’s Shed which was a successful show in Edinburgh the year before last.”

JUICE: The show sees you revisiting a lot of photos, letters and old memories from the 90’s. Did you turn up anything you’d have been happier to forget about?

Rosie: “Well my flat burned down days before the album launch. One man started really laughing at this (more serious) point of the story and when I asked him why it made him laugh, he said ‘sorry Rosie I thought it was going to be a burglary!’… um, cos they’re much funnier aren’t they?”

JUICE: Your career has progressed from being a singer/songwriter to being a stand-up comedy. Do you prefer one to the other, or would you like to be able to split your time between the two of them?

Rosie: “Well I did miss the music and it’s been fun to resurrect a few of the old songs that have stood the test of time for this show. Some of them haven’t dated as well and these have resulted in ironic lyric readings where I mock my younger self’s pretentiousness. Underachievers of the World Unite, anyone?”

JUICE: As well as being on stage at Glastonbury, you’ve performed at some legendary venues like Ronnie Scotts, The Stand and Downstairs At The King’s Head. Where’s your favourite place to play and what do you look for in a performance space?

Rosie: “For music, the natural acoustics of the room are vital. The 12 Bar club is a pokey little venue in central London where the band played a reunion gig last Summer (which you can watch here). It’s one of the oldest buildings in London and is an old forge. Its got so much character its brilliant. Comedy venues are similar I guess. The ones imbued with history have something that a new purpose built chain venue just doesn’t.”

JUICE What’s next for Rosie Wilby?

Rosie: “I’m developing a book and a new show which involves video clips. This may also evolve into a short film.”

Rosie Wilby is performing her show ‘How (not) To Make It In Britpop’ on Saturday 16th March at The MET Studio in the Gatehouse Theatre. Click here to book tickets.

For videos, songs and gig dates visit Rosie’s website.

JUICE Chat with Rich Wall

“It felt like being asked to play football at Wembley, whilst eating an ice-cream, whilst waking up from a nap.”

JUICE: How would you describe your type of comedy/performance?

Rich: Someone recently described me being like “having an annoying younger sibling grin at you because they think they’ve done something witty and clever”. That’s not what I was attempting, but I’ll take it.

At first I waned to do comedy that changed what people thought about important things. Judging by the material I came out with, I obviously thought that the Chuckle Brothers and things that happened on the bus were immensely important.

JUICE: How did you get started in stand-up and why? What was your first gig like?

Rich: I started by sitting in audiences, hanging on the every word of comics, either thinking “this person is amazing, I could never possibly be that funny and inspiring”, or “this person is a tragic mental, if they can get paid for comedy, so can I”. Eventually one of my friends booked me into a gig, and I have since gone some way towards emulating both of the above examples.

JUICE: What do you take with you to a gig? What’s in your gig-bag?

Rich: Hair product. And to think my grandfather mined coal from the Earth.

JUICE: If you had to estimate, roughly how many miles do you think you’ve done over the years?

Rich: I wouldn’t want to estimate. Mostly because I would feel compelled to then sit with a calculator, several old diaries and a pen, and refine my estimate, until well past the time when it stopped being an understandable curiosity. But it’s enough to warrant owning shares in motorway pasties.

JUICE: What’s been your most memorable gig to date, for either good or bad reasons?

Rich: There are a few. I compéred XS Malarkey in Manchester for the first time over the summer, which is a very special gig indeed. It felt like being asked to play football at Wembley, whilst eating an ice-cream, whilst waking up from a nap. Partly in that I was very surprised to find it happening.

My worst gig ever was at Sheffield Hallam Uni. 150 drunken students blathered away, ignoring the sad acoustic guitar player that was on before me. Then the MC walked on, was roundly booed by the crowd, and then said: “Our next act is a comedian, apparently…” (turns and hands mic to me) “Here you go, Rich”. Two minutes of angry swearing followed. They didn’t even listen.

JUICE: Where’s your favourite place to perform?

Rich: Stockport. It’s a small town, in the shadow of a bigger town, where everyone in the audience seems to like rock music and cider. I feel very much at home (I am from Wolverhampton).

JUICE: Which comedians have influenced you over the years? Who are your comedy heroes?

Rich: When I turned 19 someone lent me a Bill Hicks DVD, and I got a bit obsessive about it for a while. I must have been insufferable to be around.

There’s a couple of Canadian guys called Glenn Wool and Craig Campbell who make me want to walk around pretending in my own head that I am also Canadian. They are that heroically funny.

JUICE: Who are your favourite acts on the comedy circuit right now?

Rich: Johnny “Showaddy-Waddy” Sorrow. He’s not only a lovely man, his act is impossible to properly describe to anyone who hasn’t seen him. He is like Vietnam. You weren’t there, man. You weren’t there. I also, I love what Martin “BigPig” Mor does. When I grow up, I want to be like him.

You can see Rich Wall as the MC for Cocktails & Comedy Part IV on Friday 23rd November. Visit his website for more fun-fact about Rich!

JUICE Chat with James Cook

“when my first joke got a big laugh the sheer force of it rocked me backwards”

James Cook started stand-up comedy a number of years ago, but left the circuit for seven years to become an NTL Award-Winning commercial radio presenter. Then James decided he’d had enough of completely conquering all of radio, so has recently returned to the grind of stand-up, where he performs for major comedy clubs such as Highlight, The Glee Club, Off The Curb and many more. JUICE got the chance to probe the very busy man with a few questions.

 JUICE: How would you describe your type of comedy?

James: A man behind a microphone communicating funny ideas in an entertaining way to an audience. If you like laughing at things, then you’ll probably like the things that I do.

JUICE: How did you get started in stand-up and why? What was your first gig like?

James: When I was a student in London I saw an advert in the Union for people to take part in a cable TV show – you needed 3 minutes of material and they’d pay you £25 – which to a student in London in the mid 90s was the most money I could possibly conceive of. I cobbled together 2 minutes 45 seconds of filth, went along and performed in front of a cameraman and about 6 people. It was great.

JUICE: What do you take with you to a show? What’s in your gig-bag?

James: Note book and pen (which I take with me everywhere). Phone wallet keys. Bit boring really. Let’s make something up to make it sound more exotic – I also take my lucky pineapple and a shotgun (just in case).

JUICE: Roughly how many miles do you think you’ve done on the circuit over the years?

James: Probably 100,000 or more.

JUICE: What’s been your most memorable gig to date, for either good or bad reasons?

James: First time doing The Comedy Store London, when my first joke got a big laugh the sheer force of it rocked me backwards.

JUICE: Where’s your favourite place to perform?

James: At comedy clubs. I’ve tried airport check-in queues, they don’t like it so much. Hot damn I’m facetious.

JUICE: Which comedians have influenced you over the years?

James: I’ll try and do this in chronological order….

Monty Python, Lenny Henry, Little and Large, Paul Squires, Phil Cool, Jasper Carrot, Andrew O’Connor, Cannon and Ball, Trevor and Simon, Newman and Baddiel, Punt and Dennis, Mark Thomas, Eddie Izzard, Harry Enfield, Jack Dee, Bill Hicks, Lee and Herring, Armando Ianucci, Chris Morris, Steve Coogan, Harry Hill, Paul Merton, David Letterman, Sean Lock, Rich Hall, Louis CK, Gavin Webster, Chris Stokes.

JUICE: Who are your comedy heroes?

James: Python.

JUICE: Who are your favourite acts on the comedy circuit right now?

James: Gavin Webster and Chris Stokes I will always watch.

JUICE: Who’s the best in the world, Louis CK or Daniel Kitson?

James: You assume that there is such a thing, and that it is one of those two.

JUICE: Yes, we do. If we didn’t assume that there’s a best in the world and that it’s either Daniel Kitson or Louis CK, then it’s unlikely we would have written a question based entirely around that subject. Just go with it or say “neither”.

James: I prefer Louis CK, but I still really really like Kitson.

JUICE: If you weren’t a comic what would you be doing?

James: Crying and regretting not starting comedy.

For more in-depth insights into James, Follow him on Twitter!

JUICE Chat with Darren Harriott

“I cried for days when he died. I didn’t realise as a guy, I could have such a connection with another guy who I’d never met.”

Darren Harriott has been a long-time JUICE Favourite, having performed at virtually every venue we’ve operated out of. In 2011 Darren won our award of JUICE Performer Of The Year and he once convinced Rob Halden that  he was related to Ainsley Harriott. Then called Rob a racist.

JUICE: How would you describe your type of comedy/performance?

Darren: I would describe my comedy as being very honest as I have always enjoyed comics who expose their failings as human beings and their inner thoughts no matter how messed up they may seem, you get a sense of who they are as a person rather than just laughing. I want people to know who i am, what kind of person I am and how i think, wether they like that person or not it doesnt bother me as long as they have an opinion on me and of course laugh…people will still laugh even if they dont particularly like who you are on stage…I’m a believer that you can’t please everyone its impossible so just focus on getting atleast 50% of people at a gig to laugh the other 50% should be horrified as you’re not their type of comic.

JUICE: How did you get started in stand-up and why? What was your first gig like?

Darren: It was always something I wanted to try from when I was 17.  Just after my 18th birthday while I was at college (hating it) I was handed a flyer for a talent show, 3 months later I did my first ever gig. Went really well considering it was a talent show for 12-18 year old performers, I went on after a dance troup which now as a comic i would be like “no way i aint following a bunch of ghetto bodypoppers dancing to a kanye west mash-up” but then I didnt know better. I remember swearing (dick,balls etc) during my act a few times and a parent heckling me “there’s kids in here” which I still hear in my head everyother day. But i just ignored it carried on with my act left the stage and felt like a WARRIOR! and that was it, I knew from when I was 18 this is what i wanna do with my life nothing else is gonna fill my needy-ness like stand up does.

JUICE: What do you take with you to a gig? What’s in your gig-bag?

Darren: Usually my joke book, diary, food and bottle of water, sometimes my video camera depending on the type of gig. I have alot of resepct for comics who carry props, guitars etc. to every gig. I always say that if I had to carry just a microphone to every gig I would quit the business let alone a giant prop box. Prop comics must have amazing triceps.

JUICE: What’s been your most memorable gig to date, for either good or bad reasons?

Darren: Few years ago I did a gig in loughborough there was a drunken lady in the crowd (eurghhh!) it was a wednesday as well so she had no day job.  Anyway, she was just heckling every one of the acts (shouting Off! Off! Off! etc.) belittling the MC. Admittedly it was an open mic type night. Anyway I went on stage (3 years into my ‘career’) she heckled me, I dealt with it, I carried on. Few minutes later she heckled me again. I then warned her “don’t heckle me again”, which is a dumb thing to say to a heckler, I was basically asking for it at that point. She then heckled me again ruining my last joke. Now I cant say what I said to this women, but it was mean and very, very horrible. During my rant at this woman 3 people walked out (proud!). Considering there was only 15 people in the room about 4 were laughing at what i was saying, the others were shocked. She then called me sweary words and walked out the room (even more proud). Reason I say this was memorable for me, I said things on stage I had never said before. It was like the chains were off and i was free (kunta kinte), before then I never really spoke about my true feelings and attitudes towards things I was just a normal set up/punchline kind of guy saying things that had no meaning to me. Ever since that day I had a new confidence in the fact that I have said horrible, horrible things to someone on stage which I dont ever intend on having to say again (doubt it though) and it felt good saying how I truly felt. I’ve incorporated alot more of my soul into my act and style of comedy because of that.

I could tell you stories of some amazing gigs and rooms I have played, but whats the point? Comics enjoy hearing about the bad ones, their the ones that define who you are. Anyone can ‘storm’ a gig.

JUICE: Where’s your favourite place to perform?

Darren: Best I have performed at this year was ‘The Stand’ Glasgow if your a comic and haven’t done that room…slap yourself (do it!). I enjoy doing open mic nights alot as you get a real test for your new material if it can generate big laughs in a poorly lit room infront of 20 people who are just there to see their university E4 type ‘hacky’ friend perform (what’s the deal with student loans??) then your new stuff should go down a treat when you eventually do it in a pro-room.

JUICE: Which comedians have influenced you over the years? Who are your comedy heroes?

favourite comic of all time is a pretty unknown (in the uk anyway) american comic called Patrice O’neal, he was like a comic’s comic. He passed away last year November. He just had the level of honesty I adored, he spoke openly and candidly about his failings and ilnesses. He was a 6ft 4, 300 pound black guy who had high blood pressure,diabetes,obesity, who never held back on his thoughts,  no matter what the consequences of that. And never wanting to owe anyone in the business which was why he turned down alot of tv work fearing it would somehow mean he would have to tone down his live act (beautiful). He wasnt your typical ‘black comic’ his race material was inventive and new not your ‘white people do blah blah,black people do blah blah’. His size meant he couldnt be this physical, high energy, Def Comedy Jam type guy, he was slow and much more thought out. I cried for days when he died. I didnt realise as a guy, I could have such a connection with another guy who I’d never met (comedian’s bond!).

Quick list of comics I love in no particualr order; Louie Ck, Bill Burr, Sean Lock, Rich Hall, Lee Mack, Hannibal Buress, Greg Giraldo and Frankie Boyle.

JUICE: Who are your favourite acts on the comedy circuit right now?

Darren: I have just came back from doing a weekend with Rob Deering and I was blown away by what he does, it really opened my mind to the stuff you can do on stage and the level of talent he has as a musician. I’m from Birmingham and I gig alot with Harriet Dyer, Masai Graham, Jonny Greatrex, Jonny Pearson, Jay Handley, Aaron Twitchen and Freddie Farrell (you happy now guys?). I knew most these guys when they first started out but to see the progression and change they have made is crazy I’m a big fan of hard workers and these guys make me wanna work harder as were all kind of on the same level more or less. You hear a lot of newer acts complain about travelling, writing, playing certain rooms etc. etc. these guys never do, they just gig everywere and anywhere because they know thats how you get better and make this a proper career. Which is what we all want at the end of the day.

JUICE: Where can we find out more about you?

Darren: I’m not on twitter yet as I’m still undecided about it, and i would only follow pornstars and wrestlers anyway. I am on facebook Darren Harriott, let’s be friends. No website yet. I was once told by another comedian (Andy White) a lot of terrible acts have fantastic websites. Great acts either don’t have a website or their website is bland and boring because their too busy writing jokes to care about it. So my website will be amazing!

JUICE Chat with Kiri Pritchard McLean

“It was the second time I did King Gong and it was the May Bank Holiday and it was stuffed full of human detritus.”

In 2011 Kiri Pritchard-McLean did her first gig for JUICE Comedy at our monthly new material night. After blowing us all away she made it onto the bill of our very first professional show at The Gatehouse Theatre, and after smashing that gig she went on to win Break-Out Act Of The Year at the annual JUICE Awards. Which, by the way, was an award we created especially for Kiri. We love her lots and this week we got to chat to her.

JUICE: How would you describe your type of comedy?

Kiri: I always find this really hard to answer because, without sounding too wanky, I don’t think I’ve found my voice yet as a comic. Certainly, the jokes I’m most proud of and I find funniest are usually the first to get cut from my set. 

I suppose it’s just anecdotal stuff built around “gags”. I tend to think of a joke or a point I want to make and then manipulate the rest around that.

JUICE: How did you get started in stand-up and why? What was your first gig like?

Kiri: I used to work in a drama school when I was a teenager in to my early twenties and I used to write the sketches for the shows that we’d put on. I realised I really enjoyed writing and I really enjoyed performing- not acting, more showing off- so I went to University firstly to do a Bsc in Psychology and spent that first year drunk and trying to do performance things anyway. So, I did an audition at The University of Salford (The original University of Life), for the performing arts course, they asked me what I wanted from the course and I told them I wanted to write and produce and they were like “Don’t do performing arts, do this course”. So, they put me on this brand new course called Contemporary Theatre Practice and it was as wanky as it sounds. But it also did lots on autobiographical performance, which, if you have a sense of humour is basically stand up.

I then did the unthinkable and did a comedy course. That’s where I met my other half actually. I did the course and then wandered around telling people I did stand up comedy without actually doing it. I think I gigged three times in the ensuing 18 months? My first proper gig was King Gong at The Comedy Store. It was scary but luckily for me the MC, Mick Ferry, sorted of interrupted my set and I think that bought me some time as I got to 5 minutes. There was 28 acts on that night and 4 of us got to the clap off- needless to say I didn’t win but I think it was a decent baptism of fire.

JUICE: What do you take with you to a gig? What’s in your gig-bag?

Kiri: It’s just my usual hand bag because I can often pick up gigs in the day whilst at my day job so need to be able to go straight from work to the gig. Essentials are my notebook, mascara, eyeliner and Sat Nav. To contextualise, the make up isn’t as vain as it seems. I’m quite expressive on stage so I find it helps if I’ve emphasised my eyes a bit.

JUICE:  If you had to estimate, roughly how many miles do you think you’ve done over the years?

Kiri: The first 18 months of doing stand up “properly” – gigging regularly I would go anywhere for any stage time. I remember driving to Newcastle 3 times in one week for 5 minutes of stage time. I’ve tried to be a bit more selective now but I still rack up the miles. According to my tax return- I went self employed at the start of 2011, the first three months of the year I did 1322.2 miles. Last tax year I did 5130.7 miles and that’s excluding gigs where I’ve got the train eg Cardiff, London, Scotland.

JUICE: What’s been your most memorable gig to date, for either good or bad reasons?

Kiri: Hmm, probably the first time that I died actually. I had got to about 10 gigs and was sure I was the second coming because I’d yet to have a bad one. Then I did the Preston Frog and Bucket and there was some people there from university- supporting a mutual friend- that I thought were bellends and then I just bombed and, didn’t make the clap off and it’s the only time it’s happened. It was horrific. i was with my other half and I just remember being so upset and telling him I was quitting all my gigs and that I hated comedy. I handle rejection really well…

The other memorable one is another bad one! It was the second time I did King Gong and it was the May bank holiday and it was stuffed full of human detritus. They were literally seeing if they liked your first joke and then kicking you off if you didn’t. Awful. I did my first bit, went well. Then a stag party started heckling me and I replied, the audience laughed but the stag party lost their shit. They were standing up and booing me and shouting “get her off”. It was so lousy I had to turn my back on the left hand side of the room and just play to the right an centre and pretend there wasn’t a baying mob behind me. Horrendous. I got to the 5 and, again, didn’t win. I remember calling my fella afterwards and saying “yeah, I did a good job and I got them all eventually. But, I hated that. Really hated it, that’s not comedy”. Was a bit of a wake up for me as I had a good think about why I was doing comedy and what, if not that, did I want from it.

JUICE: Where’s your favourite place to perform?

Kiri: This will sound disingenuous but JUICE’s gigs are really wonderful. Smart people who are up for a nice night. I like the Crumbling Cookie in Leicester too. I always like gigging back in Wales too.

JUICE: Which comedians have influenced you over the years? Who are your comedy heroes?

Kiri: I was raised on Billy Connelly and used to watch his stuff over and over but I don’t think it’s a stylistic influence, I’d love his warmth and honesty on stage. Richard Pryor was the first comedian whose DVD I watched where my mind was blown. I was just baffled by how hilarious and new it was, to me anyway. Just before we got together my other half took me to see Richard Herring doing “Headmaster’s Son” and I’d never seen an Edinburgh show before, blew my tiny mind. Maria Bamford is my favourite. I look at her jokes and they work on so many levels and frequently she’s taking really prickly topics and dealing with them in such a deft manner people don’t even realise they’re engaging with a really powerful piece of social commentary. I just love her. Tony Law does it as well. People might think it’s weird voices and someone who doesn’t know what hes doing but it takes a lot of skill to make it look like that whilst making important points.

JUICE: Who are your favourite acts on the comedy circuit right now?

Kiri: Hmm, well, Tony Law obviously. I love the atmosphere that Barbara Nice can create in a room, it’s unashamedly feel good without a trace of “this will get bums on seats” cynicism.

There’s a new act called Jon Taylor who has wonderful writing it’s that ultra real Louis CK writing that’s so visceral but he’s not making the mistake I’ve seen countless others do and just perform a parody complete with american accent. Jordan Brookes is excellent too. A Welsh act (biased) and his writing and performing is superb, really really well honed.

JUICE: What else are you up to?

Kiri: I have a sketch group (I write and direct, I DO NOT ACT) and we have a full length show in the Lass O Gowrie in Manchester on the 9th of October. It’s the thing in comedy I’m most proud of.