JUNE COMEDY LISTINGS

It's June! Yes, already! Don't tell me you weren't expecting it, given that it's been May for basically a whole month now... Anyway there's loads going on this month now that we're into Edinburgh Preview season, and here I punctually present your complete listings for the month, so you can't blame me if you miss out on something:

1st/2nd - Daniel Sloss, Dana Alexander, David Whitney, Ian Cognito @ Just the Tonic
3rd - Deborah Jane Appleby, Ola, Ben Hustwayte @ Just the Tonic
6th - Ship of Fools Comedy Club @The Looking Glass
7th - Tom Deacon, Jigsaw @ Just the Tonic
8th/9th - Keith Farnan, Jojo Smith, Bobby Mair, Eric Lampaert @ Just the Tonic
10th - Schadenfreude (new act night) @ The Soundhouse
10th - Romesh Ranganathan, Bryan Lacey, Adam Staunton, Bobby Mair @ Just the Tonic
14th - Pete Firman, Roisin Conaty @ Just the Tonic
16th - Phil Nichol, Ray Peacock, James Acaster, Andrew Ryan @ The Y Theatre
16th - Jeff Innocent, Pierre Hollins, David Morgan, Mike Wilkinson @ Just the Tonic
17th - Alan Anderson, Peter McCole, Fin Taylor @ Just the Tonic
21st - Laurence Clark @ Embrace Arts
22nd/23rd - Rhod Gilbert @ DeMontfort Hall
22nd/23rd - Ivan Brackenbury, Ian D Montford, Jason John Whitehead, Romesh Ranganathan @ Just the Tonic
24th - Jonathan Elston, Andrea Hubert, Ben Van De Velde @ Just the Tonic
29th - Michael Winslow @ DeMontfort Hall
30th - Rob Rouse, Patrick Monahan, Matt Richardson, David Morgan @ The Y Theatre
30th - Ken Dodd @ DeMontfort Hall
29th/30th - Alun Cochrane, Diane Spencer, Dave Johns, Darrell Martin/Chris Mayo @ Just the Tonic

As per usual - if you know of any other gigs going on, email me on this address or post on the facebook page or tweet @LeicComedyScene and I'll update this list, I may even give you a wee write-up if you bribe me heavily enough ;)

Keep Calm and Watch Comedy...

What a great year this is for fans of sport and in-your-face patriotism. As if we weren't all sick to death of Olympic talk, we now have four days of flag-waving Jubilee madness coming our way this weekend. But hey, you can't complain about having a four-day weekend now can you?

Clearly what we all need is a good comedy gig to inject some much-needed laughs into the proceedings. And thankfully Just the Tonic have three shows on this weekend - on Friday and Saturday night, comedy wunderkind Daniel Sloss headlines, supported by Dana Alexander, David Whitney and Ian Cognito.
Then on Sunday evening, it's time for the first of JTT's Big Value Edinburgh Preview shows, which are free, yes FREE, when booked online! This time around, the show features Deborah Jane Appleby, Ola and Ben Hustwayte. Get your free tickets (maximum 4 per order) here: http://www.justthetonic.com/leicester-comedy/

REVIEW - sweet stories and songs from Isy Suttie at The Y Theatre

Best known for her role as IT geek Dobby in the sublime Peep Show, Isy Suttie brought her solo show Pearl and Dave back to Leicester on Friday night, and proved that there is much more to her than just being "the anxious, self-hating man's crumpet".
The sun-baked crowd at the Y Theatre were treated to an hour-long love story set in her home town of Matlock, interspersed with tales from her own love life. The story was as sweet and sad as it was funny, and the characters were lovingly realised by Suttie, who showcased her vocal talents - both in her impressions of the two title characters and the songs which documented their various internet-based correspondences.
The material from Suttie's own life further added to her onstage persona as generally sweet and quirky, although her final song about learning to drive showed her to be capable of  anger and contempt like the rest of us (and her endearingly camp, raconteur-style warm-up act Chris Neill would have us believe that she's capable of some top quality bitchiness in private).
Suttie is no doubt a multi-talented performer, and we will certainly be seeing more of her in the near future, with various sitcom and musical projects on the horizon. (and yes, they're filming another series of Peep Show later this year - woohoo!!!) She has, for several years now, been compared to Victoria Wood, and with the right platform she is definitely talented and accessible enough to become that popular - the audience at the Y were certainly keen to see more of her at the end of the show, myself included!

Sunshine and laughter - bumper weekend of comedy coming up!

You lucky, lucky people.
As if the gorgeous weather wasn't reward enough for the foul extended winter we've all had to endure for so long, there's also a fine crop of comedy happening in the city this weekend to broaden your smiles and further flush your sun-kissed faces.

Shouty, sweating nutbox Nick Helm is headlining Just the Tonic on Friday and Saturday (if you haven't seen him yet I would strongly recommend doing so), supported by Romesh Ranganathan, Dan Evans and Tim Clark. Get your tickets here: http://www.justthetonic.com/leicester-comedy/

Pretty much the antithesis of Helm, Peep Show's very own sweet little songbird Isy Suttie brings her tour show Pearl and Dave to the Y Theatre on Friday night (see my previous post for an exclusive interview). It's a part-musical love story set in her home town of Matlock, and promises to be as touching as it is funny. Tickets etc reside here: http://www.leicesterymca.co.uk/y-theatre-whats-on-details.php?listing=1073

Also on Friday night at the Cookie Jar is Shaggers Comedy, which returns to the city after a sell-out show during the comedy festival. As the name suggests, it features a quartet of comedians telling hilarious real-life tales of a sexual nature. For more info and tickets, get thee here: http://www.thecookiejarleicester.co.uk/events/shaggers-comedy/

And if you're not all laughed out (or hungover & sunburnt enough) by Sunday evening, there's another dose of Should I Stay or Should I Go? at Kayal, the showcase for new comics presented by Spiky Mike, in which the audience decides who stays on and who goes home to cry themselves to sleep. Details etc be here: http://www.funhousecomedy.co.uk/html/fun_house_comedy_venues_leicester.htm

So there you have it. There is literally NO EXCUSE for not going to see at least one of these fine shows this weekend (and no I will not accept "I forgot coz I was drinking in the park from midday").

STAR INTERVIEW: Leicester Comedy Scene speaks to Peep Show's Isy Suttie

Isy Suttie - writer, songstress, comedian, star of Peep Show - is bringing her tour show 'Pearl and Dave' back to Leicester. Previously seen during the Comedy Festival, she is returning to the Y Theatre this Friday, courtesy of Bottle Rocket Comedy Club. I was lucky enough to speak to her about the tour, her home town, and how she deals with the reviewers...


So what can those that didn't make it along in February expect from the show?
 "It's a story about two people and their relationship online. I play both people and there's bits of my lovelife in there as well, so it's quite personal. It's quite sad at times but funny at other times, so it isn't gag-a-minute, it's slightly more theatrical. Hopefully people will come away feeling like they've laughed a lot, but felt something else too. I wanted to do something with a bit more of a story to it, rather than it all being about me, and parts of it are sung as well."

Are the characters and story based on real people and events then?
"It's all pretty much based on real-life people and experiences, and there's a bit of Welsh in there as well if there are any Welsh speakers in the audience!" Isy's efforts to learn the language of her partner's homeland have taken a back seat recently since she started learning to drive (see what I did there?) "I don't have time to do both, and I thought I might be able to learn to drive in Welsh, but I realised I don't even know the Welsh for left and right! So I decided to concentrate on the driving. We do try and speak Welsh for about ten minutes a day though."


The story is based in Matlock, where Isy grew up. "It was brilliant growing up there, it's a very creative place and I'm really proud to be from there. I was quite lucky to grow up in a picturesque area, with hills and caves outside my door. I used to do a bit of rock climbing and abseiling, and go for walks when I could be bothered, but often when you're a teenager you don't want to walk anywhere unless it's to the pub! Now I live in London, I appreciate it a lot more."


So are you pleased to be playing in Leicester again?
Going to Leicester or Derby's quite a big deal when you're from Matlock, it's like the streets are paved with gold! I like playing Leicester. Sometimes when I play here people from Matlock turn up which is always quite nerve-wracking - it's much harder performing in front of people you know, but I'm always very glad when they come and support me. I do like Leicester audiences though - they're always lovely, and Adnan's a great promoter, and a fantastic comedian as well." (that would be Adnan Ahmed of Bottle Rocket Comedy Club, by the way).


Did you get a chance to catch any other shows when you were here for the festival?
"Sadly I had to rush off after my show at the festival, but I had a look at the programme and I could see how many brilliant acts there were. The festival's a really great thing, it gets people into Leicester who might not have been there before and the quality of acts is really good. They have lots of new acts as well, which is important, because it's quite hard when you're new trying to get gigs".


You took this show to Edinburgh, where reviews can be crucial to a show's success. Do you take much notice of your own reviews?
"I don't read my reviews when I'm in Edinburgh, but then you have this horrible day afterwards when you think right i'm gonna read them all today. Inevitably some are good and some are bad so I just think 'right that's it, I'm not gonna think about them again'. The good comments you can use on your gig posters, but I try not to dwell on them. If you get a bad review it can be hard to stomach, but if you respect the publication or the reviewer then maybe it can be useful in the long run. I know some comics don't read their reviews at all - I quite admire their discipline. I couldn't do that".


Professional reviews are one thing, but how about comments on public forums like YouTube/internet message boards?
"I don't really look at forums or YouTube comments because you're always gonna find horrible things, you have to think how useful they're gonna be. It's good to read the good comments but it's not worth the hurt that you feel when people write horrible stuff. They're not really thinking of you as a person, but it cuts so deep. Everyone's different, but I certainly don't Google myself or search for comments about myself on Twitter - that way lies a strange introspection that's not healthy."


So do you think paying too much heed to other people's opinions could hinder you creatively?
"Yeah, it's good to feel like you're pushing yourself. If you try and experiment and take risks, some of it will naturally fail and you will get criticised and that's alright - it's much better than playing it safe the whole time. If you take a risk and it pays off that's even better, so you shouldn't ever let worries about reviews and critics interfere with your desire to push yourself".


And finally - music, comedy, theatre, writing -what's next for Isy? 
"I quite like doing a bit of everything, so while I'm touring I'm filming a new ITV sitcom called Great Night Out, which is set in Stockport. So it's a bit mad touring, getting 4 hours sleep, then a train to Manchester for filming and then onto another show. If only I could combine the driving lessons with all these journeys, but I'm not allowed to go on the motorway! Apart from that we're filming more Peep Show in July (hooray!) and writing a pilot for Sky - a musical sitcom, which is really exciting. I'd quite like a holiday at some point..."

I know the feeling, Isy. Catch 'Pearl and Dave' on Friday at the Y Theatre. Get your tickets from here: http://www.leicesterymca.co.uk/y-theatre-whats-on-details.php?listing=1073

Here is the Headline. This. Here.

(The following is a 'lost' post, written for publishing on 2nd May, which I just found in my drafts folder. How very remiss of me!)

Leicester's finest topical wits gathered downstairs at the Looking Glass last night to record a pilot episode of a new panel show entitled Here Are the Headlines. Tom Young is pitching the idea to BBC Radio Leicester in the hope of bagging himself a series, using an edited version of last night's proceedings as the pilot.

The setup is a familiar one, with Young and Chris Norton Walker as the 'regular' panellists, joined by guests Jim Shields and Lindsey Warnes-Carroll. Hosting was Bruce Edhouse, who in his most (quiz)masterful voice, asked questions about international, national and local news for the panel to give their best funny answers, and engage each other in witty, off-the-cuff banter.

Obviously it's a tried and tested format, and on the evidence of last night it should work pretty well on the radio. The guests were largely entertaining in their delivery of both prepared and ad-libbed material (even if occasionally the panellists forgot they were doing this for the radio and entertained us with a visual gag), and the inclusion of locally-focused and audience-inspired rounds gives a nice twist that should appeal to Radio Leicester.

It will be interesting to hear what makes it to the final cut, as there was plenty of laughter when things went awry, lines were fluffed or the panellists reacted snappily to each other's prepared jokes bombing. It would be nice to hear a quiz that kept in these kinds of blooper-reel moments, but I suspect the pilot will need to sound as slick as it can to secure the makers a series. Good luck with the pitch guys!

Nibbles with Giggles returns to Entropy

The deliciously funny marriage of pie and comedy returns to Entropy on Hinckley Road on Wednesday Night, so if you fancy eating fine food and then being entertained by talented young comedians, you know what to do.
Here's the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/457551850928768/

Lions Eat Ice Cream presents 'Shoddy Vague Awards 2012'

Not been nominated for an Oscar this year? Nor a Bafta? Not even a British Soap Award??? Well this awards ceremony is for you then. The monthly craziness of Lions Eat Ice Cream at Hub is combined with the glitz, glamour and abundance of smug self-congratulation that is the awards bash.
Described as "shit awards given to people you don't know,with 'celeb' guests and guaranteed fun times", it promises to be a wonderfully silly occasion, so put your best frock on and skip down the red carpet to Hub tomorrow night (Tue 15th)
Find out more on the facebook event page https://www.facebook.com/events/307124376025128/

We're back, baby! May comedy listings...

Hello there you lot. Sorry I've been away for a little while, hope you haven't been too lost without your regular comedy updates. Of course you haven't - you didn't even notice, did you?

Anyway, I know we're already half way through May, but here are your listings for the rest of the month, so you can stop shivering and wretching like character from Trainspotting now:


Tue 15th - Lions Eat Ice Cream (open mike night) @Hub
Wed 16th - Nibbles with Giggles (charity comedy night with pie) @Entropy
Thu 17th - New Act Night (Ben Hustwayte MC) @The Cookie Jar
Fri 18th/Sat 19th - Barbara Nice, Rob Deering, Barry Castagnola, Romesh Ranganathan @Just the Tonic
Mon 21st - Laughing Glass @ The Looking Glass
Tue 22nd - Student Comedy Forum @Just the Tonic
Fri 25th - Isy Suttie @The Y Theatre
Fri 25th - Shaggers Comedy @The Cookie Jar
Fri 25th/Sat 26th - Nick Helm, Romesh Ranganathan, Dan Evans, Tim Clark @Just the Tonic
Sat 26th  - Leanne Mckie, Ian Crawford, Liam Mullone @ The Black Horse, Aylestone
Sun 27th - Should I Stay or Should I Go? @Kayal
Thu 31st - Andrew O'Neil, Rob Beckett, Nick Cranston, Rob Coleman, Tony Jameson MC @The Cookie Jar


There, that should keep you off the crack for a while. As usual, if you know of anything else that might have slipped my gaze, drop me a line on leicestercomedyfestival@gmail.com, on the Leicester Comedy Scene Facebook page or on Twitter @leiccomedyscene, and I'll duly add it to the list.
It's good to be back :)

REVIEW: Christmas, Stokes et al delight a packed Y Theatre

The Y Theatre was pleasingly packed for Bottle Rocket Comedy Club's second line-up this month. Clearly their ploy of offering a number two-for-one tickets worked well, as the extra bodies provided a wealth of atmosphere that the previous night had been sometimes lacking.

Even so, compere Fergus Craig's audience banter fell a little flat to begin with, but to be fair he wasn't exactly given gold dust to work with. He justifiably mocked Leicester's comedy-goers as not being exactly rock'n'roll, after talking to an IT guy and an accountant. Craig was, despite the slow start, an entertaining host for the evening, more so when he was doing his own material - he is particularly skilled in his use of accents and made the most of this, combining German words with Glaswegian diction to produce the scariest sounding accent ever. Another high point was his incredibly showy, hip-hop entrance after the interval, which he followed up with some gentle mockery of Flavor Flav's autobiography, which was warmly received.

The first act, Vikki Stone, delighted the audience with her bawdy songs, over-expressionate features and musical theatre-style voice. Whilst her largely relationship- and sex-based subject matter was pretty lowest common denominator, it was presented in a very likeable way and despite some very clever lines, the biggest laughs were inevitably produced by the dirtier material. Songs such as "I Need a Dildo" and an epic yet filthy ode to Phillip Schofield drew big applause, but my own personal favourite was her final song, which primarily consisted of her singing the theme tune to Jurassic Park over and over again in tribute to a former lover. Doesn't sound that funny in writing but the sheer randomness of it certainly tickled me...

Next up was rising local star Chris Stokes. His vulnerable, geekish persona combined with a very relaxed style and understated, often deadpan delivery went down a storm with the crowd. His style is becoming ever more natural and less deliberately slow (a-la-Stewart Lee), and his appeal seems to be growing as a result. His material was accessible and anecdotal, but it's that understated, slightly apologetic delivery which adds extra comic weight to often quite simple jokes. Fresh from winning Best Show at February's Comedy Festival, this is one act which seems clearly destined for bigger things. Good luck, sonny boy...

Headlining the evening was larger-than-life kiwi Jarred Christmas. With the audience nicely warmed up, his mix of brash yet tongue-in-cheek self-confidence, skewed observations and local references provided a suitably bombastic finish to the evening. Christmas is loud and likeable, cheeky and clever, and is able to ad-lib with the audience or on his own with great aplomb. His quick-witted interactions with the crowd left one wishing perhaps that he had been the compere and Fergus Craig had been one of the acts. In fact, as if to reinforce this perception, Fergus had actually left the building by the end of the show, leaving Jarred to wrap the show up in his usual excitable style.

And if you're at all curious to know what comedy's headline performers like to do after a show in Leicester, we caught Jarred and Chris legging it out of the Y to go and catch the late showing of Avengers Assemble at the Showcase. So now you know.