An Interview With Comedy Sportz

Posted on February 24, 2012 by

So, I sat down (that’s me, Kate McCabe) with Sean Mason from ComedySportz to talk about both our upcoming gig in Chorlton at Dulcimer’s and the difference between improv and sketch. We both agreed that we love aspects of each and played a bit of grass is always greener. Maybe one day, we can do a Freaky Friday style body-swap and be each other for the day.  I also managed to mention just about everyone in the troupe EXCEPT for our most prolific sketch writer, James.  Sorry James. The weird thing is, I usually can’t STOP thinking about you.  Like, to the point where you should be concerned.

Here’s a link to the interview:  Now Then

At any rate, we’re really looking forward to this Chorlton gig. It’s run by Now Then Manchester and also features the afformentioned improv troupe ComedySportz and the dynamic duo of sketch, Him & Me. So, do come along if you’re in the hood. Details here:
Now Then Manchester FB Invite

I’ll be compere for the evening…it’ll look something nothing like this:

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We Love Lady Garden!

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

So happy to be posting a new blog to spread the word about our next gig…because it’s a flipping good one.  We’re supporting Lady Garden for the Manchester Comedy Festival.  Huzzah and hooray!

It’s exciting for us as we are big time fans of LaGardz…as no one affectionately calls them.

That's Lady Garden. Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty.

We caught them up in Edinburgh this year and the reviewers don’t lie!

“Funny and inventive” THE GUARDIAN
“One of the most exciting & laugh out loud funny young sketch groups” TIME OUT
“Gentle parody, well-thought out satire and expert timing” THE TIMES

We’ll be kicking things off at Platt Chapel in Fallowfield (student utopia) at 6:45.  Doors open at 6:00, so get there early for a good seat.  That’s this Saturday the 29th.  You can buy tickets in advance here and also get info about where the venue is located:  Tourists & Lady Garden Tickets

Our set lasts about 45 minutes…then there’s a short break…then Lady Garden take the stage for just about an hour.

It’s ALL-NEW material for us in The Tourists portion of the show.  So, if you’ve seen us before, don’t worry!  No repeats.  You’ll see Tony dressed up like a pirate and James as Mr. Kipling!  So, swing by and have some fun with us this Halloween weekend.  If you like comedy and candy…and being straight-up awesome that is.

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Day 16…and onwards.

Posted on August 23, 2011 by

So, I’m back at work, sat here at my desk at the UN’s Global Crimefighting Task Force.  Just debating whether to crack that computer hacking ring open wide, lead the afternoon Shotokan class for new recruits, or to go on my lunch break. OK–not really, I’m at my desk here where I ACTUALLY work in real life and not just my head.  I’m eating a lunch which was packed for me at home (thanks Karey!)  We’re all back to our civilian lives.  It’s strange to be sleeping in our own beds again and eating food which has NOT been purchased at a festival tent.

That's me.

We had our last show for Edinburgh 2011 on August 20th.  It was just about the best send-off we could have wished for.  The audience on the 19th had been lovely but a bit muted and we were really hoping for a boisterous bunch to send us home.  We started to get full up by five past twelve and you just knew that the two ladies and the gent with the bottle of champagne were indeed a good omen.  The group was kind with deep belly-laughers.  We even had a star from Coronation Street in the crowd.

We clambered onto the 2PM train with smiles on our faces and feeling generally quite good about ourselves–our last gig at the Fringe had been a success.

Now–all that we need to figure out is ‘where to next?’  We’ll be looking to mount a show or two in the near future.  So, stick with us if you will.  When we’re not gigging we’ll still look to keep this blog a’rolling with nonsense, stories, pics, etc…

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Days 14 and 15

Posted on August 19, 2011 by

The run is winding down. Only one more to go. I’m sad about that as Edinburgh is a beautiful city and the festival is awesome and wonderful. However, I’m happy to be getting back to my civilian life as well. Karey has promised to make a tasty home-made Italian meal for me as a homecoming. Do you trust a Scottish woman to make good Italian food? Sure you do–there’s safety in cookbooks.

Speaking of which, I did say I’d mention where we’ve been eating for those who are interested in food culture.  Now, keep in mind, we’ve mostly been eating on the cheap.  We had to spread our savings over 16 days.  So, I can’t say we’ve been anywhere Michelin starred.  However, we have been regular customers at Auld Jock’s Pie Shop just off the Grassmarket.  You can sit in, but the tables are typically in use by other enthusiastic pie-eaters.  Auld Jock’s offers pie AND mash for only 3.50.  I have been happily eating their offerings just about every other day.  They’ve got about 10 different varieties of pie plus stuff like bangers and mash on the menu.  It’s allllllllll gravy.

Gravy Palace!

Also been ingesting a smoothie from Hula every morning for the last week.  The girls in Hula are just lovely and it’s comforting to know we are getting a couple of our five a day in one fell swoop.  I favor the Ginger Jack (it’s got carrots, orange, and ginger!) whilst Maggie goes for The Blue Hawaiian.  Yesterday, we received enough hole punches on our card to get a free one.  Accomplishment!  Please, hold your applause!

Beyond that, we’ve picked up easy to prepare stuff from Sainsbury’s (I bought beans, peanut butter, and cheese as the household staples) and had the occasional sit-down restaurant experience (nothing to really recommend from the venues we selected unfortunately).  Also, picked at the offerings from some of the bigger multi-venue locations like Pleasance and Udderbelly’s Pasture…nothing to complain about there.  Cheap and cheerful wrap and burger stands.  Beer, of course, has also been a primary source of carbohydrates–but only AFTER the show.

Anyway, yesterday I saw two shows–Richard Herring’s “What is Love Anyway” and the sketch group Wit Tank.  The five of us have been contrasting and comparing the sketch shows that we’ve seen–ranking them against each other.  We’ve all come out with different favorites.  I think James and Rohan really liked Wit Tank as their possible fave.  I enjoyed their silliness and the polish of their performances but I have to admit to liking last year’s Wit Tank program better.  Still, I’d consider this yet another master-class sketch group.  I particularly liked their thieving cardinal (archbishop?) sketch.

Saw a sketch group tonight on the basis that it had recently gotten a five-star review.  They were at the half-price hut and I just trusted the review I read…what can I say?  Is it wrong to believe the printed word?  Sometimes, yes.  (Unless it’s saying nice stuff about us.)  What this experiment proved to me is that comedy is subjective.  The four of us that went to this gig (which shall remain nameless as I don’t think smack-talking other performers is wise) were totally disappointed.  Five stars?–we all left mouthing in wonder…how did this get five stars?  The reviewer must have really loved pun-based sketches.  Oh well.  Good for them.  But it is a valid point of discussion.  I have seen shows which have received 2 star reviews from one publication and 5 star reviews from another.  You never can tell.  One man’s Arrested Development is another man’s Two and a Half Men.

After that, mercifully, I went and saw Sharron Matthews.  This was based on the recommendation of Dutch comic Soula Notos.  She had raved about this performance and I don’t think she was far off the mark in her enthusiasm.  Whilst not a profound work of wholly original comedy genius, Matthews left the audience with broad smiles on their faces.  It’s a cabaret/comedy evening and she was pop enough to capture the common man whilst also appealing to a gay following.  She had complete control of the room and I admire her confidence and talent.  It was a good show to leave the fringe on–happy times.  Last show tomorrow, readers!

Wish us luck…

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Day 13

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

So much good stuff seen today!  After our gig (which was lovely, thanks for asking), I picked up another spot at the “International Gay Sampler” hosted by Dawn Whitwell.  It was good times yesterday and it was good times again today.  I like Dawn–she seems like good people.  Good, funny people.  So Canadian, in that regard.

After that, a taxi-load of us from that gig (consisted of three stand-ups and three punters) went over to Mae Martin’s show.  Mae is an adorable Peter-Pan-esque lesbian from Canada.  She was just terrific and I would highly recommend her show.  I found her personality on stage engaging and likeable in a similar vein to Ellen DeGeneres’.  She’s clever and covers lots of new ground.  It’s good to hear original voices.  (As an open-spot stand-up, I hear waaaaay to many blow job and masturbation jokes in my travels.)  Plus, it was free!  It could easily have been a paid show.  I found her bits about crushes on camp counselors and her mockery of Ke$ha highly amusing.

After that, I raced over to see Baby Wants Candy.  I had convinced the boys to come with me and we all settled into our seats just in the nick of time.  Baby Wants Candy are a long-form improv troupe out of Chicago (which is famous for its schools of improv).  I find little to be more satisfying than watching skilled improvisers work their magic and I prefer the long-form style.  (Long form is when they run from scene to scene based on perhaps just one suggestion from the audience usually tying them together in some fashion, as opposed to the more well-know short form which is comprised mostly of ‘Who’s line is it Anyway’ style games).  BWC takes a suggested title from the audience and turns it into a brand new (one-time only) musical.  They employ a four piece band and lighting artist to help them on their journey.  Tonight’s suggested title was “Irn Bru Ruined My Life”.  I immediately thought, “That’s a shit suggestion…I hope they can do something with this.”  I am so judgmental. I needn’t have worried.  Let me tell you, it was dynamite.  It even restored Tony’s interest in the art-form.  These guys (including the band) are hot shit.  I would definitely put this group in my five-star column and if I had the time and money would go see them the next two nights again!  Alas, I’ve got tickets for other gigs tomorrow.

Amaaaaaaziiiing!

After that show–all of us on a comedy high–we strolled over to Forest Cafe.  The boys said they had great music on when they had popped in on a previous night.  (Typically, I don’t see the boys at night and I have no idea what they get up to.  Private adventures!)  The Forest Cafe is straight out of Brooklyn.  It’s chocka with hippies.  It’s the sort of joint that has a burrito of the day on the menu and gender-less toilets.  They had a French hip hop act and DJ on the turntables.  It was very very hipster and I enjoyed being in the domain of the young and artsy set for an hour.  Then I came home so I could type this blog.  The End.

Kate

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Day 12a

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

Our spirits still uplifted after yesterday’s review, I think it’s fair to say we rocked the show today despite a gloomy sky – it appeared the audience picked up on our excess of energy too, laughing uproariously throughout.

Yeah!

In the evening we went to the Three Sisters to check out Liam Mullone’s other show, but after sitting in an empty room for 10 minutes we discovered that he had a three day break in his schedule. Doh!

Fortunately another Free Festival show had been penned in, so we instead saw a line up of other stand-ups each doing a 5 minute set. They all acquitted themselves reasonably well, but I couldn’t help but think I’d have rather have seen Liam doing a full hour. I guess that’s the problem with compilation shows – they’re always a mixed bag, and when you do eventually get someone on the stage that you really like, they’re off again in 5 minutes and you have to start the whole journey again with the next performer. Though I guess it must be even more difficult for the comic, as you’ve only got a minute or two to establish the relationship with the audience – which I guess works fine for those with a rapid-fire delivery, but not so well with the more sedate or relaxed comedian. Looks like a tough career path, but I guess Katie’d know all about that!

James and I then headed to the Pleasance courtyard in order to wait for the evening showing of the Idiots of Ants. Whilst enjoying a pint under the dryness of the marquee, we got chatting to a very nice young lady who turned out to be none other than the producer of Humphrey Ker‘s brilliant one-man show (see previous post). After discussing the triumph of their show and how it came to be, we took the opportunity to invite her to our own show and she seemed genuinely interested in making it down.

She probably won’t – we’re an unknown sketch group performing a free show in one of the smallest venues in the festival – but it’s only polite to offer and it’s always nice when someone at least pretends they’ll try.

Men of War!

Like the other night for example, when we got flyered by David Schaal (Jay’s dad in The Inbetweeners - leftmost in photo) for his own sketch troupe Men of War. He again sounded genuinely interested in coming to see us when invited, replying “It’s always good to check out the competition” (!), though I guess that always helps when you’re selling your show. Still, it made us feel a little better (which is all you can ask for), and I would actually quite like to see them for the same reason – if we have time during our remaining three evenings here, anyway.

Les Idiots!

Anyhow, we did then go in to see the Idiots of Ants. I did enjoy it – the performers worked very well together and looked extremely comfortable on the stage, and I was kept laughing throughout. However, after two solid weeks of watching live comedy I think some part of us is now always looking at each show from a critical point of view – mentally dissecting the scripting, technical ability, delivery and so forth – which maybe lessens the enjoyment you get out of it a little bit. If we’d caught this show a few weeks ago I imagine we’d have enjoyed it even more. Still, highly recommended and definitely worth a watch!

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Day 12

Posted on August 16, 2011 by

“I’m a star. I’m on top. Somebody bring me some haaaaaaam!”

I’d like to start this blog post by quoting Liz Lemon because that’s how I feel on this gray and rainy day in Edinburgh. Rohan posted our nice wee review from 3 Weeks yesterday and I went to bed happy AND woke up with the same smile on my face.

The day continued to be excellent.  Although it was bucketing it down, we had a fantastic group of loud laughers in–which just propels all of us to have that much more fun on stage.  Had a couple of gigs after that including a lovely one at “The International Gay Sampler”.

But, the best part of my day was seeing David Sedaris.  It was about a twenty-minute walk in the rain from where I had just wrapped up at The Gay Sampler but I was all lampost-a-twirlin’ singing in the rain in anticipation.  I’ve loved every single one of Sedaris’ books and have been looking forward to the reading for a couple of months.

David Sedaris

I brought along the latest Sedaris book I had purchased (squirrel seeks chipmunk a wicked bestiary) though I wasn’t sure he was going to be doing any signing.  But, I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a place in the signing queue before I entered the theater.  What I thought was really nice was that the author, in a very generous fashion, gave of his time, having a short chat with each person as he signed their books. (I mean, I love Rufus Wainwright to shreds, but his CD signing line at Barnes and Noble was a factory farm sort of event.)  So, you can imagine that it just made my day that I got to ask David Sedaris, who now resides in London, if he had to take the ‘Life in Britain’ test too.  (He did.)  He signed my book: To Kate, we live in apartments.

He read materials from his latest magazine offerings (Vanity Fair, The New Yorker), from one of his books, AND from his diary–which was hilarious.  Having a few minutes left on the clock, he also allowed a brief Q & A.  Three Yanks stood up (an impressive ex-pat showing to be found at the event) and one English fellow.  He was forthcoming and funny.  I found the whole thing happy-making and inspiring.  This event gets my highest recommendation…I think it’s sold out, but if you’re lucky enough to score a ticket, you should go.  Here’s one of his latest essays.  Please read and enjoy: Vanity Fair

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