Comedy
Common Ground feature
Scout London, February 2013
http://www.scoutlondon.com/2013/02/05/short-in-the-act/
The London Improvathon interview
Scout London, January 2013
Pappy's interview
Scout London, July 2012
http://www.scoutlondon.com/2012/07/26/pappys-interview/
Gina Yashere interview
South London Press, November 2011
Celebrated British comedian Gina Yashere has succeeded where so many others have failed: she's broken America. Now based in LA, she speaks to DAN FROST on a return visit to London, ahead of two hotly anticipated South London shows
GINA Yashere is famous for her straight-talking, no-nonsense style of comedy. And it's obvious from the outset of our interview that she applies the same tell-it-like-it-is principles to everyday conversation.
"It's basically more of me being funny," she says deadpan when I ask her to tell me about her new show. "It's just another two hours of me."
That might seem a little curt, but it's bang-on accurate.
Not one to get bogged down by themes or elaborate concepts, the London-born comic is a consummate storyteller whose giant presence and natural delivery demand little in the way of overarching ideas; the theme is Gina, and it works a treat.
"I talk about what I've been doing the last couple of years, about the riots and what's been going on in America," she continues when I prompt for elaboration. "More jokes basically about me and what's been happening."
It's precisely this straightforward and direct approach to comedy - delivered in her loud and immediately recognisable voice - that has helped Gina to break America.
The 37-year-old stand-up has lived in LA for four years now, and is enjoying considerable success out there. She's a regular on Def Comedy Jam and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (playing recurring character Madame Yashere), and recently appeared on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien and Martin Lawrence's 1st Amendment.
And she has used exactly the same style that won her regular slots on Mock The Week in the UK to now turn heads Stateside.
" My style fits in perfectly over there, because my style of comedy is very in your face and very direct," she says.
" I didn't have to drastically change anything when I moved to the US. But I have to explain who I am, because many of them have no idea that there are black people in England."
Sharp observations and just plain old micky-taking at the expense of our American friends make up a fair portion of Gina's material. But she attests to loving her adopted home.
"I really do love it there," she says sincerely. "I'm a sun worshipper. I should never have been born in England. It's my dream life right now to be living somewhere where I can still do comedy but wake up in the morning and see sunshine and palm trees.
"And I've always wanted to live in America - from childhood," she continues. "I thought they had better toys than us, they had better bikes than us. And as I got older the dream carried on. Basically, I just feel there's a lot of opportunity in America; you can make a real something of yourself. And once you've made it in America it automatically means you've made it everywhere else in the world. America is the leader in the world for all things entertainment."
Gina's American break came with her part in a 2007 TV show called Last Comic Standing, through which she was given a two year US visa.
"I was like 'two years! I'm out of here'," she laughs. "I came back to the UK, put my house on the market, sold or gave away everything I owned and literally turned up in America with two suitcases to my name."
And, to use a well-worn American phrase, she hasn't looked back.
Fortunately, that's not to say she hasn't been back. She is, in fact, in the UK right now, for a short tour that brings her to The Albany in Deptford on November 19 and The Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre on November 30.
Speaking to me from her brother's house in Croydon, where she stays whenever she comes back to the UK, she says how much she enjoys her return visits.
"The first couple of years after I left I was like, 'ugh, coming back to London'. But now I really look forward to it. I enjoy the shows, because there's nothing like an audience who have come specifically to see you. I'm starting to get that in America now, but I've had the luxury of that in England for the last 14 years, and there's nothing like it.
" I also enjoy seeing my family. I even enjoy getting to wear the jackets and coats that I don't get to wear in LA. I quite like the crisp autumn weather. I actually appreciate seasons now."
As she suggests, Gina's US stock has risen substantially in the last year. Appearances on the afore-mentioned TV shows have gradually built a fanbase, and she's starting to enjoy a tiny but tangible slice of the Tinseltown pie.
"Funnily enough, I'll pass unnoticed until I open my mouth," she laughs. "I get recognised a lot because my voice is very distinctive. Sometimes people just recognise me. But because my voice is so distinctive, even when I've got a baseball cap and dark glasses on, as soon as I open my mouth people are like, 'ah, you're that comedian girl'."
There can be no denying the extent of Gina's achievements, or the glee with which she's embraced her new life in the California sunshine. She's not on Ricky Gervais' level yet, but she's broken through in a nation where success has eluded an army of British comics before her.
Not only that, but the distinct impression is that Gina has also found that most elusive of beasts: the American dream.
"Well...I think so," she says, with an air of pride. "When I get rich and have a mansion with a Lamborghini outside, I will definitely have found the American Dream... but I'm on my way there."
Gina's show at The Albany is sold out. For returns call 020 8692 4446. Visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk or call 020 7960 4200 for the Purcell Room gig.
"It's basically more of me being funny," she says deadpan when I ask her to tell me about her new show. "It's just another two hours of me."
That might seem a little curt, but it's bang-on accurate.
Not one to get bogged down by themes or elaborate concepts, the London-born comic is a consummate storyteller whose giant presence and natural delivery demand little in the way of overarching ideas; the theme is Gina, and it works a treat.
"I talk about what I've been doing the last couple of years, about the riots and what's been going on in America," she continues when I prompt for elaboration. "More jokes basically about me and what's been happening."
It's precisely this straightforward and direct approach to comedy - delivered in her loud and immediately recognisable voice - that has helped Gina to break America.
The 37-year-old stand-up has lived in LA for four years now, and is enjoying considerable success out there. She's a regular on Def Comedy Jam and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (playing recurring character Madame Yashere), and recently appeared on The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien and Martin Lawrence's 1st Amendment.
And she has used exactly the same style that won her regular slots on Mock The Week in the UK to now turn heads Stateside.
" My style fits in perfectly over there, because my style of comedy is very in your face and very direct," she says.
" I didn't have to drastically change anything when I moved to the US. But I have to explain who I am, because many of them have no idea that there are black people in England."
Sharp observations and just plain old micky-taking at the expense of our American friends make up a fair portion of Gina's material. But she attests to loving her adopted home.
"I really do love it there," she says sincerely. "I'm a sun worshipper. I should never have been born in England. It's my dream life right now to be living somewhere where I can still do comedy but wake up in the morning and see sunshine and palm trees.
"And I've always wanted to live in America - from childhood," she continues. "I thought they had better toys than us, they had better bikes than us. And as I got older the dream carried on. Basically, I just feel there's a lot of opportunity in America; you can make a real something of yourself. And once you've made it in America it automatically means you've made it everywhere else in the world. America is the leader in the world for all things entertainment."
Gina's American break came with her part in a 2007 TV show called Last Comic Standing, through which she was given a two year US visa.
"I was like 'two years! I'm out of here'," she laughs. "I came back to the UK, put my house on the market, sold or gave away everything I owned and literally turned up in America with two suitcases to my name."
And, to use a well-worn American phrase, she hasn't looked back.
Fortunately, that's not to say she hasn't been back. She is, in fact, in the UK right now, for a short tour that brings her to The Albany in Deptford on November 19 and The Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre on November 30.
Speaking to me from her brother's house in Croydon, where she stays whenever she comes back to the UK, she says how much she enjoys her return visits.
"The first couple of years after I left I was like, 'ugh, coming back to London'. But now I really look forward to it. I enjoy the shows, because there's nothing like an audience who have come specifically to see you. I'm starting to get that in America now, but I've had the luxury of that in England for the last 14 years, and there's nothing like it.
" I also enjoy seeing my family. I even enjoy getting to wear the jackets and coats that I don't get to wear in LA. I quite like the crisp autumn weather. I actually appreciate seasons now."
As she suggests, Gina's US stock has risen substantially in the last year. Appearances on the afore-mentioned TV shows have gradually built a fanbase, and she's starting to enjoy a tiny but tangible slice of the Tinseltown pie.
"Funnily enough, I'll pass unnoticed until I open my mouth," she laughs. "I get recognised a lot because my voice is very distinctive. Sometimes people just recognise me. But because my voice is so distinctive, even when I've got a baseball cap and dark glasses on, as soon as I open my mouth people are like, 'ah, you're that comedian girl'."
There can be no denying the extent of Gina's achievements, or the glee with which she's embraced her new life in the California sunshine. She's not on Ricky Gervais' level yet, but she's broken through in a nation where success has eluded an army of British comics before her.
Not only that, but the distinct impression is that Gina has also found that most elusive of beasts: the American dream.
"Well...I think so," she says, with an air of pride. "When I get rich and have a mansion with a Lamborghini outside, I will definitely have found the American Dream... but I'm on my way there."
Gina's show at The Albany is sold out. For returns call 020 8692 4446. Visit www.southbankcentre.co.uk or call 020 7960 4200 for the Purcell Room gig.
Totally Tom interview
South London Press, August 2011
Sketch duo Totally Tom are newcomers to the comedy scene, and yet they're already tipped for big things. DAN FROST meets the pair ahead of their hotly-anticipated Edinburgh show
Tom Stourton and Tom Palmer, aka Totally Tom
LIKE hundreds of other young comics, Tom Stourton and Tom Palmer - aka Totally Tom - are about to start an exhausting four week run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Unlike most of their peers, however, the sketch duo from Stockwell already have a Comedy Lab filmed and ready to air on Channel 4, and a commission from Steve Coogan's production company for a sitcom pilot. Barely a year out of university, amid steadily growing hype, the two 23-year-olds are edging towards major comedy stardom.
Refreshingly, neither seems particularly cocksure or phased by the situation. Sat outside Stockwell pub/venue The Cavendish Arms a couple of hours before their evening performance, the pair are noticeably understated about their success to date.
When I suggest that most comedy acts would kill to be in their position, they barely even acknowledge the idea, seemingly terrified of becoming too confident. "We've been very lucky in who we've worked with," says Palmer, to which they both nod, almost sombrely, in unison.
Later that evening I see them perform to a full audience that is in stitches for the entire 50 minutes. But there's very little joke-cracking during our conversation. Stourton - the taller Tom with "a naturally comic face" - offers some amusing quips. But Palmer - the pretty boy destined for heartthrob status - favours level-headed assessments of how they should progress their career.
"Objective A is obviously to persuade Channel 4 to commission a series, but the assumption is that that won't happen," he says matter of factly. "They very rarely commission a Comedy Lab to a series and there are so many other double acts similar to us - white, middle class, male."
That may well be true. But it's also the case that Totally Tom are quite remarkably good. Both the live show and the Comedy Lab pilot feature fully-formed characters that manage to be topical and familiar yet with exciting originality.
No doubt this is why Channel 4 and Coogan's company Baby Cow have got involved. Boasting a hit parade that includes The Mighty Boosh and Gavin And Stacey, Baby Cow's endorsement is a big deal, and company MD Henry Normal even claimed that Stourton and Palmer were the best sketch actors he had seen since The League of Gentlemen arrived more than 10 years ago.
Refreshingly, neither seems particularly cocksure or phased by the situation. Sat outside Stockwell pub/venue The Cavendish Arms a couple of hours before their evening performance, the pair are noticeably understated about their success to date.
When I suggest that most comedy acts would kill to be in their position, they barely even acknowledge the idea, seemingly terrified of becoming too confident. "We've been very lucky in who we've worked with," says Palmer, to which they both nod, almost sombrely, in unison.
Later that evening I see them perform to a full audience that is in stitches for the entire 50 minutes. But there's very little joke-cracking during our conversation. Stourton - the taller Tom with "a naturally comic face" - offers some amusing quips. But Palmer - the pretty boy destined for heartthrob status - favours level-headed assessments of how they should progress their career.
"Objective A is obviously to persuade Channel 4 to commission a series, but the assumption is that that won't happen," he says matter of factly. "They very rarely commission a Comedy Lab to a series and there are so many other double acts similar to us - white, middle class, male."
That may well be true. But it's also the case that Totally Tom are quite remarkably good. Both the live show and the Comedy Lab pilot feature fully-formed characters that manage to be topical and familiar yet with exciting originality.
No doubt this is why Channel 4 and Coogan's company Baby Cow have got involved. Boasting a hit parade that includes The Mighty Boosh and Gavin And Stacey, Baby Cow's endorsement is a big deal, and company MD Henry Normal even claimed that Stourton and Palmer were the best sketch actors he had seen since The League of Gentlemen arrived more than 10 years ago.
What makes Totally Tom so doubly impressive is that the pair are, in the grand scheme of things, still very new to comedy; they've created fantastic characters and hilarious, impeccably-acted sketches, and yet they're still learning their craft. Stourton reveals that they're "definitely not very adept at handling hecklers", and, aside from three 10 minute slots last year, they've never even done Edinburgh.
"If you haven't, you're a bit of a fraud," he concedes. "It's like being left out of a personal joke between all the other comedians, so this is an important step for us."
"This is the first time we're doing it seriously," continues Palmer, "and we're going to have to take it seriously...not go on the lash too much."
The pair tell me they're trying to play down the homoerotic and posh tags that their act is often saddled with, but it's phrases like "the lash" that give their privileged upbringing away.
Stourton and Palmer met at Eton when they were 12. It was at the famous public school that they developed a love for comedy, and took their first steps towards their future career.
"I think it all grew out of a lot of long and boring weekends at school showing each other Alan Partridge and Day Today DVDs, and just growing a sense of humour together," says Stourton. Before long this led to them creating a termly comedy review show, where they would perform their own sketches and compere for others.
"Those early sketches we wrote when we were 15 or 16 had a lot of jokes that were just stolen from The Day Today," laughs Palmer, "but no one at school had seen it so we got away with it."
"The rest of the time we would just instinctively parody the characters around us," adds Stourton.
Several years later, this penchant for parody led to a YouTube video that essentially kick-started their comedy careers.
Having gone to different universities - Palmer to Oxford, Stourton to Bristol - the pair met up in their second year and made a short mocumentary called High Renaissance Man, about a distinctly recognisable brand of posh student twit. In no time at all the film went viral, and the pair were soon fielding calls from agents and promoters.
"The High Renasissance Man character was very prevalent at the school we were at - the kind of buffoonish, fairly deluded guy who thought he was really cool," explains Palmer. "And there were a lot of them around us at university as well, so there was a lot of material knocking around. It was worryingly easy to write - quite a few of the lines are direct quotes."
As funny as High Renasissance Man is, it's easy to see just how far the pair's comedy has grown in the two years since making it. There is plenty of overt parody in their current live show also, yet often with an unexpected slant that sets it apart - both from the viral video that established them and the material of most contemporaries.
I ask about a sketch which sends up teen dramas such as Skins, but sets the action in the Hitler Youth.
"It's making fun of teen dramas being set in endlessly different scenarios - 'it's a teen drama but this is the twist' and so on," explains Palmer. "It obviously doesn't make sense that you're hearing Skins-style dialogue in Nazi uniforms, but hopefully you get the sense that the Nazi idea came way later - that the writers had to make it different from Skins so they just whacked these guys in costumes."
It's one of several sketches that reveals the pair's high conceptual nous, not to mention their witheringly funny dialogue and solid acting abilities. And it's one of several Totally Tom sketches that, if things go their way, everyone will soon be raving about...everyone, that is, except Stourton and Palmer.
Totally Tom are at Underbelly in Edinburgh from tonight to August 28. The Comedy Lab pilot will air on Channel 4 in September. Visit www.totally-tom.com for more information.
"If you haven't, you're a bit of a fraud," he concedes. "It's like being left out of a personal joke between all the other comedians, so this is an important step for us."
"This is the first time we're doing it seriously," continues Palmer, "and we're going to have to take it seriously...not go on the lash too much."
The pair tell me they're trying to play down the homoerotic and posh tags that their act is often saddled with, but it's phrases like "the lash" that give their privileged upbringing away.
Stourton and Palmer met at Eton when they were 12. It was at the famous public school that they developed a love for comedy, and took their first steps towards their future career.
"I think it all grew out of a lot of long and boring weekends at school showing each other Alan Partridge and Day Today DVDs, and just growing a sense of humour together," says Stourton. Before long this led to them creating a termly comedy review show, where they would perform their own sketches and compere for others.
"Those early sketches we wrote when we were 15 or 16 had a lot of jokes that were just stolen from The Day Today," laughs Palmer, "but no one at school had seen it so we got away with it."
"The rest of the time we would just instinctively parody the characters around us," adds Stourton.
Several years later, this penchant for parody led to a YouTube video that essentially kick-started their comedy careers.
Having gone to different universities - Palmer to Oxford, Stourton to Bristol - the pair met up in their second year and made a short mocumentary called High Renaissance Man, about a distinctly recognisable brand of posh student twit. In no time at all the film went viral, and the pair were soon fielding calls from agents and promoters.
"The High Renasissance Man character was very prevalent at the school we were at - the kind of buffoonish, fairly deluded guy who thought he was really cool," explains Palmer. "And there were a lot of them around us at university as well, so there was a lot of material knocking around. It was worryingly easy to write - quite a few of the lines are direct quotes."
As funny as High Renasissance Man is, it's easy to see just how far the pair's comedy has grown in the two years since making it. There is plenty of overt parody in their current live show also, yet often with an unexpected slant that sets it apart - both from the viral video that established them and the material of most contemporaries.
I ask about a sketch which sends up teen dramas such as Skins, but sets the action in the Hitler Youth.
"It's making fun of teen dramas being set in endlessly different scenarios - 'it's a teen drama but this is the twist' and so on," explains Palmer. "It obviously doesn't make sense that you're hearing Skins-style dialogue in Nazi uniforms, but hopefully you get the sense that the Nazi idea came way later - that the writers had to make it different from Skins so they just whacked these guys in costumes."
It's one of several sketches that reveals the pair's high conceptual nous, not to mention their witheringly funny dialogue and solid acting abilities. And it's one of several Totally Tom sketches that, if things go their way, everyone will soon be raving about...everyone, that is, except Stourton and Palmer.
Totally Tom are at Underbelly in Edinburgh from tonight to August 28. The Comedy Lab pilot will air on Channel 4 in September. Visit www.totally-tom.com for more information.