Boxing clever
Why is JIMMY CARR playing such non—Fringey venues these days? The man off the telly informs James Smart that it’s all down to top quality air conditioning.
he lirst surprise comes w hen .liniiny (‘ariz whose much-lauded act is dominated by crushing one-liners. l’(‘-baiting gags and a persona so smooth you could moonwalk on it. turns out to be a likeable chap. Not only is he an al'lablc interview. but the mainstay ol' (‘hannel 4 even thinks he might be on TV too much. "l‘he thing with those shows is that I went to a couple ol‘ gigs early this year.’ he explains. ‘And alterwards a few people said: “You‘ve been on TV a lot over ('hristmas.” And I just thought. you know. it ordinary. everyday people are saying that then you should probably kick it in the head a bit and just do stul’l' once a week.~ While (‘arr’s telly shows have ol‘ten had little to distinguiin them. his stand-up skills show no sign ol’ wilting. "l‘hat’s what got me everything
24 THE LIST FESTI L MAGAZIN‘ l #18 Ad,"
else] he says. ‘l'm not under any illusion as to my ability to read autocue all night or my acting prowess. It’s all through stand-up. writing and perl'orming these jokes. that I've got these amazing opportunities and I think I‘d be a bit mental not to do stand-up any more.’
He also insists that. despite a short return trip to a decidedly non—Fringe venue (the l2()()-capacity lidinburgh International Conference Centre: Carr singles out the air conditioning for special praise). he still l‘eels very much a part ol~ the l‘estival. and proceeds to eulogise Robert Newman (‘our Michael Moore‘). But he won‘t be heading ol‘l' into current affairs too much. ‘I don’t have any political agenda. The thing about Newman is he‘s spent the last ten years reading so he knows a lot about the subject. There’s nothing more boring than someone who isn’t any more inl’ormed than the average man who reads the papers. ol’l‘ering you an insight into the war on Iraq. You just think: “Well. what the fuck do you know?" Tell you what. I‘m quite good at writing jokes: I'll stick to that.’
(‘arr is not quite heeding his own advice. Alter the Festival he's venturing to the LS to record another TV series. while he has small acting parts in two major movies. including one role as a spy in an adaptation ol~ Anthony lloi'owitz's Smrmbrmker. Anything else on the cards'.’ 'Yeah. I'm going to get into politics next year and then discover a cure for a major disease. You know what'.’ I'm sei/ing the opportunity while I've got it. This won‘t last forever. will it'."
W EICC, 0870 4000 in?" 4 - 886’ 18-28
. .r Aug ("0t 22-24)! 9pm’ 214(212L
‘Next year I’ll discover a cure for a major disease’
With the backing of a top-notch talent- spotter, Laura Solon surely can’t fail with KOPFRAPER’S SYNDROME. But Marissa Burgess finds a character comic with a rather large dose of nerves.
With the likes of Little Britain and Catherine Tate meriopolising character comedy. for many comedians there doesn't seem to 'oe a 50: of point in Creating yet another chav schoc‘garl or cantanker0us old crone. t was a proolem that faced Laura Solon when she was putting together her Character-cramiiied Edinburgh show. ‘Sometimes you thrnk of something that's good and then you think that‘s very Littfe Britaxn 0r League of Gentlemen. They have doiie it aiready and extremely weft. i didn't want to do sociai stereotypes; I wanted to do something that was a little ct fresher]
So Solon decided to employ a skewed in’iaginatioi". and took a more guirky angle an writing the severai people that extst n her show. 'They're ali duite weird. some are tragic. some duite Silly :ndividuals. They range from someone who thinks they're possessed by Princess Diana t< a Polish steryteller who teiss her very depressmg grandmother's fables. Then there's a wedding planner vii'io won an award for a ceremony she designed with a Lcio c.’ the Rings theme.‘ The show is her deb-tit at the Fringe. but unlike some whose first times are lonely and unsupported endeayoors. Sci: n has the backing and endorseii‘ent of a production company and comedy producer Gary Reich. who was instrumental :n discovering Sacha Baron Cohen and Dom Joly.
‘I don't think I would have gone up there if it wasn't for them. lt's been fantastic to have a production company w0rk with me and to have an experienced eye looking at your work and giving Suggestions' Neyei'theiess. she does still have a healthy teach of the jlilet'S. ‘lt is stightiy daunting out it's great to be up there with at! the other shows and a big. discerning audience.‘
I Holy/cod Tavern. 07947 69 7 987, 7 «1-28 Aug. 7.30pm, 536 {1‘5}.