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LIZZIE ROPER
Re-inventing the sex comedy
There's nothing more uplifting than hearing about someone else's misery.
lo the Germans it's called Srliaderilreude, for Scots it’s a way of life and to Simon Arnstell, erstwhile presenter of Popwor/d. it IS the
essential ingredient of any comedy gig. 'N()t)()dy wants to listen to somebody talking about how happy they are for an hour because it‘s Just not funny,‘ he says. ‘So thank god my parents
at
Birds and bees do it and l.‘( lu« ated
divorced or I wouldn't have a show.’ llavrng done the chat show formula to perfection, Amstell is now keen to move onto more personal subjects. ‘lt's all about me; just an hour of me discussing me.‘ Although he does manage to fit in something on 'integrrty. breeding. social Incompetence. taste and decency. taboos. sex. ethics. capitalism and guilt' along the way.
Clearly, Amstell hasn't lost any of his dark, dry wit Since he left Popwor/d but what he has put behind him are his celebrity stories. ‘I definitely didn't want the show to be all about ‘my showbiz life', so the whole process of writing it has been about finding what's funny when I'm not sat next to McFly or asking Rachel Stevens about her favourite nut.' (Rachael Street)
I Pleasance Dome. 556 6550. 5—28 Aug (not 15), 70.40pm, [9—870 (17.504850). Previews until 4 Aug. F5.
JIM JEFFRIES
Aggressive social commentator
Australian-born comic Jim Jeffries has been called “the sooopath's comedian of chOice.‘ A spiritual descendent of Bill Hicks, Jeffries' material includes a
KEITH CARTER
Character comedy in store
Mention the moniker Keith Carter to comedy punters and you would probably draw a blank, but namedrop his Scouse scally alter ego Nige and they’ll know who you’re on about. Since Nige’s inception in 2001, Carter has developed the smacked-out stoner for a solo Edinburgh project in 2003 while his show
at last year’s Festival featured Nige alongside Carter’s other Liverpudlian creations: irascible driver Gerald Roberts and camp wannabe popster Colin Kilkenny. The show was critically acclaimed and the beloved Nige has reached many a competition final in his own right.
So while on such a roll, Carter has decided to try something completely new. ‘Last year’s show was all the stand-up acts I did linked together, but this year it’s totally written for Edinburgh.’ Though, he acquiesces, the show’s format will be similar. ‘It’s the same set-up; there’ll be three characters . . . well, in all I play 14 characters because there’s only me and a lot of sound effects and stuff.’ The character-led action is centred on ‘a department store that’s ciosing down in this small northern town.’ The three new characters are a man who is camped outside and trying to save his marriage, an over- zealous American security guard coaching his team and the owner Frazer. who reveals the reason for the downfall of his department store.
On the challenge Carter has set himself in creating a whole new set of characters, he admits it’s risky but is adamant it’s the right thing to do. ‘It’s a gamble; my manager hasn’t even seen it,’ he laughs. ‘But the whole point of me doing comedy and writing is to keep myself interested. If I don’t, I get bored and that transfers to the audience.’ It’s a challenge for Carter’s acting skills too. ‘There’s no Scouse accents,’ he announces proudly. ‘There’s Northern Irish, New York American and er . . . Wigan.’ (Marissa Burgess)
I Cafe Royal, 556 2549, 6-27 Aug (not 75, 22). 2.40pm. E 7 (f5). Prevrews J 8 5
Aug, £4.50 (£3.50).
mix of comedy and social commentary. all wrapped around an aggresswe stage persona. Just don't heckle him. He'll make you cry.
As Jeffries points out. his alter ego is an extension of his own personality as well as a caricature of the audience‘s worst attributes. ‘Everybody thinks of
26 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 3-10 Aug 2006
themselves as being rational. and some peOple are. but sometimes I'm a bit of a prick. Enough to get me in trouble. Luckily this seems to be a persona peOple can relate to. Who wants to watch a nice guy anyway? The villains are always the best guys to watch in the movres.'
Jeffries has never been afraid to air his grubbiest linen on stage. His 2004 sell-out Fringe show. Porn Idol was a discomfortingly honest trawl through his relationship With the adult entertainment industry. He‘d love to be more mainstream. but it's Just not in
fleas are rampant Hut sh< about sex are ten a perin, at the l llll(]i,‘_ so performers need to think out of the box (aheiii) when tackling the .voild's oldest f3tll)](}(;l. l i.'/ie Roper has created her own sub genre. the 'docunientany (,oiiiedy'_ editing (lHWll hours of interViev/s with people Wllll Wildly varied sex lives, and If:l)llfiiillll(} the funniest contributions in her show Peccadr/lo (“Jr/(iris.
The excitable i ornedian. arttres'. .in’l writer wanted to create a solo slir is: that captured the audience's iiiiagin.‘ition through real people falhru; |Illllll£tll3|‘,’. honestly and dirtil,. "I though it was an ideal opportunil, to tackle a real talioo ‘.lll)]t’3(,l. Although we see and hear about sex a lot. we rarer get personal takes on it. I think it appealed to that Vv"arholr;rn streak in people and for many it turned into a confessional' Needless to say. sex talk With total strangers had ll‘. drawbacks. ‘At times it did become an exercise in not being raped and murdered. But even/one I met. I'm a little bit in love With.‘
A Fringe veteran. who also appeared in such hits as The Odd Couple and Cuckoo 's Nest. Roper loves the balance between corriedy and theatrics. ‘Thrs year I'm even getting to sing in Bill Bailey". Beergut 100] she (:fllhtlSéS. ‘l'rn the liirgklefgt girl in thr; worldl' (Allan Radcliffe)
I Gilded Balloon Tevrot. 668 76.313. 6—28 Aug (not 76), 6.30pm, {LO—HO (SH—f9). Previews untrl 5 Aug. l5.
PAUL SINHA
Prescribing the best medicine
I have to apologise when l irieet Paul Sinha. To do the inter/iew he", had to turn away patients from his day Job as a doctor. Sick people are being denied help Just so he can have a drinl with