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‘ Out in the real world it's no good doing a political joke. . . the people who don't agree with you won't find it
funny.’ JEREMY HARDY
This years's winner olthe Perrier Award. Jeremy Hardy. is not the sort of person to get excited about winning the Fringe‘s prestigious prize. He is
more concerned about perfecting his work and keeping an eye-open tor original and entertaining material. 'The Award means I can buy a car and do a run at the Donmar Warehouse. I don’t necessarily think awards are a good thing. People shouldn't be placed ina position where they are competing. I don'tagree with hierarchies, or people being considered the best. This is not to say I don’t thank gratefully all the judges tor considering me worthy oi it.‘
The Award has enhanced Jeremy Hardy's reputation. and should draw crowds to the Late Night For Nicaragua held bylhe Nicaraguan Solidarity Campaign at Club Sandino on Sunday 4th. where he is among a host otartists pertoming tor Latin American solidarity. ‘The event is a lairly cosything, even Neil Kinnock supports Nicaragua. I support Nicaragua against American Imperialism. but there are large sections at things the Sandinista are up to that I don't support. There is a large section at what the ANC are up to in South Alrica I don't like. but I still support them against Botha. In some respectsl
would like to joltthe cosiness at certain sectors olthe Iett; tor instance. the assumption that you can just take on a baggage oi ideology which you don‘t really know anything about because it comes with the package.‘
Although Jeremy Hardy has strong political views and is not alraid to voice them. he does not consider his work as a comedian to be directly involved in conironting political issues ‘I don't see mysell asa political comedian; lam a political person. I make no bones about what my views are and I‘m quite happyto express them. but I alsotry to do them in a iunny way.
You can do two things it you are a political comedian. you can try and provoke a thoughtful response out at people or you can tell them whatthey want to hear. It you do a political kind at joke. which is basically a rallying joke, massaging people who share your prejudices. this is line it it rallies thetroops or cheers people up. but it‘s not actually doing any good out in the world. The Nicaragua thing will be nice. everybody will be doing political jokes. so it'll cheer people up. and give them the conlidence and
good spirits to carry on. Out in the real world its no good doing a political joke. because people who don‘t agree with you won‘t think it‘stunny. llyou can actually make them think aboutyouractthen it‘s worth doing comedy.‘
The Late Night For Nicaragua will be one olthe Iastchances to get a taste of Jeremy Hardy's humour belore he heads south. (Nicola Robertson)
I Jeremy Hardy is also among the comedians appearing at the Clear Seas Live Seals Benelit on Thurs 1 Sept. This benetit to raise money torthe North Sea Mammal Research Unitand Greenpeace is at11.30pm at the Pleasance (venue 33) ont Sept. andthose appearing include The Como String Quartet. Gordon Kennedy otThe Badgers. The Insinuendos. Paul Merton. Wendy Harmer. Jeremy Hardy. The Vicious Boys. Skint Video. Mervyn Stutterand Tony Allen. Tickets are £4.
I On Friday 2nd all the linalists torthe Perrier Award apart lrom Jeremy Hardy (The Doug Anthony Allstars; The Wow Show; Roy Hutchins and Mammon) will appearat the Assembly Rooms in the Music Hallat 3.45pm. Tickets are £5.
Sheena McDonald makes a welcome return to The Central Belt, but immediately goes off on a Festival search.
’ . '3 Eighty-five ' quids' worth of Ray-Bans— gone! Can you sympathise? After all. he left them in the car-— a bonus for the radio-thief. In a world of apparently ever-swifter cycles of decay and regeneration (decay taking the front saddle on my particular tandem). the careless loss of designer-accessories hardly blips the screen. Fair enough.
this isn‘t Watts LA. but ownership of
anything seems to carry with it the guarantee that sooner or later you‘ll lose it. or a bit ofit.
Seasonal loss is either the Access card from the back-pocket at 4pm on Christmas Eve (although you find it later under the car-seat — good grief! there's the Ray-Bans! In December? You'd better believe it!) OR the envelope with all the Festival tickets in it, chucked into a yellow-bin on Princes Street along with 37 Fringe handouts reluctantly accumulated
on the way back to the car. (Hang on — where is the car? Another block along. lamebrain — beside Next. (‘ome offit! Everything‘s beside Next — look. you try and find the tickets and I'll look forthe car. . . )
Strategic loss is the phone-number (I must have chucked it out with 37 Fringe handouts — sorry — what‘s that? Yes yes — I found my tickets — miraculous!) and the memory (No. we definitely haven‘t met before — Last year? No no — I wasn‘t doing any reviewing last year— Yes— I did lend out my name — well. you know — you help where you can — She said you looked like a what!? I‘ll definitely follow that up— that‘s terrible — Actually. I‘m surprised you recognised me behind these Ray-Bans- what? — Eighty-five quid. actually — Yeah. they are. aren't they?)
Irretrievable loss is hair-colour (What do you mean I look different? Oh — have 1?). hair (I decided to shave it — Honestly! Sexy. isn‘t it? Isn‘t it? Ofcourse I can grow it again
— I just don‘t want to!). and youth (the boy? Oh. he left — yes. I have got a spare ticket. as it happens — want to come?) And clean driving-licence (come off it. officer — this car won‘t go over sixty! Anyway. the show starts at 7.3(l—couldn't I bring it into the station tomorr— Affray? Affray-ed not. ha ha — never heard of it! What— now?!)
Real loss is income (Dear Sir. In applying for another extension to this particular overdraft. I would remind you ofyour own salad days in Edinburgh. . .). marbles (Mother! I told you I‘d asked them to stay — it‘s only for a fortnight — you must be losing your mind — of course I can‘t ask them to pay rent! They‘ll be out most ofthe time anyway— I mean. you‘ll be in bed long before they get back — Yes yes - I’ll ask them to park that car outside someone else‘s house) and reputation (No — I never worked for them — oh well. if you count that, but that was ages ago! I
mean, they interviewed me! Politically. I could never take money
ENTAL ELT
from a man like that — you know what I mean? The Ray-Bans? I just borrowed them for the day — awful. aren‘t they? Oh. you like them?) But the ultimate in state—of—the-art loss is pressing the wrong key on the pad and consigning an entire afternoon of oxymoronie wit and fantasy to nowhere. Which is why I wasn‘t wildly sympathetic about the Ray-Bans. Don‘t be stupid »— you're hardly going to find eight hundred words under the ear-seat. What — you have? And a brunette scalp? Four tickets for A Fish ('alled Wanda? Michael (‘lark's home phone-number? Nigel Billen‘s home phone-number? You‘re on! Where’s the car? You lent it to which nice young man doing a one-man show? What d'you mean — you’ve lost his number!? No — of course I won’t hit a man wearing glasses — take them off immediately! lley — these are nice! Where d‘you find them? Back of which lorry. . . ? You know —~ I‘ve got a friend who I know would like to meet you . . .
The list 3 -- 15 September 19883