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HOLLY WALSH The Surrey stand-up who turned calamity into comedy
O n his Purple Van Man tour, Sean Lock makes a passing yet withering reference to the people of Guildford and their distinct lack of joie de vivre. If you search for comedy folks who were born there, you might only be able to come up with Ford Prefect from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. On closer examination, it appears that he was in fact spawned somewhere near Betelgeuse, the second brightest star in Orion. Thank the blazes, then, for Holly Walsh, who has helped to give the Surrey town some stand-up credibility.
Curiously dubbed once as the ‘Rice Krispies of comedy’ (for her snappy wit and crackling talent), Walsh left home to study art history at Cambridge and began working in small galleries across east London before getting a plum writing gig with Jo Caulfield. But her
big break (literally, sadly) arrived in 2010 when she took a plunge off Worthing Pier as part of the Birdman celebrations and wound up being whisked off to hospital strapped to a spinal board with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm. This accident (no one can turn trauma into a positive quite like a comedian) led to her Hollycopter Edinburgh Fringe show a year later, which nabbed Walsh a spot on the Best Newcomer shortlist. Since then she has co-written BBC Three sitcom Dead Boss with Sharon Horgan and gained a burgeoning reputation as a rock-solid stand-up talent. As long as she keeps away from the sea, all will be well. (Brian Donaldson)
The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 9–Sat 11 Jan.
HITLIST THE BEST COMEDY EVENTS
✽ Tenacious D Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for a frenetic evening in the crazy
company of Jack Black and his buddy Kyle Gass. Brace yourselves. The Picture House, Edinburgh, Sun 15 Dec.
✽ Janey Godley Find yourself cackling
towards Christmas in the company of the Tenacious G at venues all across the place. Jongleurs, Glasgow, Fri 13 & Sat 14 Dec; The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 16–Sat 21 Dec.
✽ Trevor Noah The Eddie Izzard- endorsed comic delivers a masterclass in composure. See feature, page 74. The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 6 Jan.
✽ Holly Walsh See preview, left. The Stand, Edinburgh, Thu 9–Sat 11 Jan.
✽ Jo Caulfield Presents . . .
The Speakeasy Another wildly eclectic Speakeasy bill including musical comedy from the Martians, poetry business with Jenny Lindsay (pictured), and improv king Stu Murphy. Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, Tue 14 Jan.
✽ Robert Newman His former buddy Baddiel was back on the stand-up trail
earlier this year, but Rob(ert) shows off some very different comedic skills with his New Theory of Evolution. See preview, page 75. The Stand, Edinburgh, Sun 19 Jan; The Stand, Glasgow, Mon 20 Jan.
12 Dec 2013–23 Jan 2014 THE LIST 73