This Irish comedienne has a show revolving around how annoying " Try too hard people" are. She admits she is " a try too hard person". She is right, they are annoying.
She had the occasional good line, but her full-on persona failed to connect with the audience and she lost us, the worst fate that can befall a performer.
Disappointing.
Thursday 19 July 2012
Chris Corcoran's Committee Meeting - 17th July 2012
He may not know it, but Elis James and I have been through a lot, Many years ago I saw him host the short-lived Cardiff Bites at Dempseys & I was sick at the end of his gig at the Kaz Bar, again long gone and is a relection on my inability to drink huge amounts of wine (then) than his act. He was then the opening act for DARKCHAT in 2009 in a tropical hell-hole called the Tron which was so hot ( those were the days) he shared his bottle of water with the audience to avoid possible fatalities.
He has a solo show in Edinburgh this year but was on cracking form at the Glee Club, Cardiff in " Chris Corcoran and Elis James - The Committee Meeting".
The show does what it says on the tin. Chris Corcoran is in the chair and the and we (the audience) are his committee members. He is aided and abetted by Mr James in a couple of character roles, including Steve News, who wants to ... read the news. There is a lot of audience involvement and a surreal Mastermind caretaker contest between rival club caretakers.
The evening then went up a level when we hear of the 85 year old's unexepected involvement on the American soul scene on the 1960's & 1970's. This section is well worth the price of admission alone!
Oddly enough the reason why this evening was successful might explain why they might not fare so well in the Scottish capital. Firstly, the preview is set in a Welsh Club with two Welsh comedians portraying Welsh characters performing in front of a Welsh audience. Secondly, they were clearly under-rehearsed and an audience loves nothing more than watching things going wrong, forgotten props, consistently missed music cues and Chris telling the audience " you are now watching Elis and and not an 85.year old character".
They have a couple of weeks to tighten up the show but I suspect the Scottish audience would still enjoy their apparent amateurishness. There will be slicker, more sensible shows in Edinburgh but this is worth catching to see two funnymen clearly thoroughly enjoying themselves which infectiously reaches out to the audience.
He has a solo show in Edinburgh this year but was on cracking form at the Glee Club, Cardiff in " Chris Corcoran and Elis James - The Committee Meeting".
The show does what it says on the tin. Chris Corcoran is in the chair and the and we (the audience) are his committee members. He is aided and abetted by Mr James in a couple of character roles, including Steve News, who wants to ... read the news. There is a lot of audience involvement and a surreal Mastermind caretaker contest between rival club caretakers.
The evening then went up a level when we hear of the 85 year old's unexepected involvement on the American soul scene on the 1960's & 1970's. This section is well worth the price of admission alone!
Oddly enough the reason why this evening was successful might explain why they might not fare so well in the Scottish capital. Firstly, the preview is set in a Welsh Club with two Welsh comedians portraying Welsh characters performing in front of a Welsh audience. Secondly, they were clearly under-rehearsed and an audience loves nothing more than watching things going wrong, forgotten props, consistently missed music cues and Chris telling the audience " you are now watching Elis and and not an 85.year old character".
They have a couple of weeks to tighten up the show but I suspect the Scottish audience would still enjoy their apparent amateurishness. There will be slicker, more sensible shows in Edinburgh but this is worth catching to see two funnymen clearly thoroughly enjoying themselves which infectiously reaches out to the audience.
Tuesday 17 July 2012
The Devil's Jig - 15th July 2012
In 2010 Cardiff writer Rick Allden's mini-play "The Devil's Jig" came second in Sherman Theatre's Script Slam competition. Re-written and amended for the Cardiff Comedy festival it appeared for one night only ( so far) upstairs at Dempseys.
Last year's Comedy Festival offering "Humanzee" was performed at the Chapter Arts centre but this production is part of their current trend of providing cheap and cheerful shows in pub spaces. The lack of technical enhancements stimulates the imagination which is perfectly indicated in the opening moments. The simple use of a sheet, lighting and name on sticks provided a highly amusing and silly opening title sequence which immediately set the tone for the following hour's entertainment.
Guy D'Amn Fine is a highwayman, looking back at his past glories, the women, the money, the women, the fame and not forgetting, the women. He uses flashbacks to show the events which lead him to his current predicament, awaiting his imminent death at the end of a hangman's noose.
Rick Allden's scripts are always funny but they need good actors to bring these weird characters to life and over the years Inky Quills have acquired an impressive array of performers. George Goding ( who also directed the piece) excels as the egotistical, yet family protector, Guy D'amnfine, Alan Humphreys shows his versatility in a variety of roles as diverse as a dead French Highwayman, Mrs D'amnfine and a very butch nun ( you do wonder about the state of the writer's mind sometimes) and Jon Holcroft made you believe he truly was a lisping Cockney idiot.
This production saw the arrival of a new addition to the Inky fold, Yusuf as Lord Dove, displaying an unexpectedly high voice for such an evil baddie amd showing great comic timing and an impressive stage presence ( not to mention his nipples).
This play is worthy of a longer run and a wider audience. If it comes around your way, don't miss it if you like affordable, accessible fun. Oh, and nuns!!
(Inky Quill productions is mainly known for comedy but it is also branching out into horror plays ( look out for the next Shudders at Halloween).
Last year's Comedy Festival offering "Humanzee" was performed at the Chapter Arts centre but this production is part of their current trend of providing cheap and cheerful shows in pub spaces. The lack of technical enhancements stimulates the imagination which is perfectly indicated in the opening moments. The simple use of a sheet, lighting and name on sticks provided a highly amusing and silly opening title sequence which immediately set the tone for the following hour's entertainment.
Guy D'Amn Fine is a highwayman, looking back at his past glories, the women, the money, the women, the fame and not forgetting, the women. He uses flashbacks to show the events which lead him to his current predicament, awaiting his imminent death at the end of a hangman's noose.
Rick Allden's scripts are always funny but they need good actors to bring these weird characters to life and over the years Inky Quills have acquired an impressive array of performers. George Goding ( who also directed the piece) excels as the egotistical, yet family protector, Guy D'amnfine, Alan Humphreys shows his versatility in a variety of roles as diverse as a dead French Highwayman, Mrs D'amnfine and a very butch nun ( you do wonder about the state of the writer's mind sometimes) and Jon Holcroft made you believe he truly was a lisping Cockney idiot.
This production saw the arrival of a new addition to the Inky fold, Yusuf as Lord Dove, displaying an unexpectedly high voice for such an evil baddie amd showing great comic timing and an impressive stage presence ( not to mention his nipples).
This play is worthy of a longer run and a wider audience. If it comes around your way, don't miss it if you like affordable, accessible fun. Oh, and nuns!!
(Inky Quill productions is mainly known for comedy but it is also branching out into horror plays ( look out for the next Shudders at Halloween).
Thursday 12 July 2012
Lucy Porter - People Person 9th July 2012
Lucy Porter was the 11th show DARKCHAT ever saw, way back in August 2007.
In recent times she has been less prominent on stage and screen due to 2 almost consecutive pregancies. She has always been a comedienne who talks about her own experiences and this show revolves around how she has coped with bringing up two young children. In particular the need to leave the house and try and make new friends, resulting in a chance meeting at a coffee shop.
Lucy Porter is always a good and like-able story-teller and the tale, as always, is funny and interesting with an unexpected (and sad) ending, but it had few laugh-out-loud highlights.
It was enjoyable enough but (on this double-bill of female comics) she had the misfortune to follow the high octane set of Vikki Stone. It is unfair to compare their styles but Lucy Porter failed to build on the momentum the early act supplied.
Fun, but no surprises.
In recent times she has been less prominent on stage and screen due to 2 almost consecutive pregancies. She has always been a comedienne who talks about her own experiences and this show revolves around how she has coped with bringing up two young children. In particular the need to leave the house and try and make new friends, resulting in a chance meeting at a coffee shop.
Lucy Porter is always a good and like-able story-teller and the tale, as always, is funny and interesting with an unexpected (and sad) ending, but it had few laugh-out-loud highlights.
It was enjoyable enough but (on this double-bill of female comics) she had the misfortune to follow the high octane set of Vikki Stone. It is unfair to compare their styles but Lucy Porter failed to build on the momentum the early act supplied.
Fun, but no surprises.
Wednesday 11 July 2012
Vikki Stone - 9th July 2012
July. Rain. The rain. Some sun. Wimbledon. Rain. The Open Golf. Rain. And most importantly pre-Edinburgh fringe festival previews.
The Cardiff Comedy festival wisely chooses this month to spot-light familiar ( and probably more importantly) lesser known but up and coming talent as they try out their shows before they to the Scottish capital later next month.
This is the time to catch a bargain. For about the price of a solo show in Edinburgh you get to see two comedians ( tonight comediennes) performing their acts. You then get the chance to see how your reviews match those appearing North of the Border in August.
In tonight's double-bill of female funsters we first saw the award-winning Vikki Stone trying to explain what a "Hot Mess" was. We may not particularly have been any the wiser afterwards but we were impressed by the contents of her Durex hamper which was her reward for winning that award!
Showing complete confidence in her material and how to relate to an audience she revealed her love for Philip Scofield,Dragons Den and No Deal Or No Deal in a variety of hysterical set-pieces. As well as good spoken material she impressively showed that the art of the comedy song was not dead and knew the limits of rude,bawdy humour without reverting to coarseness for effect.
A Monday evening Cardiff audience wants to be entertained but will get involved if asked politely. Joining in with a love song to the theme of Jurassic Park was the perfect, if surreal, moment which summed up the evening.
The Edinburgh festival is awash with comedians. It is easy just to see people off the television ( though they don't come cheap). Much more fulfilling is picking less familiar (and more reasonably priced) names and watch their career develop. To be honest Vikki Stone was not a name I recognised when I arrived. Hopefully she will receive the acclaim she deserves in Edinburgh for this highly enjoyable and extremely funny show. If you want to be able to say you caught her first, visit Underbelly:
http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/vikki-stone-hot-mess
The Cardiff Comedy festival wisely chooses this month to spot-light familiar ( and probably more importantly) lesser known but up and coming talent as they try out their shows before they to the Scottish capital later next month.
This is the time to catch a bargain. For about the price of a solo show in Edinburgh you get to see two comedians ( tonight comediennes) performing their acts. You then get the chance to see how your reviews match those appearing North of the Border in August.
In tonight's double-bill of female funsters we first saw the award-winning Vikki Stone trying to explain what a "Hot Mess" was. We may not particularly have been any the wiser afterwards but we were impressed by the contents of her Durex hamper which was her reward for winning that award!
Showing complete confidence in her material and how to relate to an audience she revealed her love for Philip Scofield,Dragons Den and No Deal Or No Deal in a variety of hysterical set-pieces. As well as good spoken material she impressively showed that the art of the comedy song was not dead and knew the limits of rude,bawdy humour without reverting to coarseness for effect.
A Monday evening Cardiff audience wants to be entertained but will get involved if asked politely. Joining in with a love song to the theme of Jurassic Park was the perfect, if surreal, moment which summed up the evening.
The Edinburgh festival is awash with comedians. It is easy just to see people off the television ( though they don't come cheap). Much more fulfilling is picking less familiar (and more reasonably priced) names and watch their career develop. To be honest Vikki Stone was not a name I recognised when I arrived. Hopefully she will receive the acclaim she deserves in Edinburgh for this highly enjoyable and extremely funny show. If you want to be able to say you caught her first, visit Underbelly:
http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/vikki-stone-hot-mess
Sunday 8 July 2012
RHYS DARBY - 3rd JULY 2012
Most successful stand-up touring comedians capitalise on television appearances on various panel and stand-up shows. Rhys Darby is the opposite.He started as a stand-up in his native New Zealand but it was his performance as Murray Hewitt in the comedy series " Flight Of The Conchords" that gave him the exposure to now tour big venues with his solo show.
Our first sight of him at St David's Hall was as Bill Napier (rhymes with Rapier) a Park Ranger. He was then followed by Jamie Bowen who, once he stopped swearing gratuitously, was actually quite funny with a scattergun riff about how boxes control our lives and some comedy songs. ( He will also be performing at Edinburgh in the guise of Munfred Bernstein in the "Cabinet of Munfred Bernstein" - http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/munfred-bernstein-s-cabinet-of-wonder ).
These diversions filled the time until Rhys Darby appeared as himself. He is surprisingly tall and proves to be unexpectedly physically funny. He then leads us into his odd world with a series of random experiences of growing up in New Zealand. Some are funnier than others and it all seems rather disjointed and haphazard. Then, as only master comedians can, he unleashes an unstoppable, hysterical finale when all these hitherto unconnected incidents seemlessly come together.
Being a good reviewer I will not reveal any specific moments and will just urge you to rush to see this unique performer. His " This Way To The Spaceship" is heading to the Edinburgh festival next month and despite stiff opposition will be one of the MUST SEE SHOWS.
DO NOT MISS.
Rhys will be appearing at Pleasance Courtyard : http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/rhys-darby-this-way-to-spaceship
Our first sight of him at St David's Hall was as Bill Napier (rhymes with Rapier) a Park Ranger. He was then followed by Jamie Bowen who, once he stopped swearing gratuitously, was actually quite funny with a scattergun riff about how boxes control our lives and some comedy songs. ( He will also be performing at Edinburgh in the guise of Munfred Bernstein in the "Cabinet of Munfred Bernstein" - http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/munfred-bernstein-s-cabinet-of-wonder ).
These diversions filled the time until Rhys Darby appeared as himself. He is surprisingly tall and proves to be unexpectedly physically funny. He then leads us into his odd world with a series of random experiences of growing up in New Zealand. Some are funnier than others and it all seems rather disjointed and haphazard. Then, as only master comedians can, he unleashes an unstoppable, hysterical finale when all these hitherto unconnected incidents seemlessly come together.
Being a good reviewer I will not reveal any specific moments and will just urge you to rush to see this unique performer. His " This Way To The Spaceship" is heading to the Edinburgh festival next month and despite stiff opposition will be one of the MUST SEE SHOWS.
DO NOT MISS.
Rhys will be appearing at Pleasance Courtyard : http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/rhys-darby-this-way-to-spaceship
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