sketches

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Help the Police


Cos they’ll tickle you until you’re giggly.

Adam Buxton writes and performs a good-natured sketch using a bad-natured song. I love it. I love you, Adam Buxton.

In fact, to tie up the last couple of day’s posts thematically, here’s a clip of Adam Buxton talking disarmingly frankly about his experience with magic mushrooms. His sincerity and honesty turn an already funny story into something sublime. Just the tonic for a sad Tuesday. (The clip also features Bonnie Tyler, her from 2 posts down. I don’t just throw this thing together, you know*.)

Don’t go to university kids, it’s fucking disastrous!


If you don’t listen to the Adam & Joe show on BBC 6 Music of a Saturday morning, you are dead to me.**

* Not true
**You’re not really. I love you just the same.

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The Works – live sketch show booking now.

the_works_eflyer

The Works: I got a sketch in this, I did. Wee!

The Works is a team-written sketch show that combines the crème of established comic writers and exciting new talent. It’s a unique venture giving comedy writers the chance to show off their very best work live on stage.

Performed by David Armand, Mathew Baynton, Isabel Fay, Katherine Jakeways, Nick Mohammed, Renton Skinner, Isy Suttie and Rosalyn Wright.

Directed by Justin Edwards

Written by Stuart Beale, Blakewill & Harris, Burge & Way, Carter & Cooke, Crockatt & Scott, John Foster, Ben Green, Ali Griggs, James Harris (I’d make it flash if I could), Harrison Banks, Lee Henman, Scott Kingsnorth, Giselle Melanson, Jonathon Morris, Dale Shaw, Siddons & White, Rob Smith, Tim Smith, Vincent & Allen and Catie Wilkins.

Tickets available here: Ticketweb (£8/£7 in advance, £10 on the door)

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Absolutely Audition Sketch

I remembered this as being much funnier than it actually is, but as a sometime actor and director, I can relate…

Absolutely followed the Python format of having the sketches run into one another, so again, no big punchline, although I did like the complete pointlessness of the actress’ part at the end, so hey. Who’s complaining? Not me. I’m not, no.

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Mr Show Audition Sketch

Head Shot (see below) got me thinking about auditions, which got me thinking about this sublime sketch from Mr Show. It’s one of those sketches where you kind of know what’s coming, but it’s still funny anyway.

If you’ve never seen Mr Show, it’s well worth tracking down. Pythonesque absurdity and theatricality, and, oh, I don’t know, David Crossity and Bob Odenkirkity.

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The Works

the-works

So there’s this new live sketch show in London on July 10th.

Performed in the heart of Soho The Works is a gang sketch show in the style of Saturday Night Live, and an unmissable night out!

“A new generation of sketch” The Independent

I think they’re using one of my sketches, Why I Hate Mechanics. They had me rewrite it, and split it into two parts. I hope they don’t drop it, cos I’d really like to see how someone else performs it (me and Mr George did it live in Edinburgh).  Might even be worth a trip to the smoke.

mechanics

(Me and George doing it in Edinburgh.)

It’d be cool to see all the other sketches too.  But, y’know, mostly mine, obviously.

The original call for sketches came via their Facebook Group, so if you want to get involved with the next show that would be an excellent place to start.

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King of the Road

Barry Gifford - King of the Road

Hey, so how’s it going? Long time no, you know, whatever.

I’ve just flung a bunch of little sketchy things up onto Funny or Die. They feature one of my favourite characters, Barry Gifford. Created by Mr Morris and Mr Diamond, Gifford is an ignorant, misanthropic, driving instructor, and tons of fun to play. The first Gifford film, King of the Road, was an eight minute mockumentary, but we had so much fun driving round with Barry that we revisited him a few times, at first continuing the mockumentary stylings, and then later with a more scripted, controlled approach.

This one might be my favourite:

Barry at the car wash.

Don’t know why, really. It doesn’t have a punchline; it rambles on a bit and then just kind of stops, but there’s something in the interaction between the three characters that I really enjoy. I can’t remember how much of this was scripted and how much was improvised, but it all feels naturalistic and real. 
I think basically I like Barry cos he’s a colossal arsehole, and I enjoy being a colossal arsehole from time to time.