Comedy news: Such Small Portions's news

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A satirical political party set up by Icelandic comedian Jon Gnarr has been elected onto Reykjavik’s city council.

The Best Party, which was founded in reaction to the fallout from Iceland’s financial crisis received 34.7 per cent of votes on Sunday’s election to win 15 seats and a majority on the council of the country’s capital.

The Best Party had campaigned on a programme of free towels at all hot springs and a new polar bear for Reykjavik’s Zoo and used Tina Turner’s ‘Simply The Best’ as their campaign backing track. Best Party leader Gnarr is now laying claim to the title of Major for the city.

“We can promise more than the others, because we will in no way keep these promises,' Gnarr said. "Nobody needs to be frightened of the Best Party because it's the best. And we only want what is best -- if we didn't, we'd be called the Worst Party or the Bad Party."

The news comes as a shock to Iceland’s government and has widely been seen as a reaction to the debt burden which has befallen the country since the banking crisis.

University of Iceland political science Prof. Olafur Hardarsson said "I have never seen anything like this.

"I think we have to see these elections as the public's general expression of discontent with politicians, the political parties and the political circumstances we've had recently."

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We've delved into their nocturnal habits and asked them where on tour they've had the best experience but finally, Carl Donnelly and Pete Johansson's double headed show 'And the nominees are' is heading to London's Southbank - and you can win tickets to see it here.

Such Small Portions has five pairs of tickets to give away to the whoever can answer this question:

What Award was Pete Johansson and Carl Donnelly nominated for in 2009? Was it...

A. An Oscar
B. Edinburgh Comedy Award
C. The Steptoe and Son award for spending 'quality' time together

To enter email your answer to tim@suchsmallportions.com

Competition rules: Winners will be picked at random, closing date for entries is midnight on Tuesday June 1, Winners will be notified after competition has closed.

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Just what is it like when two Edinburgh Comedy Award (soon to be called the Fosties) winners get together and go on the road with a double bill? Once answer is that you get twice the amount of critically acclaimed comedy for your buck, but alongside you also get to see two guys who are living with each other as they ride roughshod over the UK. SSP caught up with Pete Johannson and Carl Donnelly to ask them what it has been like to tour together...

Such Small Portions: You were both been nominated for Edinburgh Awards last year, how have your shows changed since we saw you at the Fringe last year?

Carl: I have definitely forgotten bits of it so had to fill the gaps with newer stuff. Stupidly, I never recorded the show and even worse I never wrote it down in full so I have literally no record of my debut solo show in Edinburgh other than a selection of scrawled notes, a poster and a best newcomer nominee trophy. For the tour, I just sat down and remembered the main points (beginning, middle and end) and went from there really.

Pete: I got rid of my references to Gordon Brown. Also I now aknowledge the creation of artificial life. Even though it doesn't fit in the show, I insist on being timely. 

SSP: Q: What has it been like touring as a double header You have both known each other since the Edinburgh Fringe but has going on tour revealed anything else about each other?

Carl: I learnt that Pete has the body clock of an 80 year old man or possibly a cat. He has to have late afternoon/early evening naps which I find hilarious. The worst thing you can do is call him during his nap time which I managed to do on pretty much a daily basis just to wind him up!

Pete: I found out Carl enjoys little caramels that I keep in my pocket. When he does well I unwrap one and he gently without biting, sucks it off my fingers. I give him a pat and say good Carl.  

SSP: Have either of you started to take on the others mannerisms? 

Carl: Yes, I now take regular naps and have a very short temper with venue staff. No, In truth I haven’t picked up any mannerisms but do wish some of Pete’s character traits had rubbed off as he has a level of honesty with strangers I am yet to achieve which I am very jealous of. I still pander to idiots on a daily basis but Pete has the confidence to openly dislike people that are clearly dickheads.

Pete: I adopted a few, I stop and by handfulls of lottery tickets with my show pay on the way home. I weep openly when I lose and realize what I've done and put my baby through.  

SSP: Both of you have toured the UK, what has your most memorable experience with the tour so far – where have you been received especially well.

Carl: The biggest surprise of the tour was that we are massive in Exeter. For some reason, Exeter’s show had the biggest audience by far and they were very fun. Also, afterwards we ended up having a lock-in in a bar where I sparked up a bromance with a DJ who had exactly the same taste in music as me. Pete just sat there looking jealous. I can’t remember the guy’s name but if he is reading this, get in touch and we’ll do lunch.

Pete: I felt Liverpool was an amazing show as was Southhampton and Brighton. Brighton was the most surprising though, as I couldn't imagine it being what it was. I was sick to my stomach and dreading the show, then the fear lifted and here were these wonderful comedy fans. 

Carl and Pete are appearing at London comedy's newest arrival, the Udderbelly on Southbank, click the link for tickets.

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Glenn Wool has been awarded the ‘best of the fest’ award at the Sydney Comedy Festival.

The Canadian comic, who recently relocated to the U.S., was said to have peformed a ‘tightly-written show which took in everything from men in suits destroying the world to metrosexual homophobia – and his Glenn-vs-London-taxi-driver round of “I'm Not A Racist But” takes a familiar subject in gasping-for-breath hilarious new direction.’

Wool has won critical acclaim for his Edinburgh Fringe shows in recent years but has been overlooked when it came to awards.

According to comedy website Chortle, Wool said: ‘This is my first festival honour and I would like to thank Sydney for breaking my comedy award virginity. I feel like a girl putting her prom dress back on with messy hair and a story to tell her friends.

‘ I'm sure there will be other awards in the future but this one is special. Hey, it's not like we're going to get married. We're young. I don't want to be tied down to one city.

'There are going to be other towns with other journalists and judges – and let's be honest, come next year, you'll be giving this to some other comedian, so let's just enjoy what we have now and not think about the future.’

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The BBC is facing another petition over axed services, however this time it isn’t BBC 6 Music but fans of BBC Two comedy show Bellamy’s People who are petitioning to save the show.

The spoof travelogue which stars Rhys Thomas and has been created by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie higson was axed earlier this year after eight episodes.

Following the cancellation fans of the programme have written letters to the BBC’s comedy commissioning controller Cheryl Taylor calling for the corporation to change its mind.

The petition states that: "The recent strategic review has made it clear that BBC Two must 'Establish a stronger and more distinctive role in comedy, supporting the cult classics of the future as well as new comedy with the potential to become the mainstream hits of tomorrow'.

"We feel commissioning a second series of Bellamy's People - with its strong character-based comedy combined with cutting edge experimentation - would show strong willingness to meet this challenge."

Higson has also weighed in on the argument, writing on his twitter page: "Have just heard that BBC in their wisdom have said no to 2nd series... So farewell then Bellamy's People. Silly tw*ts. My guns will be loaded when I return to blighty."

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Scotland’s Kirkcaldy Comedy Festival has announced the first details of it’s line-up for this year.

The festival, which is now in it’s third year, has announced that it is set to be headlined by Danny Bhoy. More details, including a full line-up are set to be revealed in August.

Though it is overshadowed by the Edinburgh Fringe, the Kirkcaldy Comedy Festival has managed to establish itself as one of the biggest Autumnal draws on the Scottish comedy calendar, with more than 2000 people snapping up tickets to see shows last year.

This years festival is set to run between 24 September – 3 September and is organised by the Scottish Comedy Agency on behalf of Kirkcaldy Business Improvement District (BID), the successor body to Kirkcaldy Town Centre Management.

For more information visit www.kirkcaldycomedyfestival.com

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Comerdian Jason Manford has been lined up as the new host of the BBC’s The Once Show.

Manford, who is set to replace the current host Adrian Charles on one of the corporations flagship show in July, will co-host with Christine Bleakley every Monday to Thursday.
Manford has said that he was ‘thrilled’ to be joining the team.

The One Show editor Sandy Smith said that Manford, who is also a team captain for comedy panel show 8 out of 10 cats, had the perfect combination of wit and warmth to fill the role:

"Jason's strength is his likeability, his natural warmth and his quick wit.

"He's intelligent and curious about the sort of subjects discussed every day on The One Show and is equally at home with the light-hearted and serious issues."

Charles announced that he was leaving the BBC after signing a four-year deal with GMTV earlier this year.

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Fosters Lager is set to become the sponsor for the biggest prize in comedy -  the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. 

The awards, which were originally called the Perrier Awards and the if.comedy awards, were left in limbo last year after the withdrawal of their previous sponsor Intelligent Finance.

Speaking about the new deal with the Australian branded beer, which in owned in the UK by Heineken, awards organiser Nica Burns said:  “The right sponsor had to have a sense of humour, a long term commitment to comedy, owned by a company with an ethical track record, a history of long term sponsorships, a stable company, unlikely to be taken over and with a great product that continues to grow and grow in popularity.”

The Edinburgh Comedy Awards are known as the biggest prize in comedy, with previous winners including Rich Hall, Tommy Tiernan, Dylan Moran, Daniel Kitson and The Cambridge Footlights.

With the renewed financial boost prize winners for best show will now once again travel to the Just For Laughs festival in Montreal while nominees are expected to join the post-fringe series of dates in London.

The Edinburgh Comedy Awards sponsorship soon after Fosters announced that it is also to sponsor Channel 4’s new original comedy output. 

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One of comedy’s most sacred texts is set to go under the hammer next month when a signed script of Monty Python’s movie the Life Of Brian is up for auction.

The script, which has been signed by John Cleese, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam and Michael Palin, will be auctioned at the Great British Comedy Event.

The event is set to be attended by former Python’s Gilliam and Palin as well as Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Ian Hislop and Paul Merton.

Of the auction Palin said: "This is one of the most important working scripts of Life Of Brian. It belonged to our heroic, and very funny, first assistant director Jonathan Benson (A Fish Called Wanda, Local Hero) whose job it was to keep cast, crew and John Cleese happy every day of the shoot in Tunisia. Hence the blood sweat and tears in which it is drenched."

Palin joked: "This is a ridiculously unique souvenir of the film voted Best Comedy Of All Time by the Kyrgyzstan Military Academy."

Other objects which are up for auction include the famous Have I Got News For You chair and  - which also comes with the opportunity to present a round of the show with Paul Merton and Ian Hislop - which will be filmed for their eyes only.

The Great British Comedy Event will be hosted by comedian Alexander Armstrong and takes place on June 8 in London to raise cash for the National Film and Television School.

It follows in the footsteps of the Great British Movie Event, which raised more than £400,000 for the school.

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Eddie Murphy has revealed that he is considering returning to stand-up comedy.

The movie star was one of the most successful comedians of the 1980’s before being snapped up to star in films such as Beverly Hills Cop.

In an interview on TV chatshow Ellen, Murphy said: "Within the last six months or so, I started getting an itch to do it again. I started writing stuff... I was like, 'I could go and do 15, 20 minutes right now. Maybe in a couple of months I'll start working out again.'

"But it'll take a year before I'm ready to go on the road... It's gonna take at least a year to get the rust off; 20 years of rust."

Murphy follows in fellow US comic Robin Williams' footsteps who last year returned to the live stage for a 26-date tour after a six year hiatus.