Comedy news: Such Small Portions's news

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Sky is set to delve into the world of comedy after setting aside a multi-million pound budget to bring a number of high profile comedy shows to the channel.

According to Broadcast Now magazine, Sky’s head of comedy Lucy Lumsden has put in orders for four show including one of her former projects at BBC3, This is Jinsy.

The show, revolves around the bizarre residents of a fictional totalitarian island, was first broadcast on BBC3 in March and went on to pick up a Rose d’Or nomination for best sitcom. The show is set to air on Sky in summer 2011.

Gavin and Stacey's Ruth Jones is also set to head to Sky after being signed up to front a 10-part family saga, Stella. Set in the Welsh Valleys the episodes will see Ruth jugglings the responsibilities or her life and her neighbours horse.  

The show is set to be broadcast in early 2012 with filming due to start next year.

This Is Jinsy and Stella will be accompanied by Little Cracker, which will start Dawn French, Catherine Tate, Victoria Wood, Kathy Burke and Stephen Fry perform re-inaction of a humours tale from their past. The show is set to air before the end of the year. 

Lumsden said the shows will take the broadcaster in a new direction: “We’re going into a completely new space for the organisation, with comedy and drama at its heart.

“I’m looking at both, and they’re distinctive and feel like a very different offering from the other channels. They’ve got very good talent at their heart, whether it’s writing, on-screen or directing,”

 “Sky’s playing with the big boys now. We’ve stepped up and have got something to say,” she added.

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Hugh Laurie is set to take a new turn in his career after announcing plans to record a blues album.

The British actor, who has become a star in the U.S. due to his role the TV series House, has been signed to produce an album with Joe Henry.

Laurie is no stranger to musical melodies, having used instruments regularly during comedy shows with Stephen Fry, A Bit of Fry And Laurie as well as Jeeves And Wooster.

Speaking about the new record Laurie said: "I am drunk with excitement at this opportunity,"
"I know the history of actors making music is a chequered one, but I promise no one will get hurt. I am particularly thrilled to be working with Joe Henry, who has produced some of my favourite records of all time, and I can't wait to get started."

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Cardiff’s own tourist haven, Barry Island is set to look into developing tourism plans around the TV sitcom Gavin & Stacey

A new strategy unveiled by tourism authorities has stressed the need to recognise the raised profile the area enjoys for being used as the backdrop to the show, which stars Rob Brydon and James Corden. 

According to the South Wales Echo the strategy said: “We recognise the marketing potential that Gavin and Stacey has given Barry Island and seek to work with the private sector to encourage more themed events.”

It continues: “The series has put Barry Island and Barry firmly on the national map and we must take full advantage of this unique opportunity.”

The news of the TV inspired tourism drive comes as plans for a U.S. version of the show were shelved by networks in America. 

Speaking to TV Choice magazine,  co-writer Ruth Jones said: “I haven’t heard any more and I think we would have heard something by now.

“I always felt if they made one and it was successful, then that’s great, but if they didn’t, it was never going to detract from the British version.’

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American comic Emo Philips is set extend his stay in the UK to headline the comedy stages at Reading and Leeds this coming August alongside Russell Kane, Jason Byrne, Rufus Hound, Stephen K Amos and Kevin Bridges.

A number of new names have been announced for the Alternative Stage including the ever-popular Abandoman and one of London’s late night success stories, the Underground Rebel Bingo Club (Leeds only) who are both appearing at the festivals for the first time.

Canadian comic Glenn Wool is also heading back to the UK from America to join the comedy line-up, while festival junkie Robin Ince will be brandishing a copy of the Mail or Express to a younger audience with his own brand of anti-right wing rhetoric.

Other comedy highlights include Matt Kirshen, JJ Whitehead and the brilliant American political comedian Jamie Kilstein will be heading to Leeds – though not Reading.

Popcorn Comedy will be heading up the late night show with their unique version of comedy clips and live stand-up and human beat-box beardyman will be providing a musical alternative the otherwise cabaret and comedy line-up.

The Reading & Leeds is held on 27th – 29th August 2010 at Little John’s Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds.  Tickets for this event are now sold out. The full line up and further information can be found at www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com.

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Comedian Tom Allen has found himself in an unexpected confrontation with Fringe organisers at the Gilded Balloon after his co-star Maggie was evicted from his show under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Allen, whose Fringe performance this year ‘Tom Allen Toughens Up’ delves into the fear and confrontation side of the British national psyche, had included a Rottweiler as his star attraction.

However after complaints from audiences during some of his London previews the Gilded Balloon venue where Allen is due to perform his show have said that the dog is not allowed to enter the building without being properly accredited with a permit.

Allen said "I'm so angry. Talk about being tough - it's not getting into fisty coughs that matters, it's fighting idiot bureaucracy that really counts. Maggie would've been wonderful!

"Its discrimination really. If Maggie had been a small terrier, she’d just be considered cute. This huge furore is just because she’s big and black – when really she’s a sweet dog who spends most of the performance staring at me with her big brown eyes and panting at my feet.

“You only have to spend five minutes with her to know she hasn’t the killer instinct in her. She loves an audience!”

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, a dog may be excluded from specific places whether or not the dog has been shown to have injured any person, if there are grounds for reasonable apprehension that it could injure a person.

Rob Sandy at Richard Bucknall Management claims its not only the shows’ creativity that will suffer: 

“All flyers and adverts have been printed way in advance promoting Maggie and Tom together.

"Audiences will be disappointed and we could be seriously out of pocket as a result – not to mention the advert is now unrepresentative and may be pulled by the Advertising Standards Committee.”

Allen has started a petition on his website calling on the public to demand Maggie’s Maggie’s re entry to the show this August  www.tomindeed.com.

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Woody Allen has launched an official website with a collection of short stories about life, love and philosophy.

The veteran comic, who is responsible for some of the world's most memorable comedy creations (including the joke which led to the naming of this website) posted a short audio clip on the front page of www.woodyallen.com earlier this week.

According to a message arriving in the SSP inbox woodyallen.com is Woody's first official web site and is intended to be a simple, straightforward source for information about the most recent work from the artist.

The launch collection includes a compilation of 68 of his classic short stories, read by the author which are available through audible.com and iTunes.

Among the quotes Allen reads include: "The true test of maturity is not how old a person is but how he reacts to awakening in the midtown area in his shorts" from Without Feathers: The Early Essays: On Youth and Age and "The universe is merely a fleeting idea in god’s mind – a pretty uncomfortable thought, particularly if you’ve just made a down payment on a house" which is taken from Getting Even: MY PHILOSOPHY: Aphorisms.

For the free sample clip visit www.woodyallen.com

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Stewart Lee has launched a verbal tirade against Edinburgh Comedy Awards organiser Nica Burns over new plans to ask the public to vote for their ‘comedy god’.

The veteran comic has lashed out at the ‘shameful and inane’ plans by the newly sponsored Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award to ask members of the public to vote for the favourite comedian from previous Perrier and if.comedy award nominees.

In an email to several leading publicists in the comedy industry Lee said “You need to pull the plug on this now.

“It is the most shameful, inane thing I have seen in all the years I have been doing the fringe. You will ruin it for everyone. Have a heart, for God’s sake.

Lee went on to say that most people go to the Fringe to escape the corporate entities such as Simon Cowell or Andrew Lloyd Webber, and to invoke references to them puts the idea of the Fringe under threat.

“Don’t invoke people like Simon Cowell and Andrew Lloyd Webber in an Edinburgh fringe award.” Lee added “What is wrong with you? It's totally inappropriate. This is the place we go to escape them!”

“You should be ashamed. Nica Burns! It's not too late to try and change the way you will be remembered.

“Whores. Morons. Illiterates.

“There is so much good stuff you could use your corporate funding for, and instead, year in, year out, you make these crass decisions.

“The whole thing will blow up in your face. Then, perhaps, we will see an end to your nonsense.”
Lee also attacked the idea that The Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards had an illustrious and extensive heritage of discovering the funniest, most outstanding, up and coming new talent at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Get a grip. 'The Fosters Comedy Awards' has not discovered talent over 30 years. Everyone knows that.  It was the Perrier. And neither, to be honest, did Perrier.”

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Rufus Hound looks like he could be auditioning for a role in the remake of Zulu, the whites of his eyes are easily seen as he emphasises to the next comedian due to take to the stage ‘Some of them have been there ALL day’.

It is summer 2008 and Hound is just over half-way through a compere set Latitude Festival. You can see his point. The comedy tent at Latitude festival could be called a second home for at least a weekend for the many comedy fans who flock to the Suffolk festival each year to see the latest comedy sets from some of the UK and the world’s best comedians.

This year is no exception. The comedy stage is set to host some of the most influential comedians in the world including Rich Hall, Emo Philips, Ardal O’Hanlon to name a few. However there is more to Latitude for the comedy lover than just the comedy stage.

With this in mind SSP has penned a guide to where to seek out comedy in the unlikely corners this Latitude weekend.

The Cabaret Arena

This year the Cabaret Arena has become the temporary home of a large proportion of the UK’s sketch groups, musical comedy and some fringe delights. For those who haven’t seen them yet, Frisky & Mannish are set to grace the stage on the Friday night while Ward and White’s Karaoke Circus is also worth a watch.

If you are keen to see a re-enactment of a rip in the space time continuum then head to see the Pros From Dover, who have managed to fine tune their skits to a ridiculously high degree.

Also on the Cabaret bill are one of the newest up-and-coming troupes Delete The Banjax, who have been tipped as one of the  have also been given a slot for the first time this year,

Theatre Arena

The comedy pick of the theatre tent has to be Daniel Kitson’s ‘It’s always right now, until it’s later’, while Kitson is also appearing at the waterfront stage for the duration of the festival with Gavin Osborn as they present Stories For The Starlit Sky.

Poetry Arena

The ever eccentric but beautifully composed Brigitte Aphrodite has been given a well-deserved spot on the Poetry stage this year. The comedy-cabaret act, Aphrodite is one of the most unique new acts to hit the circuit in the past two years. Well worth a watch.

Literary Arena

We have however saved the best until last, and that is the Literary tent. Run by Robin Ince, who seems to be capable of conducting more gigs than feasibly possible without an extra-dimension at his disposal, the literary tent is always due to produce a moment of pure comedic joy, whether it is crabs emerging from underneath the stage or Kevin Eldon recreating his poetic alter-ego Paul Hamilton, there will be some form of comedic genius employed at some point over the weekend.

Of particular interest in 2010 is the Mark Thomas community pub quiz, where the left-wing political heavyweight Thomas will be studiously testing the audience with a range of probing questions, (or at least we think) , The evening edition (which we assume is the better subbed version of the early edition) with Marcus Brigstocke & Andre Vincent.

Also on the bill this year is the Latitude debut for Leicester Comedy Festival winner Josh Widdicombe. who has continued his rise as one of the UK's best new acts with regular slots on Radio 4, well worth checking out. And we still haven't mentioned the masked balls in the woods. 

SSP will be reporting from the Latitude and updating the site regularly throughout the weekend, check back for the latest news, photo's and whatever else we find.

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American comedian Doug Stanhope has caused a stir among the comedy community after hitting out at comedy courses.

Labelling the courses as ‘raging scams’ the comedian launched a scathing, 4,000-word attack, stating that they are designed to ‘prey off innocent delusions of the incapable’ and a belief that they provide a short-cut to success in the industry.

Stanhope wrote: “They are all 100 per cent bullshit. It wouldn't matter if it were Pryor, Carlin and Mark Twain at the podium at the Holiday Inn banquet room, it would be them ripping you off.

‘Usually it works out that the folk who teach this shit never did any comedy on any actual paid level and act like fly strips for those whose dreams outweigh any innate scepticism. These people are loathsome enough but don’t create much damage. Then there are people equally as worthless but with better “marketing” skills that can make a career out of it.’

There are currently a number of comedy courses in Britain and the U.S. some of which can charge customers up to £2,000 for a five-day teaching programme.  

Comedian Jason Cook has defended the courses however. Writing on comedy website Chortle, Cook said that though the courses ‘won’t turn you into Michael McIntyre’ they do help put budding comedians on the right track.

“There are probably people in Britain who shouldn’t be running courses, but nothing annoys me more than when seemingly intelligent people make sweeping generalisations, and as I’ve discovered, all generalisations are rubbish.” Cook said. 

To read Doug Stanhope’s blog criticising comedy courses, click here.