Interview
Just before the Edinburgh Festival I wrote that Angela Barnes is the best mainstream female comedian I’ve seen since Sarah Millican. She had a great Edinburgh and I was surprised that she didn't figure in the Foster's Awards shortlists. It doesn't really matter though, she is clearly going to make it big. She has gradually been building up an impressive following wind since winning the BBC New Comedy Award in 2011.
Channel 4's new sitcom Scrotal Recall stars Johnny Flynn as Dylan Witter, who is told that he has chlamydia and has to track down his previous sexual partners. It is written by Tom Edge of YouTube superstars The Midnight Beast and is, erm, transmitted from October 2. Dylan's mates Evie and Luke are played by Antonia Thomas and Daniel Ings. In this interview they talk about the perils of corpsing, the atmosphere on set plus the baking of rock’n’roll pies.
Ben Bailey Smith, aka Doc Brown, is becoming an increasing familiar face on our TV screens as an actor. He has appeared in shows as diverse as Derek with Ricky Gervais to Law & Order alongside Bradley Walsh. But I first came across him in the guise of Doc Brown when he broke through at the Edinburgh Festival in 2010 with his stand-up show Unfamous.
America's Got Talent star Paul Zerdin is one of the UK’s top ventriloquists. He has entertained the troops, sold out at the Edinburgh Festival and Las Vegas and appeared on the Royal Variety Performance. He is regularly accompanied by his three unruly puppets. Sprightly old timer Albert is ruining Paul’s love life with his hard-of-hearing ways. Meanwhile gobby pre-pubescent Sam is looking to step out of his master’s shadow and branch out on his own and Baby is up to his usual antics. Pictures by Steve Ullathorne.
BTJ: Tell us about your show. Why is it called Instrumental?
I first saw the Found Footage Festival when they came to the Soho Theatre last year. You can read my review here. They are back this year with a new selection of obscure clips to make you cringe and laugh at the same time.
Chelsea Handler is an outspoken American stand-up comedian and talk show host. She turned to comedy aged 21 when she had to give a talk having been charged with DUI (driving under the influence). She got so many laughs she was advised to try it professionally. In 2007 she launched her show on the E! network, Chelsea Lately, and over the years her irreverent approach has become compulsive viewing for lovers of celebrity. Guests have included Justin Bieber, Gwyneth Paltrow and the Kardashians.
Hold on to your takeaway pizzas, Matthew Crosby, Ben Clark and Tom Parry return to BBC3 on June 2 for the second series of Badults, in which they play three flat-sharing, prank-playing, fun-loving mates Matthew, Ben and Tom. Live comedy fans will know the trio as Pappy's – last year they picked up a Foster's Comedy Award nomination at the Edinburgh Festival, where they have a following bordering on the fanatical. Beyond The Joke asked the trio ten questions to find out more about the new series and their future plans.
Jason Manford has done a little bit of acting in the past. He appeared in the C4 series Shameless and funnily he appears alongside Shameless star David Threlfall in Not Like That, Like This, ITV1's forthcoming drama about Tommy Cooper. Not that you would recognise Threlfall, who is totally convincing as the lumbering comedy magician. And you might take a moment to recognise Manford, who sports heavy spectacles, kipper tie, braces and cardigan as trick-devising magician Ken Brooke.
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