"Wishy Washy Liberals" A night at Old Rope 25th July 2011

I've been on hiatus, my apologies. I was always planning to come back though I wasn't sure what with. You see EVERYBODY is going to Edinburgh without me this year. A combination of bad planning and poverty meant 2011's Edinburgh Fringe wasn't going to be my first *violin* but there are still previews to be seen and I will do some Camden Fringe 2011 reviews whilst everyone else is in Edinburgh.

This isn't really a review. For those unfamiliar with Old Rope I'll give a brief overview and then explain why I'm not reviewing it. Old Rope is held every Monday (except Edinburghs and major winter holidays) at The Phoenix, Cavendish Square. Old Rope does well for a number of reasons; it is cheap, it is central and all the acts are established, if not household name, comics. Why is it so cheap, I hear you cry (okay...just pretend) well it is a new material night. This isn't as hideous as it sounds but in other ways is and thus I wouldn't feel right reviewing new material, some of which doesn't work and will never be used again. Plus @jaykayell_ said that would be cruel and I know in my heart he's right.

A night at Old Rope

 There were nine acts on tonight and it was a mixed bunch; Sarah Kendall and Tiffany Stevenson did the stand up equivalent of what I hate in sketches: good ideas that go nowhere, but no bother this is new material and they will smooth it out/throw it in the bin.Tony Law was also on. I love Tony Law. I think I might want his children or at least to see him do a whole hour. He's kind of shouty but is brilliant with accents, even though his own voice is so great he doesn't need to do accents. Richard Herring headlined. I used to adore him and Lee together during Fist of Fun and TMWRNJ but to be honest I mainly watched because I fancied Lee. Herring's solo show this year seems like I something I would see the whole hour of but I'm still not sure I like him. Personalities come into play a lot more in stand up than it does in sketch. To be honest the other acts didn't really stand out though I was pleasantly surprised by Dave Gorman.

Sarah Kendall

None of that really relates to the point of my blog post title. I'll explain now. One comedian, who I had never heard of before but was established in Australia faced a particular hostile crowd. Poor Jacques Barrett. Actually not "Poor Jacques Barrett" the impression I got from our compere, James Dowdswell, was that Barrett had come all the way from Down Under to find his comedy pot of gold on the London and Edinburgh comedy scene. I've never seen an experienced performer misjudge a group. His material *SPOILERS* basically consisted of being bummed by big scary men. Barrett has issues and the audience responded with the contempt the material deserved. My sympathy lies in the crestfallen look Barrett had until he left, a man on the verge of tears at how badly it had gone.

Jacques Barrett

I think the London comedy scene is a rather tolerant bunch, we will politely clap and everything but the moment we sense there may be some unsavoury intolerance we switch off; we officially hate you. Are all jokes that may seem homophobic, racist, sexist, transphobic all bad? Personally I don't think so. I should you be able to joke about ANYTHING. Why? Because people will never be happy, so do what you like. You can do those kind of jokes but there has to be the right intention, the right motive, the sense that if anybody said that seriously you'd find it as disgusting as the rest of us would.

Comedians' material play on their insecurities, I believe. They also play on other people's fears; if those fears and insecurities don't meet up with the audiences' (Barrett worries about being done up the arse by big scary Aussie blokes, I worry if I can get away with eyeliner...) then you've lost them and don't even bother to try and make a joke out of it. We hate you now, go away.

Show Me the Funny ITV1 18th July-25th August 2011

L-R Stuart Goldsmith, Patrick Monahan, Cole Parker, Prince Abdi, Ellie Taylor, (Jason Manford), Rudi Lickwood, Tiffany Stevenson, Dan Mitchell, Ignacio Lopez, Alfie Moore

I wouldn't usually use this to rant about television but a 'Comedy X Factor' has begun on ITV1. Us comedy fans don't get many comedy contests, we don't really get much stand up on TV in general so this was bound to get attention.

It has been getting attention. None of it positive and quite rightly so. The programme's has many weaknesses, both comedy and reality TV based. We never see the auditions, why were these contestants chosen exactly? I believe, please note I know nothing, that for reality TV to work we need to see auditions, we need to see it from start to finish with us ideally picking who goes home.

SMTF doesn't allow for that, instead Kate Copstick,  Alan 'mind your ears' Davies and a guest judge make that decision based on a five minute set and Jason Manford is your host, yes Jason Manford. The judging line up is another problem. I would have rather have seen someone like a comedy agent, such as Addison Cresswell who was once suggested for BBC comedy X Factor and a more successful comedian than Alan Davies. I imagine many didn't want to touch it with a barge pole. The concept is awkward, it is no Last Comic Standing, which ran between 2003-2010 on NBC-it showed auditions and had comics from all over and went on for WEEKS and it is clear many comedians were reluctant to audition.
For example this quote from Nat Wicks on the British Comedy Guide forum says it all

Didn't enter because I had a bit of a negative vibe from it... I thought that knowing me, I could quite feasably damange my potential career a hell of a lot more than I could help it! But that's because I'm a negative nelly. 

 I think she is entirely right, like your X Factors, your BGTs etc it is a very public way to fail and too short a series for anyone to give a damn about you if you did win. Comics are being very nice about it on twitter, of course. 'Don't bite the hand that might get you on primetime ITV1 and that' There are only 7 episodes in a show where we don't see the comics perform all their material. How will this help any comic's career? To be blunt I don't think this a way for any comic to become a mainstream success. It is also very telling that this show isn't made up of new comics but comics, who are established on the circuit. One comic, Rudi Lickwood, has been in the business 21 years; I hate to be a horrid bitch but if you've not made it by now...

The sad thing he isn't the only one. These comics haven't necessarily been chosen because of talent but because of personality and looks, just like anything other reality show.  SMTF is poor because it fails as a reality show and a comedy programme. There's room for live comedy on television and there's room for a competitive element but putting them together isn't working on this.