News Quiz - October to November

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/newsquiz.shtml

Managed to see 5 episodes of this series of the News Quiz being recorded at the Drill Hall. Some of the panelists we’ve seen are Jeremy Hardy, Linda Smith, Professor Armando Iannucci, Andy Hamilton, Alan Coren, Francis Wheen, and Marcus Brigstocke.

Some of the highlights, which were more than likely not broadcast, were.

- The South Bank Show coming in to record Armando as they’re doing a show on him following his success with programmes such as The Thick Of It (showing on BBC2 in January.) Just for the ribbing recently “professored” Armando got.

- Jeremy Hardy throwing a bottle of water at someone trying to leave before they’d done the few retakes on lines Simon Hoggart, the host, had fluffed. It only ever takes 5 minutes, boring yes, but polite to stay through. It’s not like they’re adding funnier lines and ruining the effect of the show or anything.

- Alan Coren’s legally can’t go out on air stories, of which there is at least one a show. Like when he went to a party once being thrown by Michael Caine, a friend of his. It was around the time of the story about Richard Gere and the Hamster (non) incident and the subsequent page advertisement in the New York Times denying any impropriety. Alan knew that Caine was neighbours with Gere over in LA, so asked Caine what he thought of the allegations that Gere was gay. Caine’s alledged reply was “put it this way if they were ever short handed he’d help out.” It’s stories like that which will obviously never make it to air, but make us all chuckle in our seats and make the journey worth while. That and…

- Jeremy Hardy’s ranting. Jeremy could fill the half our show all by himself. Once he gets on a subject of the pet hate variety, it’s like winding up a spinning top and then see him go.
I’d recommend getting free tickets next series.

Mark Thomas and Rob Newman

Bloomsbury Theatre - 10th November 2005

We went to the Bloomsbury to see a double bill of two of the finest satirical comedians on the circuit. Having already seen Rob Newman's show as a work in progress back in January of this year it was good to see it again now, months on, when it's been finely honed after weeks of travelling the country. It's tough to argue with his in-depth and historical look at the reasons for the war in Iraq. It's so because of oil and America's need to own it. Anyone walking away from this show thinking otherwise was not paying attention.


Mark Thomas's half was more of a talk about the Arms Fair held over at Exel which he managed to get into with relative ease, and the video he recorded doing this, and other similar things. The video was on sale outside, so it was almost like a sales pitch. But funny and interesting all the same. It was only after 10 minutes of his half did I remember I'd seen him not 2 weeks before doing an opener to the Firesign Theatre group, as he repeated some of the material.

The finale/encore saw Mark and Rob come on stage together to do a number together with a ukulele backing. An hilarious bit of frivolity to finish on.

The bonuses of working at my place....

Giant Frog Shower Caps!

Toulson and Harvey

Soho Theatre - 5th November 2005

With this show being satirical, it’s hard for the show not to evolve. So unlike the other transferred Edinburgh shows which have been almost word for word the same – here items have moved on or been replaced.

The central plot of the male and female news anchors having an affair to ad to their onscreen chemistry has now become a married couple, but one where one half leaves the other. The Two Blairs, Evil and Good Blair are now more than a minute sketch. We elected Good Blair first time round, but he’s been locked in a cupboard ever since by Evil Blair, who we’ve then been stupid enough to then vote for. They’ve been fleshed out, if that’s possible with a two-dimensional egotistical character like Blair, and given a longer slot, with a great Star Wars childlike play, including Jabbaprescott and Gordon Vader etc.

There were still my favourite nonsensical bits with Parky interviewing a rock star wishing to help the Penguins of Afghanistan. There is a rock song rhyming everything with North not realizing they are actually from South Pole. Cue song where he tries his best to make the word south rhyme with words like fourth.

Singles night - 4th November

For those of you who don't know, I went on a singles night on Friday. Oh yes. Lots of cocktails and dancing in the Guanabar resulted in little more than sleazy men trying to grab dances with everyone. Needless to say I left early (9.15pm) to see the Red Hand Band play Jamm at Brixton.
But for those curious a few photo's are back. The rest will be here in a few days.

Singles night - more photo's...

Group photo

And then there was the move to the dance floor....