 |  |
|
|
|
|
|  |
|
|
Spanking New at London's Drill Hall - May 19 2003
|
| | |
Comp猫re Robin Ince |
| |
Name: Robin Ince
Age: 34
Place of birth: A village where they often film Midsomer Murders
You may not necessarily recognise his name, but Robin Ince is a prolific comedian, writer and culture pundit, pontificating on a variety of subjects. He's written for Channel 4's V Graham Norton, performed for Radio 4's The In Crowd and 4 At The Store and impersonated John Peel for The 11 O'Clock Show. He also made a brief cameo appearance in The Office, though you'd be forgiven for missing it. Even The Saturday Show's Tiny and Mr Duk have enlisted Robin's expert services.
After so many incarnations, Robin's latest project is to simply be himself. As part of 大象传媒 7's first original adult commission, Spanking New on 7, Robin took to the stage as a comp猫re, with the arguably unenviable task of warming up the crowd before introducing new stand-ups. The idea behind the show is to find hot comedians who've never had broadcast exposure and to bring them to a new listening audience. Broadcast over seven weeks, Spanking New on 7 will introduce 28 stand-ups in total, who were found by scouring the country's pubs, clubs and everything in between.
After wrapping up the last show and before jetting off to the Big Apple, Robin kindly agreed to answer a few questions in which he discusses his modelling prospects, the Radiophonic Workshop and deflecting an angry mob at the Glastonbury Festival.
How did you first discover you had a talent for comedy?
"I have always liked larking about and when I found out I could make money for doing it, it added an air of shabby professionalism to my larking."
What was your big break?
"My big break probably was coming second in the So You Think You're Funny competition at the Edinburgh Festival because, from that point onwards, I made a living as a comedian. I think I'm still waiting for a bigger break: being talent-scouted by an agent from Models One whilst eating an ice cream at Heathrow Airport is, I think, possible if I get my figure back."
Who are your favourite comedians and why?
"Woody Allen - sheer genius, both as a writer and as a slapstick performer; Bill Murray - brilliantly deadpan. Others are: the Marx Brothers, Chris Morris, Victoria Wood, Alastair Sim, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy, Rik Mayall, Joe Orton, Frankie Howerd, Margaret Rutherford, Fry and Laurie and on and on and on. I will give no reason because if you don't know there is no point in going on (though Rik Mayall standing in dog excrement in More Bad News made me fall off my cinema seat)."
What did you enjoy most about Spanking New?
"Making stuff up and fearing it wouldn't work. (I think I am being voiced by Barry Cryer in the edit.)"
How did you come up with so much original material for each show?
"The majority of my material comes from one-line ideas - such as the Radiophonic Workshop collaborating with the French resistance and making spooky noises to scare the Germans away from haystacks full of infantrymen - then I just try to create a routine on the spot. I am easily distracted by thoughts and things, so I mainly make sure I drink a lot of orange squash and wait for the tartrazine to kick in"
What is the biggest source of inspiration for your act?
"I read lots of bits of things and watch lots of bits of things and they make me think of things."
Have you had a worst moment on stage and what was it?
"My best worst moment was turning a difficult but quietly responsive Glastonbury audience into an angry mob by using the word gypsy (it was not in a derogatory way). Within 5 minutes the audience members were screaming at me with puce faces and trying to run up on the stage and punch me; I stood my ground and laughed in their silly faces."
Do you think Spanking New has uncovered some hot new talent?
"I think there have been some brilliant new acts on, from great one-liner merchants to surreal ramblers. In a time when stand-up comedy seems to be becoming so homogenised, it is great to see that there are, in fact, many fine new comedy minds."
What would be your one piece of advice for new comedians trying to break into the business?
"Don't just think about how much money you can make from comedy."
What's next for you?
"I am writing a sitcom with Howard Read (a funny boy who broke my arm in Edinburgh once) and recording a pilot about John Peel with Ross Noble -
and resting on some tatty laurels"
Take a look at the latest show
Go back to the Spanking New home page
| |  | |
大象传媒 7's Message Board |
| | |
Linda Smith's Brief History of......Timewasting, surely deserves a repeat on 大象传媒7?
|
|
|
|
|
Help with listening
