Tag Archives: Mary Bourke

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Lola’s Bar at the Royal and Derngate, Northampton, 17th November 2024

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The only constant is change, they say, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the various transformations our local treasure Screaming Blue Murder has undergone in the last few months. Now in the comfortable and atmospheric setting of Lola’s Bar, adjacent to the Royal and Derngate theatre, it’s an intimate location with top quality drinks (always helps) and a small stage area decked out like Beverley’s living room in Abigail’s Party.

However, one thing that is as constant as the northern star, and that’s the presence of Dan Evans as MC for the evening. Warmly welcoming and irrepressibly cheeky in equal measure, Dan wasted no time in digging deep into the lives and loves of John the psychotherapist from Brixworth and Dylan and Emma still in the first flushes of romance. Where would we be without him?

Our first act, and someone we always look forward to seeing, was Mary Bourke, one of the surest hands in comedy, with her blistering, sometimes dangerous, often withering delivery of her cracking observations. Hers is an act honed to perfection; what might seem to be a throwaway line is in fact an exquisitely crafted and carefully chosen selection of words designed to have the maximum impact. Among her finest material on Sunday were memories of a book festival with Liz Truss (ouch), dealing with incels and how a renowned American comic came to grief in Glasgow (it can happen). Always expect the unexpected with Mary Bourke; a terrific start to the show.

After the interval, Dan welcomed James Cook, whom we’ve seen just once before, down the end of a Zoom screen on those dark days of distanced comedy during Covid lockdown. An engaging, jolly personality, he delivers his material with warmth and confidence; and although many of his topics are perhaps rather familiar – such as being the parents of small children – his observations and fresh and original and makes you see those familiar things from a new perspective. I loved (and was indeed rather shocked) at his material about the seismic change that has affected the world of pass-the-parcel, and his home-made method of returning to the good old days of porn (that sounds iffier than it is, honest). He sets up an excellent rapport with the crowd and his set finished all too soon.

There’s one more Screaming Blue Murder this year – in December – which is currently scheduled to take place back in Screen 2 of the cinema, but hopefully the powers that be will see the wisdom of returning to Lola’s Bar for a genuine Northampton Fringe experience. And then – in 2025 – it’s back to the Royal and hopefully, the freshly reinvigorated (and hopefully now safe from RAAC) Underground space where SBM has always thrived. Can’t wait!

Review – Comedy Crate at V&B, Northampton, 17th October 2023

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Back at the Comedy Crate and my first time seeing a gig in the upstairs room at V&B in glitzy, cosmopolitan, downtown Northampton. A fun, intimate venue and top quality drinkies! What more could you ask? Well maybe some top quality comedy too, and they had that in abundance.

Our host for the evening was local lad Pete Teckman (I say lad – by the sound of it we both celebrated our 60th birthdays during Lockdown 1.0). He gets an easy rapport with the audience, and quickly got to know Amber, Joseph and Dan in the front row, as, indeed, we all did. Comedy newbie Amber gradually learned that it’s easy to give too much personal response to the niceties of the comedian on stage; Dan, on the other hand, never really came to terms with this concept. Pete treated us to some excellent material and kept the whole thing going with confidence and nicely turned self-deprecation.

Our first act, someone we’ve seen many times and it’s always a delight, was Mary Bourke; brimming with attitude and always teetering on the edge of comedy disdain, she gave us her hilarious insights into life in Crouch End, dealing with consensual banter, winning the battle over a disabled parking space, and much more. Her timing is always immaculate; she radiates a tiny sense of danger which only adds to the comic frisson of her material. And, may I say, a beautiful use of similes – she’s a terrific wordsmith. A great way to start the night.

Next up, and new to us, was Birmingham’s own Hasan Al-Habib, a young chap with a tremendous range of entertaining voices that he uses to great effect. Most of his material centres on his Arab appearance and heritage, playing on prejudices and cultural differences, which in an inexperienced hand could go awfully wrong, but Hasan nails it perfectly with delicate precision and a keen sense of identifying the funny side in everything.

Our headliner, and someone we’ve only seen in a Zoom gig before (thanks Covid) was President Obonjo, dictator of the Lafta Republic, a brilliant comic creation and a vision in intimidating combats. He is able to both take the rise out of your “typical” African dictator – an Idi Amin crossed with a Bokassa and a bit of Mugabe chucked in for good measure – and also cast a critical eye over current British democracy for comparison. I love the idea that he is based in St Albans, that just seems so bizarre; he also picked out good-natured Jordan in the second row for special “shared race” treatment, which worked superbly. And he quickly identified front-row Dan; I doubt he’ll ever get a visa to visit Lafta.Fearless, challenging, and incredibly funny; I also love the way he occasionally lets the façade drop a little to reveal the real person behind the mask. A tremendous end to a superb night.

It’s always a delight to be able to write up a comedy night that was a winner from start to finish. More Comedy Crate gigs coming up soon, with a new act new material night at Saints Coffee on the 25th, and a return to V&B on 5th December, with Roger Monkhouse topping the bill.

Edinburgh Fringe 2023 Reviews – The Court, Mary Bourke: 200% Irish, and A Chorus Line

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The Court, Hill Street Theatre.

From the moment the reassuring sounds of the Crown Court TV Theme start up, you know you’re in safe hands with another case for our Edinburgh judge to officiate. It’s not denied that Cathy McDonald caused her mother’s death, a cancer sufferer in excruciating pain, but was it a mercy killing (manslaughter) or murder to get her hands on her inheritance? Nine jurors selected from the audience will make the decision and are also allowed to ask questions of the witnesses. Like last year’s Conflict in Court, this is a smart, nuanced piece of writing, designed to send you in one direction with your verdict, only to throw you into doubt and make you change your mind! Acted with a terrific blend of seriousness and stagey tongue-in-cheek, this is superb theatrical entertainment.

 

 

Mary Bourke: 200% Irish, The Stand Comedy Club 2.

One of our must-see comedians every time we come to Edinburgh, Mary Bourke’s show 200% Irish seamlessly works through a number of comedy routines, from the racism of Peppa Pig, the physical side-effects of a handsome man on the company of women, to her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent and her experience of dealing with her husband’s stroke. If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because a lot of the material in this year’s show also appeared in last year’s, although to be fair this year it’s much more polished and word-perfect. So some of our laughter was the laughter of memory and recognition rather than exposure to a brand new damn funny joke. Nevertheless, it’s always worth paying to see Mary Bourke, even if she just read out a shopping list, such is the comedic majesty of her turns of phrase. Hugely funny as always.

4-stars

 

 

A Chorus Line, Paradise in Augustines.

A Chorus Line is my favourite musical of all time and I’m always keen to see new productions, although I always desperately hope that they are as true to the original Michael Bennett choreography and staging as is humanly possible. Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group’s production, directed by Bella Taylor, comes pretty close and they do a tremendous job of recreating those superb dance routines on a stage the size of a pocket handkerchief; I don’t know how they did it, but they did it! 48 years since it first saw light of day, Chorus Line remains the beacon of everything that is good about performance, courage, love, friendship, support and all-round excellence. The production has some gender-blind casting which clearly works as everyone nails their characters, and there is some terrific dancing and singing too – especially in the harmonies. Personally, I entirely disagree with the decision to include an interval (unthinkable in A Chorus Line!) – however, it was very sensible to change the choreography for a couple of the characters where dancing was not the actor’s strength. I had a tear in my eye on a number of occasions – and I loved it just as much as I loved it when I first saw it on 29th December 1976 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane – yes I am that old. And I haven’t even mentioned the live band, who were sensational. Given this is a student production it is way more successful than I could possibly have imagined. A superb achievement!

The Edinburgh Fringe All Month Long – 19th August 2023

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Wanna know what’s scheduled for today in Edinburgh? Only three shows and an evening free to have dinner with friends!

Here’s the schedule for 19th August:

12.00 – The Court, Hill Street Theatre. From the Edinburgh Fringe website:

“This courtroom drama centres around the question of euthanasia. Did Cathy murder her mother or merely stop her suffering? This interactive production gets you questioning your beliefs – become a juror, but can you determine the truth? Our 11 jurors picked from the audience will cross-examine and determine the truth behind Cathy’s actions. Will they side with her sister Mary in the belief it was murder? Or will they put their trust in Cathy and support her… or is there more to this case than meets the eye? A must-see for all those part-time sleuths.

We absolutely adored Conflict in Court last year and I’m sure this will be another of those Crown Court type productions where we the jury get the chance to ask questions of the characters to work out if they’re innocent or guilty. Very excited to see this new version!

14.40 – Mary Bourke: 200% Irish, The Stand Comedy Club 2.

“Mary Bourke and guests present a truly delightful hour about the joys of being Irish. There will be storytelling, music and lots and lots of jokes. ‘One of the best female comics in the country’ (GQ).”

Mary Bourke is another comic who we always make sure we see in Edinburgh because she never fails to challenge or delight!

16.50 – A Chorus Line, Paradise in Augustines.

“’Well, it would be nice to be a star… But I’m not, I’m a dancer.’ A Chorus Line is a concept musical that explores the bittersweet lives of Broadway performers through a gruelling audition process. The chorus of overly-devoted, under-paid dancers show the dedication it takes to keep going in the hopes that one day they will achieve success. Through a complex fusion of moving songs, large-scale dance numbers, and compelling drama, the auditionees are cut down to a final eight. Now it is their turn to tell their story and stand in the spotlight.”

I’m very excited to see this student production of my favourite musical of all time. There’s a lot of challenges here, and I really hope they make the most of them! Warning: if I don’t like what they’ve done with my favourite show I might sulk for the rest of the day!

Check back later to see how we enjoyed all these shows!

The Edinburgh Fringe Full Monty (nearly) – Day 6, 10th August 2022

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What’s lined up to entertain us in Edinburgh today?

Here’s the schedule for 10th August:

12.10 – Conflict in Court, Hill Street Theatre. From the Edinburgh Fringe website:

“Come and take part in an immersive courtroom experience where you decide the cases outcome. Listen to the evidence and decide; with a free drink and pie included, Conflict in Court by Liam Rudden is fantastic entertainment. Join the cast as they lay evidence before you, you then get a chance to cross-examine the witnesses and decide for yourself: are they guilty or innocent? This cast bring a gem of a production to life as they get the audience to work out what is fact or fiction. Will you agree with the verdict?”

I’m a great admirer of the writing of Liam Rudden so I am sure he will have created a terrific “Crown Court” for the 21st century! Should be fun.

UPDATE: If you liked Crown Court (if you’re old enough) you’ll love this. A fascinating court case, beautifully realised, full of great interaction – and when the final truth came out the whole audience gasped! Plus you get a free pie and a pint and they were both delicious. Absolutely brilliant – really loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

14.40 – Mary Bourke: The Brutal Truth, The Stand Comedy Club 2.

“The show contains nothing but jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes..”

Just as well that I’m very familiar with the stand-up brilliance that is Mary Bourke, because that online show description is a bit repetitive 😉

UPDATE: On terrific form, the legendary Ms B talks cancel culture, Britain’s Got Talent as well as giving us a massive trauma dump (her words) that she turns to comedy gold. Peppa Pig also comes in for the treatment she so richly deserves. Absolutely brilliant. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

17.50 – Hey, That’s My Wife! Hill Street Theatre.

“Hey That’s My Wife! is a comedic spin on the classic works of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller that follows two advertising executives, Charlie Moore and Roger Sloan, as they navigate a tale as old as time, who’s sleeping with whose wife? Jam-packed with enough cigarettes and scotch to kill 10 horses, this satire of 1950s Americana will have you laughing ‘til you cry. Featuring New York City’s brightest young comics, Joey DeFilippis (The Comedy Shop), Matthew Ferrara (Spiderman: Homecoming), Espi Rivadeneira (BBC Reel), Caroline Hanes (Reductress) and Ryan O’Toole (Jerry Springer).”

This is going to be one of those shows that’s either utterly brilliant or borderline lousy. Let’s hope it’s the former!

UPDATE: Oh dear! Sadly there was nothing borderline about it. I get the idea of a very tongue in cheek 1950s parody where everyone ends up sleeping with everyone else but, ouch, the getting there was painful. Admittedly, the writing wasn’t bad, although, for the record, spreadsheets were born in 1979. Terribly long pauses between the scenes meant that any dramatic or comic tension just petered away. The stagecraft was woeful – a prop that should have been kept hidden under the table was visible from the word go; and there were five people chain smoking throughout the whole show and not an ashtray in sight. I’m afraid this was one of those very few fringe productions that has hardly anything in its favour. ⭐️

20.30 – Bloody Wimmin, The Royal Scots Club.

“It is terribly easy to laugh at passion’. 1984. The women of Greenham Common are convinced the world is walking blindly into nuclear Armageddon. There is solidarity, shared purpose and much argument. Women grapple with their competing personal priorities, establishment rage and their dire living conditions with resilience, camaraderie and humour. Fast forward to 2009: do the rage, passion and flames of protest still burn as brightly? Lucy Kirkwood’s powerful and hilarious commentary on the women’s movement and the culture of protest as told by one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious amateur theatre companies. By arrangement with Nick Hern.”

I remember the Bloody Wimmin of Greenham Common – in fact I knew a few of them! That’s going to make this a very interesting play.

UPDATE: Rather a curious play and production. Some parts were excellent – some scenes were beautifully written and performed. But we really didn’t understand why the Greenham women and the environmental protesters were linked in the first place. It almost made both groups of protesters appear just like professional troublemakers, rather than genuinely espousing a cause in which they strongly believed. It made some very good points though, especially regarding the effect the Greenham protest had on family relationships, and how their sacrifices and hard work are currently taken for granted. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

22.35 – Leicester Square Theatre All-Star Show, The Stand’s New Town Theatre.

“A night of comedy featuring top acts from the Fringe, curated and programmed by London’s premier comedy venue Leicester Square Theatre. Leicester Square Theatre All-Star Show features comedy legends, award-winning rising stars and the funniest up-and-coming acts you’ve never heard of. Acts will be updated as they are confirmed, see http://www.leicestersquaretheatre.com/edinburgh.”

This will be a pot luck show – let’s hope they get good guests!

UPDATE: The enjoyment and success of this kind of show depends a lot on the numbers and enthusiasm of the punters attending, and whilst we were quite enthusiastic, there weren’t many of us. That said, it was well hosted by the always funny Jack Gleadow, and top of the bill Alastair Beckett-King was on excellent form. Impossible to give it a star rating because of the variety of guests.

The Edinburgh Fringe One-Weeker 2019 – Funny for a Girl, 17th August 2019

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We don’t normally do more than four shows on our first day – which means our last show of the day is Funny for a Girl, at the Stand Comedy Club (Stand 1) at 22:00 on Saturday 17th. This is how it’s described on the website: “We’ve selected the funniest women we could find at the Fringe and brought them together for an evening of comedy you’ll never forget! ‘An amazing evening of the most hilarious women I’ve seen in a very long time. When BBC producers say they can’t find any funny women they obviously haven’t been looking hard enough’ (Evening Herald, Dublin). ‘A fascinating range of different comedic styles. Even Christopher Hitchens would find these women funny’ (GQ). ‘Our girls are clean and won’t rush you’ (Watford Gazette).”

The comedy brains behind this show is the brilliant Mary Bourke, whom we’ve seen many times before. Who knows who else will be on the bill, but I’m sure it’ll be a great laugh! Check back around 11.15pm to see my initial feedback as to how much we enjoyed it. By then the next preview blog, for tomorrow morning’s first show, should be available to read too.

Brilliantly funny line up, with Mary Bourke on terrific form, introducing the feisty Mary O’Connell, streetwise comic/poet Sarah Callaghan, and hilarious comedy magician Mary Muden. Great atmosphere, dynamic range of performers, and a packed house enjoying terrific late night comedy. Definitely recommended!

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Underground at the Derngate, Northampton, 31st May 2019

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Time for yet another Screaming Blue Murder – and the screaming comes from the intense heat of the Underground studio, bad enough in winter but positively radioactive in summer! Nevertheless, that didn’t stun our senses as once again we enjoyed three fabulous acts, two magnificent intervals under the genial guidance of our loving MC, Dan Evans.

This week Dan had to endure (I mean enjoy) the company of some marketing ladies from Avon – I don’t think his idea of anus lipstick is going to catch on – a few young likely lads in the front row with their deadpan father, and the Melton Mowbray branch of the Leicestershire Wives Society. From little acorns great oaks of mirth grew. I don’t envy his job but Dan was on top form as always.

Two new acts (and one old favourite) for us this week, the first of which was our opener, Mark Simmons. And what a find he is! A quiet, subtle-laddish style but brimming with confidence and with 100% winning material, none of which I’d heard before. The majority of his humour comes from a mixture of pun and wordplay, and he delivered it with such dry originality that Mrs Chrisparkle and I were in hysterics the whole way through. I loved his mini-stories about premature ejaculation at an orgy, and what happened when he brought two girls home; there’s also his one joke that involves the C word, which works brilliantly because the punchline is so mild in comparison with its lead-up; and his discovery that cats in France have their own social media site. A little surreal, but with great connection to the audience, we thought he was terrific and would love to see him again.

Next up, and also new to us, was Alasdair Beckett-King; if you ever wondered what Simba looked like once he’d grown up, look no more. Resplendent with his flowing locks and curls, Mr B-K gives us an insight into the life of a full-on Ginger, with some very funny – and refreshingly clean – material. Switching up the erudite level a notch or two, he has a sequence where he discusses Blake’s Proverbs of Hell, but don’t be put off, his own selection of Proverbs are fresher than anything 18th century. Smart, witty, intelligent humour and he went down really well with the audience.

Our headline act, and one we have seen many times before, was the endlessly surprising Mary Bourke, whose ability to create new material every time you see her is astounding. She has a wonderfully faux-strict style, like a headmistress who won’t accept any nonsense from you lot but inside has a heart of gold. I loved her take on how you scare people in Crouch End at Hallowe’en, and was delighted to realise she has the same attitude to Peppa Pig as us; indeed, she gives that hideous little hog the same middle name that we do. Unbeatable as always.

And that, sadly, is the end of the Screaming Blue Murders for this season; I think each and every one has been a sell-out which is fantastic news and a testament to just what cracking value and quality it is. Reconvene in September? Really annoyed that I have to miss the first autumn show on 13th September because it’s going to be immense. Book it now whilst tickets are still available!

P. S. I did get a name-check from the stage during the course of the evening, but I’m sure it was meant out of pure affection…. That’s what I’m going to tell myself anyway!

The Edinburgh Fringe 3-Nighter – 20 shows in 70 hours! First show – Funny for a Grrrl

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The Edinburgh Fringe. The stuff that dreams are made of. Mrs Chrisparkle and I have promised year after year to visit Edinburgh during the festival, but never made it. Until this year, that is! From Friday 8th until Monday 11th August, we have a massive number of shows to see and I am really looking forward to the challenge.

There’s no way I will have the time to blog each show in the detail that I normally do. So instead, the plan is for me to preview each show in advance, and then blog my instant reaction afterwards to see if it lived up to expectations. Will it work? There’s only one way to find out. So, gentle reader, if you feel inclined, keep visiting back over these three or four days to see what we’ve been up to. There’ll be a fresh blog entry for each show.

Our first show is Funny for a Grrl at the Stand in the Square, 17:15 on Friday 8th. Each show has a different line-up, and ours should feature Mary Bourke (who we’ve seen three times at the local Screaming Blue Murder comedy club and she’s always terrific) and three others. I’ve been refreshing the Stand Comedy Club page all week but the line-up is still “to be confirmed”. What do I expect? Four very funny female comics, each doing a 15 minute stand-up slot. What do I hope? That you don’t need to have had a few drinks to find them funny – although who says that by 5.15 on our first afternoon in Edinburgh we might not already have had a little something. We’ve got to eat before all these shows, after all. What do I fear? Out of place hecklers, being in the front row and any one of the comics drying up. Check back after 6.15pm to find out how it went! And a preview of the next show we’re going to see should be on the blog by then too.

If you’re in Edinburgh – have fun!

Well it was a great start! In a yurt in the rain, we were entertained by not only Mary Bourke on great form but also three ladies called Jade, Alison and Harriet – I’ll have to check back to get their surnames. It was good fun, punchy and very funny. Definitely recommended!

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Underground at the Derngate, Northampton, 19th April 2013

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Yet another very busy night at the Screaming Blue Murder last Friday; as far as bums-on-seats are concerned, this must be their most successful season yet – so congratulations to everyone involved! Our compere was Dan Evans, back on fine form and handling a difficult front row heckler with great aplomb. She didn’t shut up when he was being subtle with her, so he started ridiculing her in front of everyone, and it worked! Dan is still delving deep with new material, and I did like his joke about stalking Doctor Who assistants. I find it more entertaining to hear his new material, but his old joke about “the appearance of space” still has everyone rolling in the aisles though, so who am I to judge?

Our first act was someone new to us, Ria Lina. A girl with a ukelele – suggests a promising start – but unfortunately her first song was just rather tasteless and offensive without being funny, and it got her started on the wrong footing. She did have some good material, but some of it was race-based, and us simple folk in Northampton may not get political jokes but we are remarkably unprejudiced. Her final song about being middle class and not famous was actually really wittily written and structured, but by then the energy had sapped away a bit, so she received polite rather than warm applause.

Second up was Marc Lucero, who we have seen before and enjoyed very much, but this time he was on fire. It was largely the same routine as before but his pace and timing were spot on, and the personality behind the gags emerged just perfectly. Some excellent observations about the local fathers creating their own self-help group, and the design fault in a crane system designed to lower you into the bath; and a brilliant final story involving the au pair’s knickers ended his set on a complete high, so that we went into the second interval still howling with laughter.

The headline act was Mary Bourke, who we’ve seen twice before in 2010 and 2011 and she always delivers top class comedy. What surprised and delighted me was that this was 95% brand new material – only her (hilarious) observations about mumsnet from previous shows still made an appearance. She had some great material about providing “yoof” with rhymes about dissing their mothers; an excellent suggestion for the title of Amanda Holden’s autobiography, something you won’t find on a “Welcome to Luton” street sign, and much more besides. A most assured performance – and incredibly funny. So we can list this as another great Screaming Blue Murder night, and believe me it is the best value comedy entertainment imaginable!

Review – Screaming Blue Murder, Derngate, Northampton, 24th June 2011

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A new compere this week, who it appears stepped in at the last minute, and that’s Kevin Dewsbury. And he was great! Very likeable, a friendly approach, and lots of great material. We particularly liked his observations on how some people speak foreign words as though they were native to that country – something I’m guilty of – and his musings about what it would be like if foreigners did the same back in the UK. Excellent stuff, and I’d like to see his proper act, rather than just compering.

The rest of the comics were slightly disappointing on just one level – and that is that we have seen them all at Screaming Blue Murder before. The first comic was Noel James, and of the three he was the one who I think had changed his material more than the others. He was very quick hitting and funny, but unfortunately quite a small audience didn’t somehow take to him. He didn’t seem comfortable with the overall lack of laughter and got a bit anxious. We liked him though.

Second was Mary Bourke, whose act was most similar to last time, but is so incredibly funny that she was still the best of the night. Her lines about what her parents’ voicemail messages might be like were really funny, and generally she is very dry and self-deprecating. She does a Sudoku during the laughs, which is a nice trick.

Last was Howard Read, one of the very first comics we saw here, and his act is very clever but also very parent-centric. He has a great lullaby song about how scary life is, which is really funny, but his whole act is about coping with young kids, and as I’m not a parent, it slightly missed the mark for me.

Next fortnight is the last one of the SBMs for a while I think, and we’re otherwise engaged that evening anyway. However, there’s plenty more comedy on the horizon!