Enthralled with journalistic spirit, I initially took this article up in the hopes of getting Exeter-wide data about the trials and tribulations of discreet sex in lockdown. My ambitious naivety led me to set up a questionnaire on ‘Overheard in Exeter’, hoping that amongst the thousands of students I would receive hundreds of responses detailing personal experiences. In reality, only nine people responded. To add … Continue reading Discreet under the Sheets
Exeter Comedy Society has hilariously satirised the dismal state of society during the pandemic in their new online sketch, Is This Thing Still On?, complete with pedantic ‘Karen’ neighbours, domestic drama and the typically dysfunctional Zoom seminar. I will do my best to highlight some of my favourite sketches without spoiling too much of the show. I definitely recommend giving it a watch as, to be honest, what else could you possibly be doing in tier 3, (if by some miracle you are not, I have nothing but contempt for you) other than feeling guilty about ignoring University work. Continue reading Review: Comedy Society’s Is This Thing Still On?
Wilt (1976) by Tom Sharpe is probably the funniest book I have ever read. And I’m talking laugh out loud funny. As an English student with months and months of lockdown stretching ahead of me, I probably should have made a list of every great Victorian novel and slowly made my way through them with a sense of dignified purpose and achievement. Obviously, this was not the case and, as my Netflix history will prove, I have spent very little of this holiday actually reading. However, once I picked up Wilt, I forgot all about a fourth binge of the entirety of Community (shocking, I know) and was hooked. Continue reading Reading Corner: Wilt by Tom Sharpe
You can watch Bridesmaids for free on BoB. Bridesmaids has taken on a special cultural significance since its release in 2011. Hailed as “terrifically funny, smart and tender”, the film, under Paul Feig’s directing and Judd Apatow’s producing, remains a frank display of women behaving badly. Yet it is precisely this ‘behaving badly’ that remains a sticky topic. Though the film has remained a critical … Continue reading Why Do Women Have to *Literally* Spill Their Guts to Be Funny?
With his latest directorial instalment, Armando Iannucci has attempted to transform Charles Dickens’ masterpiece David Copperfield into a satirical affair which discusses contemporary social issues. The results are mixed as there are moments of genuine warmth throughout, but there are equally numerous occasions when jokes fall flat and twists in the plot fail to create the level of emotional outpouring one would have expected. Iannucci’s unique style is partially to blame for this as his ironic humour, which had elevated The Death of Stalin so brilliantly, in this instance limits the emotional heft of the source material. Continue reading Frost on Film: The Personal History of David Copperfield
Spork! is a delightful evening of poetry, comedy, rap and performance, which brings together local artists in celebration of spoken word. Hosted by Chris White, Spork! is full of the weird and wonderful, it’s variety making each show unique, exciting and guaranteed to include something for everyone. On Tuesday 11 February, I was lucky enough to see their ‘Valentine(ish)’ special, in which poetic performances were based (loosely) on theme of love. Continue reading Review: Spork! The Valentine(ish) Edition @ Exeter Phoenix
Farce is “a particular sense of humour”, Tessa Peake-Jones admits as we sit down to chat in Bang Bang!’s rehearsal space at Exeter’s Maketank. It’s less than a week before their opening night at Exeter Northcott and for Peake-Jones, known for her roles in Only Fools and Horses and Granchester, this is her first experience acting what she refers to as “proper farce, traditional farce.” It is also the stage writing debut of British comedy legend, John Cleese, who has previously achieved global success with works such as Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. Continue reading Interview: Tessa Peake-Jones, Actor in Bang Bang!
Adapted by John Cleese from a late 19th century comedy by Georges Feydeau, Bang Bang! begins its UK tour at the Exeter Northcott Theatre, performing from 6-15 February. It’s a farce about extra-marital affairs, deception, revenge, traps and chaos!
I interviewed Wendi Peters, who plays Countess Latour, prior to the show’s opening and was intrigued to hear how she’d describe the play in her own words. “Bang Bang! is a fast, funny farce. It’s absolute mayhem. But it’s brilliant mayhem.” Audiences can expect things to go “horribly wrong,” the unusual breaking of the fourth wall, for doors and wardrobes to come in, and a pair of trousers to play a role in the comedy (as is typical of farce). She affirms, “it is just brilliant, and it will definitely keep your attention and keep you laughing for a full two hours.” Continue reading Interview: Wendi Peters, Actor in Bang Bang!
Have you ever dreamt of witnessing a real, live witch burning? Or getting the inside scoop on Gwyneth Paltrow’s successful skincare range? Maybe not, but “A Streetcar Named Shakira” is a comedy sketch show which will give you just those things (and more). Bursting with originality, confidence and energy, this innovative performance engages the audience and delivers a night full of side-splitting laughter. Continue reading Review: Com Soc’s A Streetcar Named Shakira
This year, Comedy Society have risen from the unknown and successfully become one of the most prominent, exciting, and innovative theatre societies at the University. After their Term 1 show Asockalypse Now, in which audience members were awarded one free sock with each ticket, I was intrigued to see their newest sketch-show SpaceBar. From the very beginning, I was not disappointed, as the small cast … Continue reading Review: Comedy Society’s ‘SpaceBar’
