| Collection | British Stand-Up Comedy Archive Events |
| Description | Mark Thomas in conversation with Oliver Double for 'Talking Comedy' recorded in the Ballroom at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh, on Sunday 16th August 2015 during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The events were organised by Lakin McCarthy in collaboration with the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive.
Summary: Track 1 [49:45]
[00:00] Pre-interview chatter and announcements. [00:50] Oliver Double [OD] introduced and engages with the audience. [02:00] OD introduces Mark Thomas [MT]. OD asks about MT’s new show “trespass which MT goes onto explain. [05:00] OD and MT discuss fighting back against corporatism and gentrification through comedy. Mt describes the philosophy of his work. [06:50] MT describes the effect of art on opinions and changing the world. [08:30] OD informs MT that the British comedy archives contains material from him. Proceeding to show relevant photographs. [10:00] MT explains the appeal of stand-up and cabaret as countercultural and experimental. Proceeds to name performers who he considers worthy of attention. [12:50] MT story about a performance at the “Hackney Wick Empire” [Theatre in London, Hereby HWE]. [14:30] OD returns to the photographs of MT. The picture concerns a show in Derby, 1992. MT goes on to discuss “New variety” comedy. [16:05] OD and MT discuss the revival of the HWE after being closed for in the fifties. MT tells an anecdote about an Iraq war relief that took place at the HWE. [19:48] MT story about a note made by Thelonious Monk [American jazz musician]. MT goes onto read his own note to himself. [21:40] MT digresses to talk about a show by an American comedian at the comedy store [venue in London, famous as an epicentre of alternative comedy]. [24:20] MT story about an art performance at the Institute of contemporary art [venue in London know for radical artistic endeavour]. [26:00] discussion about the collaborative nature of art regarding stand-up. [27:20] OD talks about MT’s reputation as “The Political Comic.” MT goes on to discuss his philosophy with heckling. [29:40] further discussion about sharing ideas and discussion at comedy shows. [31:00] MT talks about cuts to art funding in the seventies and how alternative comedy arose from this. [33:15] MT describes working alongside doing comedy early in his career. [34:45] OD poses the idea of ‘preaching to the converted’ with left wing aligned art. [36:50] MT returns to the idea of challenge and discussion through art. OD poses another hypothetical; ‘left wing comedy does not make any real change.’ MT refutes the hypothetical. MT goes onto discuss a campaign he participated in for Kurdish rights that was successful. [41:45] MT explains that he is labelled an ‘extremist’ by the Uk police. Talks about police often showing up at his shows and events. [44:30] MT story about finding out whether Uk police were spying on other members of the NUJ [National Union of Journalists, trade Union that MT is a member of.] [47:00] Mt goes on to talk about participating a campaign for union rights at Curzon [British cinema chain.]
[49:45] Interview Ends. [Note: The interview abruptly cuts off as MT is talking. Some ending remarks appear to have been lost]
|