| Description | Henry Normal, comedian, interviewed on 25th May 1993 by Oliver Double for his New Theatre Quarterly article 'Laughing All the Way to the Bank? Alternative Comedy in the Provinces' (Vol. X, No. 39, August 1994)
Summary: [00:36] Interview starts, how did you get into comedy? Started off in Nottingham about 10 years ago. Did things for writer’s groups, poetry based. Started compereing at a few gigs. [01:17] HN moved to Chesterfield and saw John Cooper Clarke. Toured with Sheffield punk bands, including Pulp, Digners Drill, Mr Morality, and Dollbusters. [02:32] The Rant Movement, Atilla the Stockbroker, Seething Wells, very much a working class political movement, token working class lad on a poetry bill, comedy circuit spread out, music, poetry and comedy. Folk, missed media cabaret. Moved to Manchester 6 years ago [04:45] homogenous comedy scene in London, variety outside London, 2 or 3 gigs in London a year, Hackney Empire, Apples and Snakes, Comedy Store. Makes you be a little more aggressive when you start out, London clubs want pure comedy because they want to be like The Comedy Store. Sculpture. [07:06] Do you think the more varied gigs makes a difference to the people who’ve chosen to stay out of London? [08:30] What’s the scene like in Manchester at the moment? [09:00] The Bores [09:21] one of ventures like the Green room, 09:38 art centres and community centres [10:00] Jack Dee playing the Comedy, Frank Skinner playing the Royal Northern college, John Hegley, Jo Brand, Attila the Stockbroker, Jack Dee Sean Hughes league [11:16] What comics are there based around Manchester at the moment? Perennials like Bob Dillinger [11:40] Steve Coogan still has a flat up in Manchester, Bernard Manning, Mike Harding, Rik Mayall, Ben Elton, Coogan most famous of the new batch. Paul Calf is Manchester, Alan Partridge is from Norwich, Caroline Aherne [13:15] Dave Gorman, the only comic in Manchester doing just gags, like a Northern Harry Hill [14:00] There aren’t many places for new people to play [15:00] fine balance for comedians to get plenty of experience without getting stuck in a rut.
OD wraps up the interview, HN suggests he interviews up and coming Dave [Gorman].
16:19 Recording ends
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