| Ref No | BSUCA/OD/1/13/3 |
| Collection | Oliver Double Collection |
| Title | John Simmitt interviewed by Oliver Double |
| Name of creator | Double, Oliver, 1965- |
| Date | 25/05/1993 |
| Duration | 16 min. 39 sec. |
| Extent | 1 audio file Broadcast WAVE Format (BWF) |
| Description | John Simmitt, 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: [00:06] Oliver Double [OD] calls John Simmitt [JS, real name Hugh Edwards]. OD explains what his article he is researching is about, how has alternative comedy changed as it has moved out of London, and what the scene is like around the country. [00:24] OD says that Malcolm Bailey told him that JS is connected with a growing black comedy scene in Birmingham. [00:37] JS explains that he is the resident compere at the Cave comedy club in Birmingham. He says the same thing is happening in Bristol and East Sheffield. JS says he first started comedy in October 1990 as John Simmitt, he was a drama student and is currently an arts marketing consultant. [02:20] OD asks if the emerging circuit is getting any support. JS explains that some forms of support are a “double edged sword”. [03:50] if you can play a black audience you can play almost any audience, [03:56] at the comedy café were Miles Crawford runs Tuesday night cabaret. [04:00] Lee Hurst was there. [04:11] Keith Malcolm and JS have discussed [05:55] OD asks how the scene outside London is quite different to the London circuit [06:41] OD says the black comedy circuit is separate [06:56] JS says there’s rarely booze at black comedy gigs. [07:42] There’s more cynicism on the London circuit [08:14] OD asks if most of the performers are presumably London based [08:38] JS has set a target he wants to meet, five comedians outside the Birmingham West Midlands area by the end of the year, he’s got 2 and a half. HE wants five comedians by the end of the year with at least one female [09:30] Michael Wolfon? [13:01] OD asks JS if there are any other points he wanted to make in relation to what they’ve been talking about.
[16:34] Interview ends
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| Notes | LPCM wave 24 bit 48kHz. Digitised using Denon Cassette Deck DN-790R, Roland Edirol UA-55, and Adobe Audition CC 2014. 2015-07-22. Extract created using Adobe Audition CC 2015. 2015-10-21. |
| This interview was originally recorded on sound cassette BSUCA/OD/1/13 Side B |
| Category | Audio recordings |
| Access conditions | Available for consultation at the University of Kent's Special Collections & Archives reading room, Templeman Library, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NU. Access is available via digital listening copies. The University of Kent acknowledges the intellectual property rights of those named as contributors in this recording and the rights of those not identified. |
| Copyright | Oliver Double, John Simmitt |
| Level | Item |