| Ref No | BSUCA/OD/1/23 |
| Collection | Oliver Double Collection |
| Title | Rhona Cameron interviewed by Oliver Double |
| Name of creator | Double, Oliver, 1965- |
| Date | 19/03/2004 |
| Duration | 33 min. 51 sec. |
| Extent | 1 sound disc (MiniDisc) (80min) |
| 1 audio file Broadcast WAVE Format (BWF) |
| Description | Rhona Cameron interviewed by Oliver Double on 19th March 2004, by telephone. This interview was conducted by Double for his book 'Getting the Joke: The Inner Workings of Stand-Up Comedy' (2005) .
Summary:
[0.05] OD dials and rings RC [0.18] RC answers the phone and asks OD what exactly his research is about [0.36] OD says that he Is trying to map out the art form of stand-up comedy paying particular attention to techniques [0.46] RC says that over the years she has done several interviews for books regarding stand-up comedy and so wanted to know OD's particular angle [1.03] OD explains his role in teaching stand-up comedy at the University of Kent and although there is literature on the subject, he wants to find out more about things such as the relationship between the audience and the comedian etc. [1.45] RC says she has quite strong views on not being able to study and learn stand-up in that way. She believes it's an organic thing that often comes from feeling like you have never fitted in. She believes it's a very risky art form. She dislikes the fact that recently a lot of people have used stand-up as a 'way-in' to fame or to launch another career [5.05] OD asks RC about the line between truth and fiction in comedy material and refers to a particular RC bit where she reads a letter from her mother [5.38] RC said when she began in stand-up comedy she wrote a lot about her mother because she found a lot of humour in the 'Scottish mother' idea. But she thinks a part of her mother was a bit miffed for using this letter and she would never choose to do this again [9.18] OD talks about RC's recorded works and asks about the contradiction between the raw nature of comedy and the idea that it can be viewed over and over again [10.20] RC that she thinks there are only a few comedians in the world where you could record it or even write it out and the humour would completely transfer through such as Billy Connolly, Eddie Izzard & Jerry Seinfeld. She also believes that TV kills live stand-up comedy [11.50] OD asks about the relationship between how RC is on and off stage [12.33] RC said that persona's are very different between doing the circuit where you have to deal with critics and hecklers, and going to perform in a theatre where people have bought tickets to see you . She does think that generally she is very similar both on and off stage. However as she gets older she feels less desire in being seen as funny. At the start of her career she was drunk on and off stage and this became part of all aspects of her life paired with the desire for people to like her [21.05] OD asks how RC writes and develops material [21.35] RC said she started by writing material like a shopping list. When she started her career she was unmotivated to write new material because she knew a lot of her set would be putting down hecklers. When she became more successful she would have a similar list that was on much bigger paper and she would have it on her wall and really think about the structure and try and memorise her set in terms of an order. The more successful you come; RC finds it easier because the audience likes you and believes in your work. But she doesn't fully understand what goes into choosing what would be funny and
26.45- OD asks about superstitions and whether she ever had a 'jinxed' comedians' that if she performed with them, she would not do well [27.09] RC says that as a woman she was always the woman comic between two males and this comes with its own advantages, disadvantages and concerns. However she did recognise that there were certain clubs she wouldn't do as well in. She also has superstitions about wearing suits and certain shoes and underwear [30.55] OD thanks RC and the recording ends. |
| Notes | 1 MiniDisc, digitised to LPCM wave 16 bit 44.1kHz. Digitised using Sony Minidisc Deck MDS-JE53; Roland Edirol UA-25; and Adobe Audition CC 2014. 2016-03-17. |
| 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, Rhona Cameron |
| Level | Item |