I skipped a mailout. May was too much and I’m sorry.
It’s rare I do that and it’s gnawed away at a corner of my brain for weeks. Please accept this apology and I will swiftly move on, like I’ve said “bitch” on the news.
June seems to be marginally calmer but here I am sending this on the last day of the month, maybe everything gives the illusion of being a bit more manageable when the sun is out? Everything except moving in around the past week’s heat. I realise how poor a choice it was opting for sequins as a “look” in conditions like these.
As I’m trying to cook up a new tour show in my head I’ve tried to get out and about and watch more stuff as I continue to snuffle around looking for inspiration, like a pig for truffles. It’s sort of working too and that is what I tell my accountant when I claim back the cost of the tickets.
I went to see Theatr Clwyd’s production of Under Milk Wood and it was a good reminder of the importance of a clear aesthetic that speaks to the show and illustrated how accessibility can be integrated to elevate a production, it doesn’t have to be a “distraction”. I went to see a circus show and it made me think a lot about having a set on my next tour and how/if I could integrate sound and music. Last week I went to see Lily Allen and took away from that an increased pressure to have botox and the deep desire for four costume changes.
I’m enjoying this part of thinking about a tour when it’s not quite a blank page but things are still very open. The jokes are starting to move forward and the themes of the show are starting to drop into my head without much effort. I’ve gone from thinking I’ll never do stand up again to wondering if there really just might be a show in all these thoughts.
If you’d like to see me say these thoughts out loud / wiggle out of a third costume for no reason then I have some WIP shows coming up.
July 11th I’m at the Rosehill Theatre’s Comedy festival, I don’t think I’ll be touring in this part of the world so if you want to see some version of the show this might be your best bet. I’ve popped a link here.
October 2nd I’ll be at the Aberystwyth Comedy Festival, yes it’s ages away but it’s selling fast and it’s a small room so I’m mentioning it now.
Next year I’m going to one of my favourite rooms to run the show out, Coughlans in Cork. I don’t think I’ll take the finished tour there so if you’re lucky enough to live in Cork come and see this WIP in February? It’s a very cheap Christmas present, which is something I pride myself on.
My BBC Radio Wales show, Kiri’s Comedy Club, is back for a new series and it’s probably the most varied one yet. I chat to the brilliant Steve Spiers in an icons episode, there’s a stand up showcase from Machynlleth, a profile on Ignacio Lopez, a chat about clowning plus I speak to a bunch of brilliant comedians who are also medical Doctors and catch up with the latest contingent of Welsh talent heading up to the Edinburgh fringe. You can listen on BBC Sounds to the entire back catalogue. New episodes will come out weekly on Thursdays at 6.30pm.
My wee comedy school continues to go from strength to strength and as I type I’m on a (delayed) train to watch the seniors shoot the short films they’ve written. The Juniors are blasting out fantastic stand up to standard and I can’t quite believe and they’re working on a showcase to their families at the end of term.
Speaking of the end of the term the seniors are going to perform at a gig in the magical tent at Tide on Ynys Môn in July. It’s a final hurrah before we adjourn until September and I’ll be hosting - and trying new bits - and we’ve got the fantastic Louise Young (Live at the Apollo) on as a headliner. It’s going to be such a fun night - the last one was a blast and sold out so grab a ticket. It’s only a fiver and the money goes to everyone performing except me. That’s not me pouting, that’s my choice, I just want you to know that when I push tickets it’s because I want to pay everyone else, not myself!
Recommendations.
Here are some things I’ve consumed and enjoyed this month*.
To read.
Do we read cookbooks or is that just Theresa May? It’s probably poor form to recommend a book you haven’t read yet but I loved this guy’s first cook book so much and it’s my go to one, I just know this will be fantastic. Richard is on instagram as School Night Vegan and he’s so good at creating vegan food you really want to eat. The cookies in his first book are my go to when I’m baking with kids and earlier this year we made the vanilla slice and I still think about it a minimum of three times a week.
To listen.
Pipeline. I first heard about this podcast when it won an award at the True Crime Awards, clang. It’s an amazing night but the best bit about hosting is is all the amazing podcast recommendations I saunter away with. Pipeline is an extraordinary and tragic story that lead to an actual change in the world.
To watch.
I went to see Ed Easton - of Tarot - in One Man Musical last night at the Soho Theatre. It’s so good. Flo and Joan are just fantastic and I think they don’t get near enough credit for how sharp their writing is and how prolific they are. This show, One Man Musical, was the talk of the fringe two years ago with George Foreacres as “The Man” and loved it so I was so giddy to see Ed put his own spin on it. He’s fantastic and there’s heaps of new bits in it so even if you’ve seen it before there’s plenty to get from it. It’s at Soho Theatre till Friday night and then it’s at the fringe for the month.
*I also consumed and enjoyed a blue slushi with a double vodka in it at the Lily Allen show and honestly, what a perfect set of bedfellows that was.
Are you still buzzing from the slushy??? I don’t drink but man I fancy that