Copstick with Jägermeister and cake last night
Last night was the first in a series of Grouchy Club events live in London.
I say ‘events’ because they are not really shows and not really meetings. They are chat shows in which the audience chat with comedy critic Kate Copstick and me about anything that comes into any of our heads.
The subject(s) is/are vaguely supposed to be about the comedy business, but the conversations can meander. Copstick and I have run the Grouchy Club at the Edinburgh Fringe for the last two years.
Italian comedian Giacinto Palmieri was there in London last night and, this morning, commented on Facebook:
“The Grouchy Club in London is even more shambolic than it was in Edinburgh… particularly the post-shamble shamble… I loved it.”
Arlene Greenhouse commented: “I had such a good, unadulterated, solid five minute walrus laughing session. I needed that. Thank you to the porn caster and eye roller. You know who you are!”
The post shamble shamble (L-R) Andrea Gordon, Luca Cupani, Giacinto Palmieri and Kate Copstick
There is a 12-minute audio extract from the two hour event/show/meeting online which includes a typically shambolic discussion about successful middle-class white comedians, Michael McIntyre, Mrs Brown’s Boys, Jimmy Logan, Italian comedy and Christopher Biggins.
Luca Cupani performed
The extract features the voices of Kate Copstick, Andrea Gordon, me, Arlene Greenhouse, Jo Palermo, Neil O’Rourke, Luca Cupani and Giacinto Palmieri.
Last night also included performances by 2015 So You Think You’re Funny? winner Luca Cupani and finalist Neil O’Rourke.
At the start of last night’s Grouchy Club, the subject of kittens’ bollocks was brought up – as mentioned in last Sunday’s blog.
Copstick explained more of the reality of her life in Kenya to the audience of Canadian/English/Irish/Italian/Scottish performers, which included Grouchy Club newcomer, actress Andrea Gordon.
COPSTICK
Living in my hovel…
JOHN
…in Nairobi
COPSTICK
…with hot and cold running rats, no toilet, the only good thing… Well, one of the only good things about using a bucket to shit in is that I just had explosive trots for about two of the weeks I was there. And, when I got back to Britain, there was the absolute joy of having a fart with no follow-through. Ooooh! My God! I was terrified to fart for two of the three weeks I was there.
I don’t know how many of you have experience of having really explosive trots, but y’know normally, when you’re pooing – generally speaking – when one thinks of pooing, one thinks of a… I was going to say… a downward motion.
Well, you think of a downward motion. But with the terrible trots, I don’t know if it’s just my arse but, especially when you’re sitting down, the pan contains it. But when you’re in a long-drop toilet and half standing-up, it’s everywhere. It’s unbelievable. It’s not even near where it’s supposed to go. It’s right up the back, on the sides, it’s down my legs, it’s absolutely everywhere. One of the good things about using a bucket to shit and pee into is that, once again, the horror of it all is contained within the plastic.
ANDREA
I’m just waiting to hear how this shit relates to the cat’s testicles.
JOHN
She needed to wipe her bottom, so she found a kitten.
COPSTICK
No. Apart from the termites, the hot and cold running rats, the people shooting immediately outside my door…
JOHN
It’s just like Glasgow isn’t it…
COPSTICK
…the one thing that made it almost fun was these two lovely little cats…
The remaining Grouchy Club events live in London are:
Tuesday 10th November
Tuesday 8th December
Tuesday 22nd December
Details on the Grouchy Club website.
SO IT GOES - John Fleming's blog 