Back Row and Chill with Jahannah James and Noel Clarke - Stay Home Special Series - Episode 4 - Jayde Adams, Axel Blake, Lucie Shorthouse, Matt Tedford, Icy Jones, and Archie Maddocks

Episode Date: May 17, 2020

In this episode of Back Row and Chill Stay Home Special, Noel and Jahannah spoke to Jayde Adams, Axel Blake, Lucie Shorthouse, Matt Tedford, Icy Jones, and Archie Maddocks.

and chill with Noel Clark and Johanna James on Fibar Radio. This is Jade Adams in the studio. Hi! Welcome. How you doing? I'm right, mate. I was stuck in traffic, so I'm all like, I've got too much adrenaline because I thought it was going to be late.

I've got to tell you something. I've heard that you're the funniest person in the planet or something like that. Something like that. So basically what happened was I was... You better make me laugh today, is what I'm playing. I had an interview and they said to me, they'll tell us, for the uninitiated, who are you? And I went, well, a humble answer is that I'm just a lowly cafe work.

just with dreams of making people laugh to anyone else. I'm the answer to British comedy, and then that got taken as the things. Now I can use it as a quote mate, so, yeah, that's PR, that is. It's PR, I love that. Apparently, I'm quite funny. I'm going to judge of that. I've funny bones, apparently.

I've got a funny bone. Have you? Have you got a funny bone? Mate, you've got to stop doing that. I've got a funny bone. He hits on my mum. It's kind of a problem. Yeah, her mom loves it.

Her mom loves it. She likes it. She likes it. She likes it. Big King, Sons. Snickers right up her. She loves it. Does she? This is big...

Kingside Snickers with nuts here. This is taken a turn total. For the better. Total tone turns. Yeah. Fibbutt stands for fucked up beyond all recognition.

Oh, that's great. So you just... You could take in any old riffraff here, really. We can just... Not on this show. We only take quality on this show, go. Thanks, May.

That's why you're real. Thank you. Quality industry. On quality, where I'm from, you don't really sit around bragging about yourself like people do on the internet. So when I'm in these things

where I'm in for 15 minutes and I've got to make people come and see my show. I find it ever so uncomfortable to just say, hey, I'm real funny. I'm so funny. I tell you what you won't do is you won't be bored for an hour. So what is your show about? Because you've got a show at the Soho Theatre.

I have. I'm around there all the time. Basically, it started off as I didn't want it to be what it was about. And then over the preview period that I did from March to July, it turned into a show, which was where I basically spent 31 years of my life trying to be other people, thinking that other people knew what the route to happiness was. And then I realised at 31, having done this show, that actually I knew what it was all along,

and that was to be me. And that doesn't mean people have to be me, because I don't like that. I don't like it when people copy. It's one laugh. I just write that down, one laugh. One tick. No one should copy. You should just be yourself.

That's what I think anyway. And I think that happiness comes from being yourself in you. However that is, trying not to worry what other people think about you. Yes. Which I spent all my life doing, because I had some stronger female role models that like to dominate me when I was growing up. Oh, so I'm saucy, done it. It both. Family members.

I know I'm West Country. I'm not that West Country. Two. Two. Make a note with that. Do you sing? I do, yeah. I sing opera. This chair wants to move around.

In the show? Do you sing in the show? I have an ongoing battle with these chairs, so just be careful me. They're the enemy. I do sing in the show, but not until the very end, which has ruined the ending. But you still won't expect it because I take you on a roller coaster. It's full of stuff. I've just jam-packed my show with as much as I could. There's dancing, singing, I lip-sync at one point, I beatbox, I rap, I can do the splits. Shut up. Yes, mate. I love that. I was a dancer for 12 years.

Fantastic. Some people call themselves a triple threat. I am an octuple threat, which has actually no relation to the fact to look a little bit like Ursula from the Little Mermaid. You don't. You don't know like that. Thanks, mate. That's a half laugh there. I won't you want you to be there. Four and a half. No, three and a half. No, three and a half. Don't get flat of yourself. Three and a half. Oh, fucking hell. But she's only been on like two minutes.

That's brilliant. That's brilliant. That's brilliant. I don't laugh much. I don't love much. So that is brilliant. If something's funny, he just goes, hmm.

They'll be their fucking belly rolling on the ground. I'm like, mm-hmm. Is that because you think you're funnier than everyone else? I'm mildly amusing. Yeah. It's because you're the class client, isn't you, mate? I'm mildly amusing. It's uncomfortable for you to have someone.

No, it's not uncomfortable. That's the wrong word because look at him, you got defensive. What I meant, it was, it's not uncomfortable. It is. You had one there, didn't you? Truth is always funnier than anything else. You were probably very funny at school,

which is why you went into the world of the dramatics. You were hilarious in Doctor Who, mate. Thank you. I was a massive fan of when you were in it. I didn't watch it so much when Matt, what's his face left, but when you were in it, it was brilliant. Yeah, when I was Billy and Mickey and, yeah, all that.

I know him as Rose, babes. Rose and Doctor, that's pretty much where. It kind of, you know, I don't think they ever really recreate anything. I don't pass it. They did it as well as they did it when they did it then. Yeah, I mean, it's made it for more babes. Yeah, babies. Billy should have stayed in it and not done that stripper thing.

Oh, I didn't mind that though, because she had a bit sart. She has wealthy in that stripper show. She's all right. She's all right. But she's better as Rose. Oh, totes, yeah. You guys. Rose was a stripper.

In fact, you know, there's some fan YouTube videos on YouTube of Rose from Doctor Who basically mashed in. Doctor Who and the diary, secret diary of a cool girl, because there's a scene where she has sex with Matt Smith because he's in Doctor Who and that, so they match it together. I'm that much of a fan. Google that, kids.

I used to read fan fiction for Bucket of the Vampire Slayer. Did you write it as well? No, I didn't write it. So for people like that, no, fanfic is when fans write stories, episodes of their favorite shows or second favorite shows and have the characters fucking and doing all sorts of craziness and people love it.

I was always spit-roasted by Spike and Angel in my fan fiction. No, I didn't write it. I just thought that would be funny. That is funny. That's mildly amusing. It's mildly amusing. You didn't laugh. You just told me it was funny,

which is what you always want as a comedian. That was funny. No, you are, that's funny. That's funny. That's five. You're right. Is he doing this with all the comedians? I think so.

You're the funniest ever. What? Funniest person ever. I'm quite funny. Who inspired you when you were a young comedian? Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Victoria Wood did, Julie Walters. And then I watched a lot of American stand-up,

so like George Carling. and Bill Hicks, I mean, every comedian says that. My favourite stand-up's All-American, all my favourite, like, proper, you know, not what I do, which is fuck-ass in around with a load of back full of props and shit. Because my show is the first time I've done an hour of chatting as well, because a lot of people think, oh, I'm going to be, like,

putting on different costumes. I stay in the same clothes all the way through the show, and I ain't Adele in it either, because I do Adele. Is that why you got your wig with you? I had to bring it with me, and I panicked, because I thought I was going to be late, and I was just dying it because it was too blonde. That does look like Adele, isn't it?

Yeah, I do it all right. How did sort of the Soho theatre come about then? How did it get from you having a start? I've got an idea to be funny in a show. How did you get it, someone to commission it? I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016, smashed it in the dick, got nominated for Best Newcomer. Seven.

Seven. Seven. Seven. Seven. Eight. Nine. Run to roll. Like, I need to have a little cute.

Like, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. I'd have bought it. I did a scissor kit to PGN Duncan's Let's Get Ready to Rumble in the Bethanyl Green Working Men's Club and fucked my knee up and did me ATL in. Oh, flipping out, that's painful. When my mum was looking after me, she put the food on the other side of the room

so I'd walk over and get, she's a cruel bitch. And then she also gave me a little bell which she would just let me ring almost like I was that guy in the wheelchair in Breaking Bad, who was just about to kill Gustavo, great reference. Oh, yeah.

They're very good. So I got nominated for Best Newcomer, and then I didn't think I was going to get Soho Theater because they weren't really, Like everyone else I'd seen had been given their spaces. And then I was all like, oh, it's a class thing. It's because I'm working class. Because there were a couple of reviews up in Edinburgh

that sort of really annoyingly referred to me as crass or brash. And it's just a shitty thing to say, just because I've got an accent. And I don't have much fear when it comes to expressing myself. So I, you know, it comes, when you're female, it comes across as someone who's a little bit. To Frank or Gordy or something like that. So I had a...

Or when you're black. Yeah, babes. Working class is the new black mate. Yeah. and when you're both of those things Oh, mate Or female, of course You usually be fat

I'm in a wheelchair now mate You will take a lot of boxes They'll commission a sitcom for you In a minute mate Yeah, no I should try that Just go in in a wheelchair You'll be dandy I might try that

Do it right at dang You're gonna make a note of that Am I meant to ask you guys questions No We've got to move on to our film reviews But thank you so much for coming in What film is it? Well, just name me a film

And I'll tell you what I think Star Wars Love it. Rogue One Star Wars Oh, I ain't seen it mate 10 by the way brilliant you got 10 laughs in 10 minutes that's amazing

fantastic back row and chill with no clock and jana james on tvar radio axle blake welcome welcome to the studio I like it

the fans are they clapping and stuff they just bother you everywhere now you're used to this now aren't you you're used to that sound it's a problem I love it I love it but actually you very recently did have an absolutely massive audience

I did. Around you. I did. Fill everybody in. So I'd done a big one-man show at the O2 Indigo. That's thousands of people. Yeah. Well, just under 2,000, so it's 1,800.

And sold it out. Oh, my God. Sold it completely out. I have seen your face. I've seen your face on posters about Lewis and around. Peck him. I'm literally like, the heckles of me. You've been hustling for a while.

Like, you've been doing, what was that show that you've been doing? Crazy Club. Crazy Club. And it's been just traveling around London. even like Birmingham sometimes Manchester London around London so it's crazy it always looks like a wild time it's a variety comedy show mix of a whole you for comedians and every show's different it's crazy you never know what's gonna happen which is why I call it the crazy club it gets crazy because it just gets crazy it's crazy and the stadia in the stadia you spent a bit

of time also I believe like were you like the hype man or something for some stripper dudes oh yes oh my god he's got right now some research Alex I see you I see right there was this male strip club going around they're all from America and they wanted social medians this is the name I like to use social medians to host the strip show so they called me in one time to host it it was crazy it was absolutely crazy I've never been so afraid of women in my life really I was actually scared men are usually the predators women usually prey the women were predators yeah I can I'm talking Jurassic Park predators you know just they'll rip you up to

pieces it's scary I didn't want to go to the bar but yeah yeah yeah don't know man as soon as they see all post with male strippers they're not gonna go but the promoters was there so there was like 10 guys and 800 women oh geez so when you walk in they notice the men usually on the night out you notice how much men are there when you walk they know and they see you and I was watching and they didn't know if you was a stripper or not which is why they were to approach you in such a way. I don't know what you want.

You don't know. So, yeah, it was crazy. Just trying to take up your clothes. Literally, literally. Literally. So it was crazy. I've heard about Chocolate City. So obviously there is Magic Mike, the stage show.

And then my friend was like, yeah, but you know there's magic mic. There's like a black magic mic. I was like, what do you mean? Yeah, what? And they were like, yeah, chocolate city. I was like, oh my God. Yeah. Jesus.

Literally. I know what my hand do is going to be. But yeah, I don't host that no more. No. No. But I mean, you just sold out the O2. So it's on to bigger and better things. And there wasn't one stripper inside.

Maybe they're not. I hope not, anyway. There wasn't. There wasn't. Tell me about that experience, man, walking out on stage knowing that you've sold out. Were you nervous? I saw you had a little barber backstage as well.

I did, I did. I did. I did. So I wanted to do some things. Fresh. Yeah. Because I've seen some of the artists they have their barber following them.

And I kind of wanted to feel like. Nice. I'm special. But to be fair, I was weary. I didn't know if he was going to be late or not make it. So I got a trim before he came. I told him, I thought, just in case you, because if he misses up, that's, yeah. So I thought, I thought, no, let me just get it the day before.

But you can trim other celebs and social medians coming through. He ended up, he was cutting all night. Oh, wow. All right. But, yeah, when I walked up on the stage, that was crazy. That first. With your heart, it's like. Because I've been performing for, right, nine to ten years.

So he's the first 30 seconds to a minute is the scariest. Because that's when you couldn't judge where are you with me coming with me on this journey Okay, you're with me and then you could just go but it's that first 30 seconds a minute And I've done shows where them first 30 seconds feel like 10 minutes Yeah, yeah, it's just dead because what happens is the energy rolls off the other person if the comedian before you don't do well Yeah, you have to pull it back up and that's gonna take a while like saving a drowning cow exactly Yep fuck it sounds yeah it looked amazing yeah it was crazy so when they and I had to remember

remember they're here for me you know so they came on it's like nah it was it was amazing it was like fuck the Walmart yeah yeah literally it was crazy how long was your set an hour and 10 minutes whoa how long did it take you to learn that amount of content eight nine months yeah that's my hour and 10 minutes and I had to flow right and yeah yeah it's an art isn't it yeah yeah yeah i've been going to a lot of comedy nights in east london to support some of my friends who are trying to do a comedy and they are great and they are so brave and I find it is I mean it must be so scary doing it to a room but I think it's also scary doing into like a real intimate crowd yeah you got to make like 20 people I know what you mean I know what you mean I like

the intimate crowd I like because that's where you find that's where the joke starts yeah it's for me you go you mess about and then you find a little gem you know okay let me work on that then you go to a bigger club you use that and it grows I like the intimate crowds because that's where you find a little mm-little something here take it away work and it's amazing would you do comedy yeah well that's also why I'm going to watch because I'm watching and observing and they do think all comedy virgins in stockwell where basically you go and it's like for people who are starting out and that's what I lack because the audience already know what they're getting sometimes when some people will fling on an open mic or a new

comic on a big show where all the comedians are seasoned is what we like to call them. That's not fair. It's not fair because the audience is like, what's going on here. But when you're at open mic and all the audience know what they're getting, it's good.

And they say, yeah, you kind of just take it like, oh, they're trying and stuff like that. But it is interesting to see different people's styles. And also some people who, they're kind of funny, but there's no punchline. And I realized what was, and I sort of my notes. My God, I really thought my notes. I was like, guys, this is all good,

but not one of you did what the professional people do, which is where you start with some sort of joke. and then you end your show referencing that first joke. Yeah, somehow, that same punchline. Exactly. And I was like, none of you guys are doing but bringbacks. So let's up the game and let's do bringbacks. Bringbacks.

Because then we know that your set it ended. Yeah, and you know that the audience have been listening. If they laugh at the bring back, then it's like, oh, you remember the jokes, you've been listening, you've been on my journey. Yeah, yeah. Bring Back's a beautiful thing. Love it. Do you still do that joke?

And it's my favorite joke that you ever do where when the chicks like dance, Oh why didn't that yeah I stopped that the signals the signals yeah I stopped that oh okay so I was looking at us like yeah it's such a signal it's a signal that all girls do yeah to another girl when she's dancing on a guy and she can't see him because he's behind there yeah and they give you one of these on that kind of looks like no yeah that's not the one because you also do run a lot of social media and you've got an instagram what's your instagram shout out actual comedian and a lot of your stuff is observational yes I find the most hilarious yes the most relatable And so, yeah, I guess that's like super observational.

It is. Yeah. That's what I try to do with my comedy online and with life. What really tickles me is like socially awkward situations. Like when someone goes to shake someone's hand and the other person doesn't see and then I'm really interested in what that person does to cover that up. Like that is so funny. Okay. You're like there and then they miss it and then you're like, what do you do?

You know, I hate this happened to me recently as well. someone I thought they waved at me from across the road this really happened I thought they waved at me so I waved back because sometimes people know you when your social media people like they were hey I just assumed they was waving on me so I was waving back and then I realized it wasn't waving at me but I decided what am I gonna do so I decided to carry on waving as if I was waving at somebody else yeah the lady but the old lady Doris Doris hello I'm a cat yeah

That just absolutely kills me. So either like physical comedy stuff where people, you know, like falling, not missing handshakes and stuff or just like really awkward situations and I always seem to find them and put my foot in my mouth. I've had a few of those recently. I've met a few old friends recently and you don't know whether to go in for like one of these ones

or a hug. Well, I mean you had that moment. Yeah, we actually have it. And it goes like this. Yeah. And then their hands out there because I'm going to hug you. Yeah. You just do a dancing.

Like I didn't know when, do you do a kiss or do you do a whatever. Like I remember once. a guy kind of like went in I went for a hug he went for a kiss and then I'm just kissing inside my ear and it was like this is weird or on the neck did you stay there or did you move back it was kind of like some people what they tend to do is to break the silence is laugh like sorry about that for some reason you automatically want to laugh even though it's not funny you're just doing it to kind of bring it awkwardness yeah I had a really awkward funny moment well yeah it was just awkward

so now looking back it's kind of hilarious so I'm in the date game at the moment. I'm going on to answer dates and I tend to have like a kind of a stock questions that I'll start to break the ice and stuff. So I end up actually having the same conversations a few times because, you know, and one of my questions that I like to ask people is like, if you could go back in a time machine, where would you go and why? And like, it's just, you know, it's a bit different to like, for what you do? What's your favorite time? Which has always been like a really good conversation starter. Until I went on a date with the Nigerian guy. And I was like, if you were in a time machine,

Where would you go back in wine? He's like, Dave, my history of my people was not like great. Oh my gosh. And I was like, Why would he say he did that? I was like, oh, yeah, I'm really sorry about that.

Did he laugh off to him? I feel like he was joking. Was he just, no, he was serious? Well, he was kind of, yeah, well, he played it straight for that minute and I just sat there going. Yeah. And I didn't know what to do.

I was like, I mean, I'm yes, of course it is. I'm so sorry. I mean, do we want to talk about, no, let's not talk about that. I'll have another drink. Would you like a drink? Oh, my God. He knew what he was doing.

I thought like the, you should have laughed off. He said, maybe that's his test to you. Maybe that's his stock question on the date. Make them feel awkward about that. Maybe. And then see what they react like. That was pretty funny. And so now I'm like, you know what?

I'm going to pre-think a couple of those. Do you know what my most awkward situation ever was? I was one of the most awkward and I was with you. And we were in a jerk chicken shop in Brixton. And I didn't know how to queue for the front because that wasn't a cue. What? There was so funny. So we was in this shop called Reefills and was queuing up, but it's a Caribbean takery shop.

Now, Alex didn't know what was going on. He didn't know what was going. He didn't know where the queue started began because people were just walking in and going straight to the front. And he was that, well, he had a big drink. Yeah, he just didn't understand what was going on. The drinks because they had, like, Guinness Punch and Fruit Pines. But they made them themselves. But, like, the Guinness Punch looks, it's just brown.

And then this mad guy walked in. There's a mad guy walked in and started shouting and whatnot that threw Alex off He didn't know what was going on He was just shouting People kept overtaking me in the queue There wasn't a queuing system I'm just used to straight cues

But it's more of a bar format In a club Oh wow okay You got like Like heckled down there The chicken man Yeah yeah that's what it was like And it was just funny to see

Alex's reaction and that It was hilarious I mean that I feel like that would be a great vlog Just taking Alex round Thinking around. We're in good duo. Alex's getting cultured. I'm not setting anything out, but I'm having to get right on his way.

It was fun, it was fun, fun. Back row and chill with Noel Clark and Joanna James on Toombard Radio. Welcome, Lucy Short House. Can we have a little applause in here? Thank you. Yes. We're going! You're currently, and recently, been starring in the latest West End show.

Everybody's talking about, Amy, which is really really exciting. Tell us a bit about that. So it's about a 16-year-old boy who kind of wants to explore the world of drag, and the way he kind of wants to introduce that idea to people is going to school prom in a dress. And it's based on a true life story, it's on a BBC 3 documentary, just kind of trials and tribulations,

how people accept him, how people might encourage him and celebrate him or not. It is like a camp fabulous production. It's amazing. It's kind of like Billy Elliot on steroids, I would say. It is fabulous. the guy who played Jamie He's so good He's incredible

And also just physically He's so unusual looking and tall He's just beautiful Like he's cheekbones He's just got a model body Like he could wear anything and look amazing But also I think people forget Because he's so good as Jamie

And he's so effortless in it It is a part that he plays I think people expect him to be just like that in real life Is he not like that too? No he's a lot more kind of reserved And he's a true kind of actor Like he really He works very hard

Does he do drag outside of Jamie? No, he doesn't know. He can walk in heels so well. Yeah, because I forget he's doing that every night. It's like, Queen. Seriously, I stack it every time. I wear heel. And his heels are like proper stripper nine inch.

Yeah, they're crazy. It was really current. Like, obviously Billy Elliott is brilliant, but Billy Elliott is also dated because it was set in that time and around those issues. And now this musical is all about these issues today. Yeah, and it's not a coming out story as well. I think that was really important.

Yeah, he's already gay in. Yeah, about like 10, 15, 20 years. ago it would have been a coming out musical and actually no that's taken as a given he's been out since he was 13 this is about him becoming exploring exploring gender neutrality and all that's becoming me me yeah and so your role you are his best friends yeah in the show yeah how did you get that did you go up for a audition it was my first ever kind of professional job was the workshop for the music and I remember thinking the description said chubby Muslim and I was

like oh that's me and so it ended up being my first professional role but because you do a workshop doesn't necessarily mean you'll get the you know I thought oh they'll get someone who's I never trained in musical theatre did you know no so I just thought I'll get someone who can really do all the high kicks and singing and stuff but then I've been lucky enough to kind of stay with with the team or that I had to you know re-audition and stuff she's a lovely part to play and I think it's important that she's a girl who happens to be a Muslim this character and it's pretty Pasha and you

wouldn't maybe put those two together their best friends Jamie this aspiring drag queen and then this kind of Muslim girl more reserved Muslim girl who wants to be a doctor but actually it Everyone knows those people in real life who you go, how did you become friends, you know, seemingly opposite, but they just kind of mull together. Yeah, it's really brilliant. And it seems so real.

Like, it's all set in the school room around the schoolyard, and it's kind of that like, I saw people who went to my school. Yeah, yeah. And I was like, yeah, that boy was definitely in my school. That girl was definitely in my school. Or maybe that was in my sisters. We get that response a lot, but actually people recognise those different.

Because there are school kids and they're an ensemble, but they each have their own kind of identity. and it still feel really nuanced on stage and stuff and a lot of people are going, I was that kid, I was that kid at school. Yeah. So you said this was your first, like West End, if you done any,

what was your sort of acting issue before? So I went to, I kind of took a long route, so I went to Cambridge to study first. I kind of went there really naively, didn't know about the theatre scene and the footlights and stuff like that. I thought, oh no, I was down the straight and narrow academic path and then I kind of fell back into performing again.

And then I went to drama school after that because I thought I'd always think what if. Yeah. So I graduated. from Italia Conti, just the acting side, not the jazz hands. And then we've got Jamie, and then I've kind of been working, so two and a half years since graduation, just doing odd things. Oh, amazing.

Yeah, so this has probably been my biggest thing. So all you guys are playing school kids, can I ask how old, like, roughly? Is everyone? We kind of vary. So the youngest is 19, the oldest is 30. Oh, wow. It's crazy. But actually, when we're all in that uniform...

Yeah, because you're all in uniform. Yeah, and we all messed around as well. So it's just, it feels like... like you're kids we've got that energy yeah I'm playing 16 but it would be not so I'm kind of in my 20s it'll be nice to play something a bit more so maybe my next role would take a bit more of a departure and play something a bit older yeah how do you deal with nerves because you've got some big singing numbers in there big singing numbers yeah I always have every night I go after my first thing like proper singing number I can relax but I actually I don't get that nervous if that

makes sense I kind of I'm quite nervous and quite wide and anxious in everyday life as soon as Anyway. Yeah, as soon as I get unstaged, I'll kind of get a bit calm. Okay, yeah, that makes sense. I've heard that. But it kind of, it just happens.

You're a true performer. Oh, God. I have to ask, don't you see gossip? Has anything ever gone wrong in a show? Like, what's... So people just late on entrances, my hair came out of my hijab.

And people... Because you're totally covered the whole time. Yeah, totally covered. Yeah, and, you know, and it's really part of her identity and her face. And I had a strand of hair that was just, like, poking out.

And people were like, eyes were like, massive. I mean, I think, what's going on? Have I got like, you know, I've got something on my face? And then it was in the toilet scene, which is quite an entertainment scene if you see the show. And John had to go, and he was like pushed it back.

And I was like, oh no. But there's little things that happen like little, oh my God, okay, I've got a big one. I fell off the desk and gripped the edge of the stage. That was bad. That I really thought we were going to have to stop the show. Pop into the audience. Yeah, it was just the audience's faces when I thought I was launching at them. But I mean, I recovered.

It was hard. I've paid 99 pounds for the stage. I didn't think it was going to be an in. Interactive. So you've been with John. Have you ever had it where you've had an understudy fill in and you've had to do the show without John? Yeah.

That actually happened really recently actually. And he's named to Luke Bayer and he did a fantastic job. But they play the character very differently, which as an actor is a dream because you get to something new. Yeah, so it was different kind of getting used to a different kind of actor on stage. But really fun. And that character is really the, well, it's the lead. It's the engine of the show.

Everyone's talking about Jamie. Yeah. So how that act decides to portray that character really does have a domino effect on everyone So we really had to be present and listening And it was really fun So in the future where do you daydream? Like what's the goals?

I just hope I'm still working I'm always like what if this is my last job I just want to keep learning Hopefully a bit more TV, bit more film Because at drama school you don't get that much A chance to do all that And it's a real skill and technique Just to get on board with camera work

I was also like when I remember when I watched it And I was like I wish there was more characters like this scene every day on the TV because I was so amazing that I got to go to the theatre but I don't like every day go to the theatre who can and I was like I wish there was more like really feisty intelligent Muslim girls represented in just pop up on screens

and on TVs and adverts and banners and I've been seeing it a lot more actually recently and I feel like you know there was a Rhyland ad with hijabi girl and then I was reading an article today about these hip-hop hijabi artists and stuff like that so it's becoming more and more of it but it's still very niche and I was very adamant that I didn't want pretty to be seen as like a gimmick character

or let's put a token one in and she's not because the way she's you know how it's written she's fully formed and very rich as a character but hopefully we're going to see more of a shift and so you don't wear hijab in your day today no no I don't practice any kind of faith but I've got Muslim family as well so they were great to like get

all the research and to do it right and sensitively yeah base in this character role that's really cool yeah that would be fabulous I think I think yeah for sure you've got like a full career ahead of you. Back row and chill with Noel Park and Joanna James on Feebar Radio. A huge welcome to Matt Tedford.

George in the Orioles. Hello, I love you. Thank you. Thank you. So nice to be here. Thank you. Thank you. You can sit down now. I know, we are standing to attention. As you should. As you should.

So your show is pretty spectacular. Margaret Thatcher, Queen of Soho. Yes. You just told us that you had backing dancers in it. I do. I've got two backing dancers. We call them Hessel and Tyne. They play a plethora of roles, but it's a show about Margaret Thatcher, in which I play The Iron Lady herself, and it tells the story of what would have happened if Margaret Thatcher had given up politics,

embrace gay culture, and become a gay disco diva that we all know and love. I thought we always think. I often wonder that. Yeah. It's like, what would it happen if she was share, but with a different wig, you know, she'd released that album and gone on the club circuit. So it's very factual. It's just like the Iron Lady rebooted. It's the Iron Lady rebooted.

It's set on the eve of the vote on Section 28, which was the law. brought in in 1988 banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools if you were gay you couldn't talk about it in schools because they thought that you know if you talk kids about being gay they've become gay because that's how it works oh that old that was yeah so it's introduced in 1998 and repealed in 2003 so there's quite a a large generation of people who went to school and weren't even aware that this was what was going on and they couldn't talk about with their teachers yeah about being gay and all that so this actually like thinking back actually I'm thinking back to my school education

and I don't think it was ever mentioned that it was okay. When's 2003? Are we the same age? No. How old is it then? Okay. No, you're a lot younger than you go. I work that out in my house. We do have the same birthday but he's like many moons younger. Looking back, you don't notice it when you're a kid but looking back on it and like that's not right. No, and it's sort of, you look at it now where the world is and there are

a lot of parallels with what's going on with Russia at the moment with the anti-propaganda laws and just generally the world's getting a little bit too right wing for my liking. And you know, and I like talking about being gay because I am and there are people out there that are gay, which is not really what the show about but it's about you know just sort of embracing people and going out and talking to people and also just taking the eye lady and giving her a little bit of love you know yeah she wasn't

she was that terrible but we're trying to you know make a lovable version of marvellous if there's such a thing do you think she would enjoy the show no dear not at all I mean I'd enjoy the round of applause at the end and the love given from the general public which I didn't realize they were such a fan of me dear but no I I don't think she would I don't think she'd have understood the joke. I think she'd have just seen people clapping her going, mm-hmm. Must be good.

Yes, did I do that? Maybe. Who knows? And how have the LGBT community responded to the show? Oh, great. I mean, we've been doing the show now for, this will be our fifth year. I mean, I've been Prime Minister longer than Theresa May has.

I know. Technically, darling. Yeah. And doing a much better job. We've had a real cross-section of people come. Like, you get people on the left, people on the right. You get people going, oh, you've made me like Thatcher. you for that and then people going I really love Thatcher and you didn't go to town on

there you know there wasn't the easy jokes there which I think with Thatcher it's quite an easy thing to do is to sort of go oh she stole milk and blah blah blah if you've been playing margaret for so long now do you catch yourself slipping into Margaret like in saint's breeze or i can't walk around the supermarket without holding the basket as if it was a handbook oh thank you going up to the milk counter going no you don't want any of this just move on move on i can see on the little like PR image of you here that is a great wardrobe and our wig outfit everything I've got more power suits if you ever you need to borrow a power suit I've got more power suits go to Matt Matt go in I've got more pussy bow blouses than you could possibly and people give me clothes now which is what that is but it sounds amazing you know there's like you go to Mark you've been Marks and Spencer with your mum yeah it's one of those collars where they sort of they tie it and it makes a nice little bow you know like a present it's a massive bow on the front of your shirt I'm writing that down I think everybody should have every man should have to wear a pussy blow boughs at some point yeah but I've got loads of unfortunately Unfortunately, I've got a wardrobe full of Margaret Thatcher clothes.

And if you don't know me, you don't know that this is what we're doing, if you sort of broke into my house and saw all that. He's like, who is this guy? Margaret? It'd be very strange. This is Margaret's house. And people call me like, you know, Maggie on the street now. You're like, yep, there I am.

Yep, which is quite strange and bizarre. And how have the Conservative Party reacted? Have you had any kind of positive or negative? Lots of positive. There are a few people that always, that don't come to see the show and assume that it's what it is and then you have to deal with that. But the majority of people that come,

at least they've told... I mean, some people could have hated it but they're not on Twitter or reviewers or anything like that. But no, after five years, the audience is very loyal and we get lots of new people coming in. It's a different show every night because it's comedy and the audience is different and I like to...

Well, Maggie likes to mess around and... Maggie likes to mess around. You heard it here. Exclusive. And where did the idea come from? Were you just sort of sitting down one day watching the news? Or like...

Well, it was an old Halloween costume. I went to my best mate's house for Halloween once as Margaret Letcher because I thought it was funny. And it was. Then she died. God bless her. Oh, yes. And we were asked to write a rapid response piece,

which was supposed to be like 50 minutes for a week. And that was five years ago. So here we are five years later. It's been expanded for an hour. We've been done a national tour. We've done West End runs. We've been to Australia and we've sold out five Edinburgh's and it's just gone a bit insane.

We've done a game show. We've done club nights. I've done porn idol where I've done. men stripping dressed as Margaret Thatcher. I've been up and down streets. I've been kicked in the street by Glasgow Asians for the poll tax. I've been drunk on tubes, drunk on buses, you name it. I've been there.

I've done auctions at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office where I've had to sit with Alex Salmond and people from various different political parties doing an auction. I've been more places as Margaret Thatcher that are interesting. Than you have us myself. Sometimes you go to parties and you go, do you want me or do you want Margaret Thatcher? Which one do you want? Which one do you want? Which one suits the atmosphere.

Because if it was Maggie, you're paying. If it's Macie, you're paying less. either way. Joe, if you were going to cross-dress into the opposite sex, what famous character would you go for? I'm trying to think, well, I would go for if I was going to... Drag Kings are the new thing. My friend does it, and she does it really well, really well.

She does a wonderful night of the glory called Man Up. It's brilliant. She does like a lord character, so she goes very regency and has cane and the moustache. Oh, right. That's very committed. Very committed. Oh, if you're going to do it, though, do it in a position of power. Oh, yeah, for sure. All the way. I've played a couple of paper boys in the old musical. Oh, you were at the back, was it?

Was it? Yeah. Did you get calm? in that play and they thought no she's just not quite leading lady material I'm always in the bloody chorus I'm always in the chorus yeah growing up in the old and dram I was in the chorus but um I did not a chorus stuff played an excellent paper boy one and two yeah but you kill it don't you like you want to do it like I was the baker boy in Beauty and the Beast and that first line that opened the show

spot on did it boom close the show as well I'm probably thinking about it now I'm thinking maybe like an Elvis or something okay that's quite good one that could be quite fun you have to dye your air in all sorts though wouldn't you You do the lip? I'd wig it out. If your voice gets a little bit husky, you might be all right with it. I mean, well, I've got this cough right now. Today's the day?

Today's the day? Today's the day that I become Elvis. Oh, yeah. Well, actually, this is a nice little segue into the next song, which is called King's Dead because Elvis is dead, isn't it? Fuck it. Oh, that one flat line, didn't it? That was a good link, though.

That was a good link. You stay with the radio. I'll do the comedy. You do the radio, how is that? I wonder why you're only Page Boy number one and two. I know, this is exactly why. I just bombed. my auditions all the way through is your Margaret Factor wig itchy yeah I was wondering

that no oh no well there we do take the truth I've gotten so used to putting it all on now like it's just you know you go out on the Friday night you're like yep sticking it all on now and it doesn't feel I just comfortable in it it's kind of worrying you know brash up with my mum I know a lot about women's underwear that I never needed to know as a gay man which unfortunately now I do now you do well not thought of who I want to be oh go on the queen you could do a good queen Joe I'll do the queen the pearls the the handbag the colorful Yeah.

Yeah, with the Queen and Margaret Thatcher friends. We can be. Debate. We did have a chat once a week. Yes, we did. We did. Yeah? We've got Maggie and Elizabeth that she could have been. Thank you very much for having me, dear.

And remember, no matter who you are, where you go, or whom you love, you're all Thatcher's children, and she loves you very, very much. Back Row and Chill with Noel Clark and Johanna James on TV Bar Radio. Right, when we didn't find any... but we did find some I see so welcome Icy Jones what's happening what's happening welcome tobacco and chill yeah man I'm here and he said Fubar and chill but that's just like what fubat and chill you're not yeah I was trying to teach my dad what banter was the other day I was like you know what banter is he's like course I know what banta is

he's like well you do a bit of banter no he also didn't know what my dad was and I tried to show him and he thought I was he literally thought I was just making it up and trying to make it he's like I don't believe that's a thing I was like seriously dad You lift your arm, you kind of smell your armpit really quickly. He's like, that's not a thing, Johanna. Absolutely it is. What do you say, no, it's a seizure? Stop it, it's a seizure.

Yeah, it's like, what are you doing? I was like, no, all the kids are doing it. Well, they were doing it. It's very 2000s theme. But every dad needs to know how to dab. Yeah, of course. Does your dad now how to dab, I see? He's a Rester man, so I don't know about the whole, yeah.

Well, Rastas don't dab, well? Restors don't dab. Okay. He does the real dab, you know, that old school dab. That is a really good, like, band name. Rusters don't dab. That should be our banding. I'll be on that.

Let's do it. Ratsas don't dab. But like where is the talent here? Like what do you play? What can we? What can we play? What can we play? Perfect.

Let me think now. What can I play? I could just whistle. We've got whistler. We've got a recorder. I will just beat box and spit bars, obviously. Too great. Rassas don't dab.

So I see you are a man of men of talents, but I met you through the comedy circuit. because you do stand up. I do, I do, I do, yeah, man. I do, I do, I do, I do, ooh. You know that line? I love that line, right? Kids, of course you do.

How did you start your comedy journey? My comedy journey started about three years ago, but before then I was actually doing improv comedy. You know, just on the spot comedy. Junior Booker, you know Junior Booker. I'm a big man in the game. He's the plug, he's the man. Basically, went to his shows.

I kept on going to his shows, kept him going to his shows. And then after, he said, you know what? I see. You really think you're a comedian? I said, yeah. No, you're not. You have to do stand-up first. So I was like, okay, cool.

So for the whole year of 20, what's it, 2015, I was watching the shows and I was saying, yeah, I'm going to do it. I'll do it next week. I'll do it next week. December, I can't remember the day exactly, but I know in 2015 in December. December 16th, 1914. You know, it sounds like I'm just bringing out the book. Towards the night before Christmas. Anyway, yeah, you know, it was like in December, that's when I started comedy.

That's when I started to stand up. I was do-doo at first. But, you know, afterwards you start to get confident and you just move on. Do you do a nervous poo before the show? Not even. Not even. It's a nervous we. A nervous we.

I've always got to have a nervous poo before I do some sort of show. I'm doing like a live show. Doing like toilet paper, origami. So where can people see you? They can do them on my Instagram. So you run your Instagram to you? When did you start doing Instagram comedy? I started doing Instagram comedy in 2014.

You like dates and time? Yeah, yeah. I love it. I'll be like a few years ago, mate, you know. I don't know. I don't know, I don't know. I'm 14, and my ex-fiancee brought me into this thing. Yeah, ex-fiance.

You can't drop a thing like that, and that make us not go... Ex-fiancey, she said, yeah, well, I see, come on now, you need to... If you're really about this comedy, like, start doing, because you're a funny guy. So, just show me. Add this thing. And then from there, I was just, like, doing funny videos. Show me, prove it. Just started from there, really. I got into comedy.

I did a drama school, and then I was doing the whole, like, you know, all this thing. All of that jazz. And it was kind of, like, going well, but obviously not that. well and I got bored and I was like crap I really want to I just got like wrettless and I met an agent who's really real with me he's like I'm gonna be honest with you everyone and their best friend and there's so many actors in the industry that look like you and will probably be better than you and basically babe you're not gonna make it on downtown Abbey but he's like I've met you for 30

minutes and you've already like tripped over in the park like three he's like you're a comedian he's like rebrand as a girl comedian because let's girls do it yeah so you've got more of a chance getting in that door then you have like the main gate so he basically kind of pointed me to the side entrance i was like well thank you sir thank you very much but it's been fun right it's been great yeah and i thought i got cast in a youtube comedy series that never came out and i'm gutted because it was probably the best comedy i've ever done was a thing called cover versions for youtube it's like an improv comedy thing and i met this oh there's like a group of five of us one of the guys was tj tegeworld

i was telling him like this like funny relatable story about how my mom really wanted me to bring home a black boy friend and he found it hilarious and he was like we got to make that sketch man that's really funny so we researched it we wrote it we filmed it was awful like well in terms of like what i would technically make now it wasn't filmed right and it wasn't edited right but we stuck it on the net it went viral because so many people were like tagging and be like this is me this is you oh god this is so funny like we interviewed all our friends who were into racial relationships and we're like what is all the accidental racist things that happened to you we put like all of them in the sketch yeah yeah so what that's not available anymore to watch

First we got to go right back on like the 200 video you got to go right back at the beginning What on your Instagram? Yeah, I'm on my Facebook I started on your Facebook Okay, but I'll be putting it up on audio TV Well please do and take me in so but yeah so we did we thought it's like the beginning so when people are like how did you start comedy I'm like well I did this sketch about bringing a black boyfriend home and yeah basically it was very fun True story I mean that's true story and true story about my mom as well but it's all good my stand-up comedian career didn't start off well because I started off as myself at first and then afterwards I started a as a character called John Sport.

When I actually done him, he was basically an old man that likes to swear, and all his content is about swearing. And it's very, very Jamaican to the point where, like, people were like, I don't understand you. That's funny, but I don't understand you. I like your body language in your eyes. So the first time I got booed with that character. Oh.

And I got booed at a funeral. You don't stand up on a funeral. You just stand about a funeral. Dude, that's like the wrong crowd. Listen, listen. The story was, my dad again, the Rasta man. That's just don't dab. Anyway, dear, but he's like, listen, son, I have a gig for you and I want you to do it.

Can you do it? I was like, yeah, cool, I'll do it. You said, yes, before you realized where it was. And he said, okay, cool. You know, it's your godfather? I was like, yeah, he's dead, right? Oh, man. Oh, man.

I basically said yes to my dad to do a funeral gig. And then when I actually... Is that a thing, though? No, it's not a thing. He tried to make it a thing. It's not a thing because my dad's a musician himself and it's just like a list of so many musicians also. school musicians, Jamaican musicians, Irish, everybody you could ever think of.

So I've gone to the place now that before then, I've actually spoke to my mom and mom saying, are you dumb? Yeah. Are you dumb? You know, it's going to be your funeral if you start coming over here. My mom was so real. It's going to be your funeral, you know? In Patua, obviously in Patua.

You aren't dead. You aren't dead? That's basically what she's saying to me, that. So I got to the place now and I was reluctant to come out of the car. And I get the phone from my dad. My dad's like, come. Was it in the church? No, no, no.

It was right next to me. the church that's how dumb it was as well in northwest london there's like a center called a saint michael center that's comedy i see just me put it in your set sir no no i got my one-man show coming it's coming later on in the year and these are the things i'll be talking about no i see we need to film this this needs to be a sketch in itself it's real it needs to be like vice documentary style you tell you get there you get your first gig out of funeral and it bombs and you won't get out the cut this is brilliant this is gold don't get out of the car next week you know my dad's saying get out of come come do the thing and the first thing he says listen your character right is he clean

I was like no it's not clean he said okay well you're the first one up so I'm opening the show and he said you know you have to keep it clean so I'm like oh damn I don't know no clean jokes with this character so cut a long story short I'm on the stage my dad standing behind me when I get introduced by the guy the host he said come to the stage with a new comedian come to the stage boom so you're in an outfit as well yeah I'm in an outfit that's happened and everything So I'm covered up. So nobody doesn't know who this guy is. It's just one old random looking guy, but he looked young at the same time.

So I'm standing on the stage now, and the guys introduce me. My dad's standing behind me the whole time. So I was like, okay, cool. I'm comfortable because my dad's standing behind me. So for the first two minutes, I had a brilliant set. I had a wicked set. But for like two minutes and one second, I said the word pum-pum. Now that word, I said that word in a funeral.

Now in the background I heard this weird ruffling noise. It was like, what's that noise? Then it comes forward, it was all, boom, come up at this stage, what got to? Everybody was cussing me off. Now the host takes the mic off me and says, Hohlan, my youth, O'Alan. There's a host at the funeral. There's a host at the funeral.

Listen, this is a showcase. Why is this a really meant like this? Listen. It's a showcase of the funeral. Right. Now, so the host is taking the mic of me and said, of me he said, hold on, there's a time and a place. Everybody was saying at the same time as the host.

There's a time. Yes. And there's a place. Yes. And this is not the time. Right. And this is not the place. Right. Now, I basically look back. My dad's gone. I'm like, where the hell's my dad gone? He disappeared when this whole thing was happening when I was getting booed. He just bailed on me big time, you know? Like, hysterical time.

But what we've learned, though, what we've learned today is that funeral comedy is a thing. And you have a banter bus. so maybe you should do funeral, ban, a bus. I'm not doing it. Halloween. I should join to perform. You can give you the moment of the most experience. Oh, my days.

Listen to me. It'd be all morbid and doing. I mean, you're a brave man to do that. You've got some balls. Is it paid? And that's the thing. It wasn't paid. It was not paid.

I was so pissed. It was not paid. That's, you know. All my days. The good thing about that set, even though it was like a dead set, even though I... No pun intended.

Listen, I look back at that set and I haven't been booed since. Every comedian that comes on a stage will get their boo. Trust me. Some people are like, nah, I ain't getting your boo. You're going to get your boo. You're going to get your boo, fam. You're going to get your booed. So, so, Marvon, sorry, go to a funeral, do a set and you won't get booed after that.

Because this person wants to do better all the time. So obviously, I'm doing myself now. But John Sport will come back one day. Back row and chill with Noel Clark and Janet Dates on TV. We'd welcome to Archie Maddox. Thank you very much for coming in. Thank you for having me. You just told me off air something pretty mind-blowing about Edinburgh that you've seen,

like the most crazy thing you've seen Edinburgh. I mean, Edinburgh, you will see some weird stuff, all right? Everyone's expressing themselves however they want and it can be nuts. But the weirdest thing I've seen is in a cabaret show, about two in the morning. By this point, I was smashed, so I'm not even sure if it definitely happened or not. Although it did. You could have made it up. I hope I didn't, because if I did, then my mind is weird than I thought.

but I saw a man put his whole arm up to the elbow, up his own ass. Up to the elbow? It was pretty impressive, but then he licked it clean, and I thought, no, not for me. I don't enjoy cabaret. This isn't what I want to see? That's not cabaret. No, that's just odd, in it? Abuse of yourself.

If it's self-abuse, is that okay? That's self-abuse, that really is. Oh, that's vile. Oh, that left a bad taste in my mouth, but not as bad as a taste in his mouth, but a similar bad taste. Oh, that's okay, cool. So I'm really excited to go to Edinburgh, Now I'm a little bit cautious.

Well, that's not happening on street corners, you know. It's not that kind of place. It's just be careful of the cabaret. Yeah, well, you know, some cabaret's good, but if a guy suddenly starts getting naked in his hands start getting super flexible, watch out. I didn't even know that that was physically possible. That was the part I was impressed by it,

because I just want to know how you work out you can do that. Yeah, one of the funniest books I ever read. It was like a Kindle book that I got, and it was called, like, 100 funny stories from the NHS, and it was doctors and nurses telling their like secret hilarious stories from times and nearly about 80% of them were people getting stuff stuck up their bump yeah I'm trying to lie about it and what they tried to lie about it like this guy had like a light bulb

up there he was changing a light bulb and fell I was like what naked on a ladder was the light bulb still intact no it's chat okay cool yeah and yeah there's another one was like a young boy he was maybe 15 14 15 and he had like severe stomach pain so they rushed him to hospital they scanned him and then the doctor had to take the mum and then the doctor had to take the on my side and was like he's got a whole deal though stuck up his mom. Oh, mate. You need to have words with your songs. Yeah.

My friend's a doctor. He's got one of them. He used to work in like the OBGYN clinic, which is like gynecology in that. And so this woman was getting a ultrasound red. And the doctor asked the husband to leave and he turned around to the, this isn't my friend. This is what my,

he told my friend. The doctor turned to the woman and went, um, um, your husband's white, but your baby's clearly got black lips. So has anything happened here? I'm like, it's a baby.

How would you know? How do you know? And my friend told me, I was like, wow, that's the one of the way. He's like, yeah, it actually happens quite a lot. Was the baby? No, the baby was white. The doctor just thought it had bigger lips than normal. Oh, my God.

That's like insanely not okay. Anyone listening, by the way, I just want to say, I'm half black. So if you're offended by that, you can fuck off. But that story in itself is just insane. Well, I'm sure that there are like a mishmash of people across the races who have big and small lips. So... I would have thought so. Maybe that doctor was having a bad day.

Maybe. Maybe something had happened to him in the post. where this baby came out a bit caramel and he was just really fighting that fire. That happened back in the day, obviously, before there was any scans. I mean, I don't think, I think it's impossible to tell the race of a baby before a scan anyway. I like the fact that it's a surprise. I mean, that makes me sound like, I don't know who the father is. Oh, it's yours!

Yeah, the nice surprise, not the otherwise it's got scales. I don't understand, what is this? Would you, okay, a round question, would you choose to know the sex of your baby before it happened, or would you like to just be surprised all the day? I think I'd like to be surprised, really. I've been talking about my girl. girlfriend about we're talking we're having a kid conversation from time to time really it's coming how long you been together two and a half years so about two and a half weeks yeah we're thinking

about kids been together four hours mate that's what's getting on that time by bad time and what you are but we're talking we want girl first and then boy well i don't think you be that specific well we can try in it you can do some sort of sacrifice to the gods maybe definitely or something i don't know how it works i always thought i wanted boys and then i nannied a little girl and she kind of like melted my heart and i was like oh maybe the thing is i got god thought she's five years old and before that i always thought and i've not sure I'm not a girl but after like being around that I'm like oh yeah I like girls I've got a good son and he's he's all right also nowadays necessarily boys and girls you could have four boys

and they could all be flamboyant gay queens so you can't really pick your gender anymore they pick their own gender exactly can I say my god's son he's old enough to actually listen to this now so I should say that was a joke thing in case you're upset at what I say it's son of him jokes and so how did you become a comedian and think I'm going to write a show and I'm going to put it on in Edinburgh Kind of accidentally, you know. I love accidental. Yeah, I was doing an improvised play, so you just make everything up from the start,

not quite improv and not quite play. And a comedy promoter is in the audience, they come up to me and there was like, your mind is weird. And I took it as an insult, and I'm going to fuck you then. And then he said, no, no, no, no, you should try doing stand-up. And I didn't know that you could try it. I thought, I don't know what I thought.

I thought someone maybe just picked you in the street and went, he looks like you'll do a job. Yeah, get on the mic, glad you can get on the mic. I have no idea. And then snowballed since then. Do you still get nervous? I wouldn't call it nervous I mean a little bit

it depends on the gig really but I wouldn't call it nerves anymore it's more I still get adrenaline but I kind of I know what's going to happen and if it doesn't then the audience are wrong there's the audience fault so you can just piss off basically

that's what I say you've paid jokes on you ha ha ha pretty much and where in London is your favourite place the gig I've a top secret comedy club yes that's brilliant I went recently about two months ago and it was such a good Friday night top secret is banging

I love Top Secret or Angel. Okay. Which is just, that's a free night. It's around the corner from here in Angel. Yeah, that's a great night. It looks like Dwayne Johnson isn't going to be running for president after all. The actor, former wrestler, he hinted on numerous occasions that he was going to run for office. But I think he was going to be up against, like, Kanye.

And Will Smith at one point, in it? Oh, wow. Oh, who would you go for? Out of those three? Yeah. I'm going for the rock man. I'm between Will and Dway, you know. I mean, Kanye can't get anywhere near that.

But seriously, I respect both. Dwayne and Will a lot so oh I have to have to toss the coin I don't know Will just gets too excited for me because can you imagine him in one of the White House thin is just bouncing around the place The rock I mean maybe because he's done a lot of action movies but I kind of trust him in like a kind of

A war A war scenario you know he'd know what to do He would never get kidnapped either We wouldn't have to worry about that But yeah but he's taking himself out of the running What have you done Dwayne? No I've met him once and he was amazing He was really really lovely

I think if I met him I'd cry Were you a fan of the WWF like in the day? Yeah, I would. So when I met him, I just became a 10-year-old again. And I was just like, oh my God, it's the rock. There's only two people I've been star-struck by it in my life. I've met quite a few, like, celebrity staff people. The only two was, one was Tiary Henri, Arsenal legend.

Okay, yeah, yeah. And he looked me in my eyes and I cried immediately. He just bursted to do it like a baby. And the second one was Romeo from So Solid Crew. I remember So Solid Crew. I remember so solid crew. And he came to a gig that I was doing. And he came to a gig that I was doing.

And he come out to me, he was funny. And I didn't know what to say, so I just quoted his own lyrics back at him. Okay. I just went two, my reply by 10 plus one. And he went, yeah, that's my lyrics. Oh, he's like, oh, he's a cool fan. Yeah. He's a cool guy.

You just lost all your cred. I could not. I could not help it, but I didn't expect to see him there. Yeah, I still love Romeo. I fanguiled over The Rock, for sure. And who else did I fang over a little bit? Kevin Hart a little bit. Oh, did you meet them together?

Yeah. Ah, okay. I was feeling extra like, oh my God. Oh, my God, this is the real. Somebody pinch me. See, I'd be cool with Kevin Hart, but the rock I think I would get. I was trying to teach them British slang, which was really fine. How did that go?

Well, you know, like, Kevin, he just left the room and was just like, Lowy, Lowy! Lerit! When I first started stand-up, I used to be able to do an impression of Kevin Hart, I think. You can go for it, let's try again. He's very hard. Okay, so his hair was facing this way, but his hair was like, and he was whole assing. That was good! That's it, that's all I can do.

That was good. I'm going to give you a round of applause. Well done. That was for you. Fantastic. Kevin, if you're listening, I can do voiceover when you're not in the place just so you know, I can do your voice. Back row and chill with Noel Clark and Johanna James on TV radio. Guys, I've just been told that we have Noel Kirk on the line.

He's live from the set of where he is. We're just going to pop over to him and get a bit of gossip. Knowlington, are you there? I'm here, baby. Are you with him on my show? Hey, baby. I'm keeping your seat nice and warm. Don't worry, I've got your seat, nice and warm.

This is Kevin Freshwater. Hello. He's for you. As a guy, you what? I'm good, man. You're sitting nice and warm. It's all right. I've got a toastie for you when you get back.

That fucking chair gives me trouble, man. Every week, no, breaks the bloody chair. Where are you? What's happening with you? Where are you? Mate, I'm in the middle of fucking butt-fuck nowhere, mate. I get things everywhere. It's dark.

I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. But I'm on set. I can't tell you what it is. Oh, is it a secret, huh? Yeah. Okay. Well, you know, we're a film show. We talk about films and shit like that.

And you know, sometimes. But, you know, my other job is when I'm actually on the films, I can't tell you where I am. But when I'm not on the films and I'm on the show, I can tell you every fucking thing. Yeah, yeah. Need to no basis. So you're filming outside.

In the dark. In butt-fuck nowhere. That could mean anything. Yeah, basically now, if this was Blair Witch Three, I would believe it. I'm like, crossing the tree and branches and shit in front of me. Come outside to make sure I get on a show. Daddy's back next week. Daddy's back next week.

Daddy? What is your daddy? radio daddy. My mom loves it as well. She's already emailed in. My mom's already emailed in today. What's she saying today? She wanted to get a shout out. Oh, ma'am. Which I did. Mrs. White, you know that daddy's going to be back with a big power topic on the new year. You've been doing daughter, so it's all good. Can everyone some hitting on my mum today? I hate to see a photo. She needs a bit. She needs a bit. What's happened? What did you review today? What films are you talking about today? I went to see Manchester by the sea.

Oh, it sounds terrible. No, my God, no, it's the Oscar nominated. Come on, Noel. Oh, great. You're getting that in my membership. Well, brief. No, no, absolutely. And, like, I went, you know, just trying to be open-minded,

and it was really good. Casey Affleck, Ben Affleck's little brother, is like the lead guy, and then Michelle Williams. Oh, fantastic. Well, you can see, obviously, don't keep up to date when I'm not actually on the show. You're in the woods. Literally.

I can't believe. Which else was happening? I also went to see a screening of the room. The film you're talking about. It's supposedly the worst film ever made, and it gets shot. shown once a month in London. It's a comedy screening, and it was an amazing experience.

Everyone was heckling and shouting and laughing and ad-libbing. It was actually a really good night out. And you, here's a bit of movie trivia from you guys. There's a film that we're doing at the minute called 10 by 10, which is being announced as starring Luke Evans and Katie Whiteley. And the name of that show used to be called what? Why did you have to change the name? What was it called?

The Room. It was called The Room. People thought that, yeah. People thought that the rub of Firstly, the shitter's film of all time, and also the fact that there was an Oscar film called Room. Is that the one of the little girl? The Oscar one, yeah, that's good.

It's actually a little boy. Ah, yeah, actually, yeah, I remember. They had long hair and I thought it was a girl. Yeah. 2016, my boys could have long hair. I know, I've got long hair. Curly long hair. It's so pretty.

Looks like an angel. I'm excited about that. Manchester, obviously, was very good. It was like, it was long. And the first five minutes, I was like, oh, it's going to be one of those independent, like, make me think really slow. But no, it's really gripping and really beautiful.

And it's kind of about this guy whose brother dies and he has to go back to this town called Manchester on sea and sort out what happens after someone dies. And it's kind of the fallout how each of the family members cope and don't cope with this. And there's humor in it as well, but then also drama. That sounds awesome. I'm so happy because considering I thought it sounded terrible.

Now knowing it's going to be one of the best films they'll be in. That's only, I've just won, haven't I? That's like a win-win. I said to people, I'm going to go and see Manchester by the scene. They're like, what? You're going to Manchester? The what? I was like, no, it's a film, it's good, Casey Affleck, it made me cry. Well, everything makes you quiet.

I got all the feel. I'm emotional, okay? I'm an emotional person. Thank you and listeners for tuning in as usual. I'll love you and neither, because I've got films to make. Back row and chill with Noel Clark and Johanna James on Fumba Radio.