mostly david ephgrave

Finally, five years on from our last instalment interviewing Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee in a conference room at Hitchin's Sun Hotel before their set at The Market Theatre next door, we have a new episode of our More Than Mostly Comedy Podcast available. This time, the comedian and impressionist Kate Robbins and standup and star of Red Dwarf Norman Lovett were in the spotlight; almost literally, in that we interviewed them onstage during the second half of February's Mostly Comedy at Hitchin Town Hall. It just so happened this was the last show before the coronavirus lockdown prevented live performances from taking place and it already feels like an age ago. I look forward to when we can return for many reasons; not least because it was great to make what was usually my favourite point of the evening - the chance to interview such fascinating people - part of the show. And though this first attempt at chatting informally in front of an audience was a little nervewracking...

I spent much of today editing the latest episode of our More Than Mostly Comedy Podcast - the first new instalment since 2015 - so we can release it later this week. The new episode is exciting for many reasons. Firstly, it's good to be back. Secondly, it features conversations we recorded together yet apart during lockdown, which - thanks to the wonders of modern technology - sound like we're in the same room. And thirdly, it's the first episode to consist of interviews recorded live onstage. See? Three reasons = many . Considering it's our first live interview and the first time we attempted capturing the recording in a challenging gig setting, I'm exceptionally pleased with it. Even without the caveats, it sounds relaxed and is an interesting listen. It helps that both interviewees - Norman Lovett and Kate Robbins - are easy to talk to and have done so many fascinating things. We couldn't have wished for two better subjects to kick-off our live conte...

Tonight we attempted a social experiment by doing the first-ever live version of our until-recently-mothballed More Than Mostly Comedy podcast, interviewing Kate Robbins and Norman Lovett onstage during the second half of this month's gig. As with most Doggett & Ephgrave projects, it was a day of multitasking with scant preparation, but then, why change what comes so naturally to us? Stress-management is our collective middle name (with clunky double-barrelment). Despite this, we came out the other side reasonably happy with how it went and with the sense that it was something we can build on in future. Most importantly, it gives us a chance to stamp our identity back on the club at the point it most risks turning into the type of faceless comedy night we never wanted it to be; I'd much rather pull a thoughtful comedy-literate crowd than a rowdy stag-party any day. Ironically, it's the size of our current venue that risks the club's identity changing the mo...

Tonight saw our official tenth anniversary Mostly Comedy show, which was marked rather splendidly with performances from our long-time club favourite Jay Foreman and a special guest appearance from the multi-talented Kate Robbins. It’s kind of appropriate that Kate played our tenth birthday gig as we last saw her perform at our first Edinburgh Fringe in 2008 a couple of months prior to starting the club. I remember being knocked out by her show, which was on at the same venue as us - the Gilded Balloon - albeit in a bigger room. Much like her set at Mostly tonight it was a great mix of music, stand-up, impressions and anecdotes that perfectly revealed her versatility. She also happened to be in a sitcom reading we attended that year on the invitation of Michael Barrymore (who was also in it), who had kindly offered us support and advice after coming to see our Edinburgh show The Balloon Debate with a mutual friend with whom he was working on show about Spike Milligan...

I started my day by trying to get the press release together for the next Hitchin Mostly, which takes place in a fortnight with Kate Robbins and Jay Foreman, so I could send a campaign to our mailing list about it and forward it to the local press. I’ve written here before of how tired I am of the process of putting together press releases particularly for Mostly Comedy, as it’s such a tedious time-consuming practice I’ve done so often. It’s a necessary evil to help push sales, but it’s so unsatisfying and about as far away from creativity as anything is likely to be. It’s particularly frustrating when you can’t find a solid act bio to work from as it takes so long to draw together a few paragraphs that cover enough to rouse interest while also being well-written. Thankfully my wife gave me a hand this time by writing a rough draft based on the recent press releases I’d sent for the John Thomson Mostly and my show so I had something to work from, which hel...

The last few days have been a bit of a mad panic dash to book line-ups for our autumn Mostly Comedy season in Hitchin, which - despite being organised very close to the finish line - has turned out really rather nicely, if I do say so myself. The show I’m personally looking forward to the most is the one I’ve literally just confirmed in the last hour or so: October’s gig will be headed by Kate Robbins, with the no less excellent Jay Foreman bringing up the rear. And while I haven’t had the chance to speak to Glyn about it yet I suspect it will be the same for him too, as Kate was someone we’ve both had in the back of our minds as an act we’d like to book, ever since we went to see her Edinburgh show in 2008, while we were in the midst of our first EdFringe run with The Balloon Debate, which was at the Gilded Balloon too. It was just so good, and such a great mix of music and comedy from someone who was a consummate, grounded performer who was as gr...