mostly david ephgrave

Tonight’s University Challenge wasn’t an overly gripping affair, although I did enjoy the serious intensity of Oxlade. Everything he said - as I mentioned in a tweet - appeared to be in inverted commas, and it wasn’t so much as if he enjoyed taking part; more that he was driven by some inner urgency to compete, like the world would end if he didn’t answer each question as best he could. The episode was also notable for Howe’s terribly quasi-psychedelic jumper, which looked like it had been knitted (or ‘knat?’) by George Harrison’s mum as an outfit for his trip to Height Asbury. It really truly wasn’t a good look. See below for today’s UC-based Twitter ramblings: Leicester Vs. Fitzwilliam - Cambridge. 8:02PM: Aldred with his egghead. 8:02PM: Howe's jumper is a sensory explosion. 8:03PM: Tindall's severe, Bond villain eyebrows. 8:04PM: Oxlade speaks like he's doing a voice-over, while pulling...

The result of today's University Challenge was a fair representation of how poorly Sheffield Hallam played, though at least there were partially saved by the inclusion of a waist coat (worn in this instance by the emotionally barren Hanson). See below for my twitter ramblings tonight: Sheffield Hallam Vs. Newcastle (11.01.17) 8:02PM: Hanson: once a band, now a psychopath. 8:02PM: Old Father Simkins. 8:03PM: Lowery's hairstyle was the only thatched roof in London at time of recording. 8:04PM: Doyle's eyes have seen things. Bad, bad things. 8:06PM: Waistcoats (Hanson) and bow ties (Lowery) on young people make me deeply suspicious. 8:08PM: Doyle was the only one of the four to show remorse as they stood beside the shallow grave. 8:09PM: That's not hair on Lowery's head, that's a pelt. 8:12PM: A year of sleep wouldn't obliterate the dark circles from Doyle's eyes; the carnage witnessed is to...

The nicest thing about tonight’s preview - aside from the fact it went ahead - was that some of my ex-students came to see it. I’d clocked their name on the booking list for the previous Actors’ Temple show, which we ended up having to pull, and wondered if it was them (their surname rivals mine for its unusualness) so I was particularly pleased they were able to make the rescheduled date; it’s lovely when someone goes to trouble of booking - let alone planning to travel into town specifically to see you - that you hate to be the reason it doesn't go ahead. They enjoyed the show, which was a compliment as they were always very funny themselves. They were the first to put their hand up for any improv game I set and they always made me laugh. Their class was full of talent, and the keenness they injected into proceedings made the job a lot of fun. The show was fairly good and was certainly very useful, even when putting tearful reunions to o...

One thing I didn’t anticipate on my way to tonight’s show in Brighton was I’d be performing to (amongst others) 27 German students. Informal. Their teacher popped his head around the door an hour before I began, to see (1) if there was anything on, and (2) if my show would be something I thought his class would understand. This was a hard question to answer as, while language wouldn’t necessarily be a barrier, they might struggle with some of the content, what with my propensity for choosing quite niche cultural references; did Noel Edmonds’ Nineties-era work make it as far as the Rhineland? Let’s hope not. My reluctance to answer with a clear yes or no may have been cause for doubt, as he didn’t commit to coming back. I took a bit of a risk tonight, by making some big changes to my set at the last minute, so I could be true to my original intention of using the three dates to chop and change what I do, to make the most of the chance to work t...

Just when we thought we’d seen every University Challenge possibility, Wolfson Cambridge’s Monkman came to save us. Wolfson - Cambridge Vs. SOAS (19.09.16) He had all the requisite tics and quirks of an eccentric UC contestant, with a few extra thrown in for good measure; so much so, I refuse to believe he’s a real person. He was like a incantation brought about by a bunch of nerdy Ouija users; a Weird Science for the weird science student. I was so taken in, I barely paid attention to the rest of the show that was happening around him. See below for tonight’s Twitter outbursts; here’s hoping at least one of next week’s contestants can give Monkman a run for his money. I wait with bated breath. 8:02pm: Monkman rehearsed that smile. Nothing is spontaneous. 8:03pm: Monkman is clearly the # UniversityChallenge unhinged hit of the evening. 8:04pm: For a split second, Henry Edwards forgot what he studies. 8:04pm: "THE BONGOS": my future...