+3 Interview: Laughing Stock

“We like to tell stories in odd and unusual ways, and so we experiment with sound and movement a lot in our shows.”

WHO: Rhys Bevan, Writer and Performer

WHAT: “Laughing Stock is a character-based and narrative-driven sketch comedy foursome. Sketches are interwoven within a rich tapestry of music, dance, mime and song in order to tell detailed and intricate tales of irreverence and irregularity. Expect reality to rub shoulders with absurdity and for everyday observations to be stretched to breaking point.”

WHERE:  Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61)

WHEN: 16:20 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!


Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

As a company Laughing Stock have been up to the Fringe twice before. A couple of us did come up years ago with university plays but it’s a very different festival when you’re a student.

We love the Fringe and its relentless, serotonin-sapping, waistline-defeating, alcoholism-inducing bonkers-ness. But now that we’ve been a few times and it is, to an extent, our ‘job,’ we do have to look after ourselves a little better than we used to.

Tell us about your show.

Our show is sketch comedy with big laughs and a lot of heart. We’re all trained actors who grew up watching Smack the Pony, The Fast Show, League of Gentlemen etc and we try to bring a level of authenticity to our live shows, to commit to observed characters and situations.

It’s written by all of us, devised and directed by us, and produced and marketed by us. Self-made comedy for the crowdfunded generation!

We all met doing the Post-Grad course at the Oxford School of Drama. The show has had a first preview at the New Diorama Theatre and will probably return to London in the Autumn. After that, who knows!
We also love a song and a dance and there’s plenty of that. We like to tell stories in odd and unusual ways, and so we experiment with sound and movement a lot in our shows.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

So so much. Shelf, Loren O’Brien, Rory O’Keeffe, Colin Hoult, Police Cops in Space, Jon Pointing, Red Bastard, Spencer Jones, Marny Godden, Kat Bond, Sleeping Trees, Joseph Morpurgo, Emma Sidi… Blah blah. We’re very excited. To be more succinct, here are three newcomers on the sketch scene to look out for: Dirty White Boys, Muriel and Cloak & Dagger Club. Three bright young things of sketch, mark our words.


LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!

+3 Interview: Laughing Stock 

2016laughip_uc

“Thus began a month of treacherous crutching and wheelchair manoeuvring around Edinburgh, a famously cobbled and hilly city.”

WHO: Rhys Bevan – Performer

WHAT: “Irreverent. Irrelevant. Elephant. Last year, Laughing Stock were a brand new sketch comedy foursome. Now, they’re back to improve upon their five-star debut. Winners of the SketchFest 2015 Audience Choice Award, finalists at Sketch Club 2015, Sketch Off 2016 and official selection at the SketchFest and CoFilmic Sketch Screen Awards.”

WHERE: Underbelly, Cowgate (Venue 61)

WHEN: 15:40 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!


Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

No, this is Laughing Stock’s second year up at the Fringe. Last year we were just about to perform our London previews when Lewis (one of the four performers) ruptured his achilles tendon. Thus began a month of treacherous crutching and wheelchair manoeuvring around Edinburgh, a famously cobbled and hilly city.

Despite this, and the many other hurdles that came with it being our first foray into the Fringe, we had loads of fun, some great audiences and some lovely reviews. So here we are again!

Tell us about your show.

Our show is a sketch comedy show, irreverent and varied with music, dance, storytelling and song. We devise it, write it, produce it and rehearse it ourselves. We are Rhys Bevan, Arabella Gibbins, Lewis Doherty and Phoebe Higson. We all met many moons ago at drama school and have all given up lucrative Los Angeles-based careers for this.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

So difficult to pick one. But I was so impressed with Emma Sidi yesterday. Super slick, polished and laugh-out-loud funny. Even better than last year!


LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!