CityLife

Mouth Kandi rises from Unbroadcastable ashes

John Cooper at the CityLife Comedian of the Year awards in 2006

THE end of June sees the final edition of the long running monthly topical sketch and character spectacle The Unbroadcastable Radio Show.

But in Manchester as one creative institution dies  - like the succession of monarchs/popes/childhood pet goldfish - another appears in its place.

Two members of the Unbroadcastable writing team, Tony Kinsella and Jeff Downs, have teamed up to create their own unique new project.

“Because that (the Unbroadcastable) was disappearing anyway there was a bit of a void in terms of us developing ideas. I kind of bullied and cajoled this team together really.

"Jeff and I wanted to build up a team that we were happy to work with,” explains Kinsella as four of the team are gathered together to rehearse in the room above the bar at the Lass O’Gowrie pub a week before the first show.

The team that Kinsella and Downs gathered together consists of comedian John Cooper and poet and one time stand up Julian Daniel plus promising newcomers Zoe Iqbal and Claire Trivino.

Kinsella and Downs have each taken the helm in the two halves of the show as Kinsella outlines.

“The ethos behind it was we wanted something scripted rather than stand up but we also wanted something that was a bit different from what else is going on on the scene really.

"So we’ve ended up with two sections, which are distinctly different.

"One is a sketch-based section, which Jeff will tell you about and the second one’s more geared towards a cabaret based on the end of the pier show.

"It’s (set in) a fictional town called Candymouth and the pier is being pulled down.

"It’s going to be very costume-y with lots of double acts and ventriloquists and old fashioned end of the pier type acts - we’ve got a Punch and Judy show, a memory man, an urban poet, a Cyberman ventriloquist, an Eco Elvis - so they’re all very quirky, very bizarre characters but with a kind of ironic bent to them that gets a few topical jokes in there.”

Meanwhile in the first, sketch, section of the show: “Mouth Kandi is a parody on that sort of youth market show; they’re desperate for ratings and they’re desperate to get any teenagers.

"They’ve focus tested the ar*e out of everything and come up with (the name) ‘Mouth Kandi’ because that’s the trendiest thing they can think of in a desperate attempt to sound as cool as possible. So it’s Mouth Kandi with a ‘K.’” elucidates Downs.

John Cooper, a figure familiar on the local comedy was brought in after, “Tony e-mailed us and said do you want to get in and I said yeah, I’ll do that. He’s always been very complimentary about stuff I’ve done which I’m very flattered by,” he explains in his laidback Geordie drawl.

Cooper used to be a part of the sketch show ‘Soup’ back in his native Newcastle with the likes of fellow, now Manchester located, Geordie comics Jason Cook and Lee Fenwick.

Organic and fun

“I’ve always liked doing sketches. It’s fun but when it (comedy) becomes a job suddenly that kind of takes over, I’m trying to get back to that point where you used to throw ideas around and it was great and organic and fun.

"For me this is a little chink of that coming back that. Not be precious just kind of what if we did this? Not thinking about where’s the money coming from, who’s the point of contact. You get to the point where everything’s horribly serious. Let’s just write funny stuff and enjoy it. That’s what’s in it for me quite frankly.”

Julian Daniel was a familiar face on the stand up circuit a few years ago but latterly has been a significant figure on the local poetry circuit.

“I remember when he was an absolutely brilliant stand up and I had really high hopes for him,” recalls Kinsella, “he seemed to be doing a lot of poetry but not be doing stuff on the stand up circuit and my getting in touch with him was almost dragging him back into this scene.”

Zoe Iqbal is a newcomer to the comedy scene and has only been writing for a year so was a bit chuffed to be invited on board.

“I was writing as part of a sketch group with two other girls and Jeff kindly came and watched our rehearsals.

"Because I’ve only been writing for a year I want to do every project, I’m just pimping myself out,” she laughs.

“I just want to learn so much. I’ve seen Tony’s face on posters at the Comedy Store so I was flattered that they’d let me have a go.”

The other newcomer Claire Trivino has been garnering plaudits for her character act Geri from Bury.

“She did a comedy course for women run by Victoria Cook and they did a night at the Frog and Bucket called Laughing Calves. Her act was really well-received, it’s a really strong character that everyone really likes,” expounds Iqbal.

So the team’s gathered together, the intro films have been shot and the show debuts on Sunday.

It’s a welcome addition to the burgeoning ‘alternative’ format comedy nights in the city and could well become another Manchester institution in the Unbroadcastable tradition.

Mouth Kandi is at the Lass O'Gowrie on Sunday, April 5.