October 2, 2011
A fundraiser for local charity Helen and Douglas House, Full Circle was an evening of interviews with a twist: after the interviewee has been interviewed they then become the interviewer. The evening’s line-up started with comedian David Mitchell (Peep Show, numerous panel shows and Observer columnist) and proceeded through John Lloyd (producer of Spitting Image and more recently known for being behind TV show QI), comedienne Jo Brand, Sister Frances Dominica (founder of Helen and Douglas House) and Tom Hollander (most recently known for playing the sympathetic vicar in TV comedy series Rev).
I had expected, with these personalities, for the evening to be nothing more than entertaining. However, what unfolded was a concertina of interrelated dialogues that were thought provoking, delightful, a bit naughty and somehow very much of ‘the moment’. Questions and concepts that bubbled up, largely spontaneously and sometimes in my head rather than on stage, included: how relative to one another, exactly, are happiness and laughter? Is it that happiness is a more sustainable state, whereas laughter is merely a balm to ease the ailments of human suffering? Why is comedy largely born out of frustration, anger and irritation? Can comedy ever be political; does it ever change anything? Is it better to do good in this life, or to encourage people to laugh at the bad stuff?
Jo Brand was charmingly frank, naughty and probing when interviewing Sister Frances Dominica; they explored together the problem of people calling themselves ‘Christian’ behaving in a very unchristian way, and the detrimental effect this can have on society’s perception of religion. On this point, Sister Frances suggested that God does not use labels; that is, you are what you are, regardless of what you choose to call yourself. I love this concept and it reminds me of a newspaper article I read a couple of years ago in which the journalist suggested the media exchange the word ‘terrorist’ for ‘buffoon*’. This would mean, for example, rather than a headline reading ‘Terrorist Attempts Attack on Airline’ you would have ‘Buffoon Attempts Attack on Airline’; I think this could be the single-most effective counter-terrorist strategy. Similarly, and subtly, Sister Frances prompted me to imagine what our lives would be like if we did indeed only recognise our actions rather than our beliefs. This tied in neatly with David Mitchell and John Lloyd's debates on the purpose of comedy; does it matter what the material is, so long as people are laughing? Comedians, however political or otherwise their material might be, can never in fact be political; they are simply ‘creators of laughter’.
In all, lots to think, and laugh, about. A joyful, meaty and entirely satisfying event.
FYI: Helen House was the first children’s hospital, founded in 1982, and Douglas House opened in 2004 as the first hospice for young adults aged 16-35.
(*It was actually ruder than ‘buffoon’)
I had expected, with these personalities, for the evening to be nothing more than entertaining. However, what unfolded was a concertina of interrelated dialogues that were thought provoking, delightful, a bit naughty and somehow very much of ‘the moment’. Questions and concepts that bubbled up, largely spontaneously and sometimes in my head rather than on stage, included: how relative to one another, exactly, are happiness and laughter? Is it that happiness is a more sustainable state, whereas laughter is merely a balm to ease the ailments of human suffering? Why is comedy largely born out of frustration, anger and irritation? Can comedy ever be political; does it ever change anything? Is it better to do good in this life, or to encourage people to laugh at the bad stuff?
Jo Brand was charmingly frank, naughty and probing when interviewing Sister Frances Dominica; they explored together the problem of people calling themselves ‘Christian’ behaving in a very unchristian way, and the detrimental effect this can have on society’s perception of religion. On this point, Sister Frances suggested that God does not use labels; that is, you are what you are, regardless of what you choose to call yourself. I love this concept and it reminds me of a newspaper article I read a couple of years ago in which the journalist suggested the media exchange the word ‘terrorist’ for ‘buffoon*’. This would mean, for example, rather than a headline reading ‘Terrorist Attempts Attack on Airline’ you would have ‘Buffoon Attempts Attack on Airline’; I think this could be the single-most effective counter-terrorist strategy. Similarly, and subtly, Sister Frances prompted me to imagine what our lives would be like if we did indeed only recognise our actions rather than our beliefs. This tied in neatly with David Mitchell and John Lloyd's debates on the purpose of comedy; does it matter what the material is, so long as people are laughing? Comedians, however political or otherwise their material might be, can never in fact be political; they are simply ‘creators of laughter’.
In all, lots to think, and laugh, about. A joyful, meaty and entirely satisfying event.
FYI: Helen House was the first children’s hospital, founded in 1982, and Douglas House opened in 2004 as the first hospice for young adults aged 16-35.
(*It was actually ruder than ‘buffoon’)