For Your Delectation.. The Penny Dreadfuls

newses

2009-03-17T21:28:00.002Z

dear the internet,

we are preparing for our voyage up north to the scotland. should be great fun. i'm kipping at my friend evil's house and he promised a poker tournament one night. yes! two shows at our old home, the bedlam theatre, before we head across to glasgow to play at gilmore hill in the g12 theatre. coincidentally, both theatres are converted churches. come and genuflect!

we have restructured* the show after the battersea gigs, and have inserted a b narrative. this is because one of the main problems we had with the show was that it was a little too linear. hopefully, this will address that. we've also cut the girl. we love cutting girls.

that's all for now, until the interview we filmed with comedy demon is published and i point you all in its direction.

yours e-motionally,

thom tuck, esq

*as in 'not yet re-written'

Dear The Internet...

2009-03-12T22:28:00.002Z

Once again it is far too long since the last post: three months or so I believe. Every time I do blog, I cross my little fingers that one of the boys will pick up the baton and BLAM! we will have a group blog. But it is not to be. So I shall have to take it upon myself to become the group's very own Crosby.

There are many things to report. First of all, we have all joined twitter. There has been much media-ing of twitter over the last month and a bit. Much of it is informed, much of it not. The not camp culminated in a stunning piece of ignorance from Humphrys on the Today programme, where he repeatedly asked someone whether they would be putting something on "the Facebook" or "the Twitter". Rock on, John. Twitter is, mainly, fun. Should you like to follow us, we are as follows: David, Humphrey, Moi, Neil, Idil and Steve.

Secondly, there have been bits and bobs of media for us over the last few weeks. We were interviewed by the lovely Jay Richardson for The List magazine to promote our gigs wot are coming up in Scotland. We were also delightfully mentioned in the Independent the other day. We were interviewed for London listings website Spoonfed just before our Battersea shows (of which, more later). Emma was a delightful interviewer and they have picked a brilliant photo. And I, of course, have been in the Catholic Post (the link is here, but it is annoyingly Flash(tm) so you need to go to page 21 to see me pouting. i don't think anyone can accuse them papists of being 2.0 friendly).

Thirdly and, i think, finally, as this is taking longer than i thought it would, the prospect of New Show (tm). We have actually got a full, hour-long show that we have shown to people and everything. Lovely, lovely people they were too. Three sold-out nights in the little room at the BAC have really helped the show on its way to being proper good and that. We know now that lots of the jokes work, that repeating "dried beef" is definitely funny, and that the plot must be ripped apart and constructed anew. Oh well. We've got two weeks before we head up to the Caledonian Hinterland. Contrary to popular belief (we've been asked this question A LOT) it is not about nazis. This may or may not have anything to do with little Ms Sukan's ever so slightly misleading publicity image for the Edinburgh shows. Hope that link works.

Right. That's that for now. I promise to post more often, as it's blatantly going to be only me.

Yours e-mmediately,

thom tuck, esq.

merry christmas to all, and to all a dark knight...

2008-12-27T18:24:00.002Z

well, this is christmas... isn't it? a quick glance at the radio times corrects this flawed assumption. it is actually heath ledger season. the battle rages between the channels to plunder the deeply flawed back catalogue of everyone's favourite dead-o.

just thought i'd add an addendum to the previous post as, when i read it back, i realised i hadn't wished anyone a merry anything. well, have a merry everything won't you?

and as to verity's request... stay tuned as there will be an announcement on that front imminently.

there won't be snow in africa, because it is mainly tropical.

2008-12-24T09:31:00.003Z

dear the internet,

we do seem to start all our 'little chats' with the apologies. i'm sorry that i haven't been there for you, what with all your troubles recently. but let's make like a sherpa and put all of that behind us. let us move forwards, purposefully and inexorably, into this my christmas letter.

थे फ्रिंज

i figure that ain't no classier subject heading than a hindi subject heading, right? 2008 has been a very nice year for das penny dreadfuls and there is no nicer time to be a moderately successful sketch comedy troupe* than august. like a terrible electrician, we've spent a few years on the circuit now. consequently, we actually have friends when we turn up at gigs or brookes bar. this is not necessarily a good thing. consider this. i mean, exactly.

the show we did was a step forward for us: attempting to weld our hyperkinetic style (read - mugging and voices) to a full length narrative like wot they do in die hard. what originally began as an interweaving triumvirate of stories was curtailed into one sort-of-story when we realised it would have been ninety minutes long with the original plan. and so, aeneas faversham forever was born in march this year in the bedlam theatre before popping over to glasgow. the show developed all the way up till august (the fringe draft was draft 9, i think) and beyond (we're on draft 11.2 now). it were well good and that.

थे फुतुरे

we've had a cracking year on the radio also, being transferred to radio four and in the christmas radio times and all. in fact, episode three is on tomorrow night. that's right, christmas bloody day. it's the story of marcus faversham, victorian britain's greatest actor. although it's a testament to david's performace as the best friend that everyone at light intertainment ( aren't comedy apparently**) seems to call it the alan bennett episode. tune in and see why.

after this, we're to wait to hear on a number of things as to where our next project will take us. live-wise we have kinda decided what we're doing for 2009, but i think we'll keep it under wraps for now.

अल्बुम्स ऑफ़ थे इयर

everyone else does it, so why can't i? i have four albums to recommend. boxer by the national. alas, i cannot swim by laura marling. one and counting by the wrong trousers. any other city by life without buildings. that's your last minute shopping sorted. you are welcome.

yours e-nexorably,

thom tuck, esq

*this status has been rescinded.
**this status has been rescinded.

Dear The Internet...

2008-09-19T01:13:00.003+01:00

Or, I forgot to tell you about Episode One.

So. Here I am. There you are. Looking all sexy. Have you had your hair done? It looks lovely. No, really. I'm not being sarcastic. Oh. Don't be like that. Come back...

Well. It seems that the repeat of our BBC7 show, The Brothers Faversham, has started and we all forgot to tell you about it. How silly of us. Well, you can listen to the second episode if the fancy takes you. I think it's my favourite from the first series. And now the BBC has got all the radio stuff on iPlayer it's easier to tell your friends how to find it. If you fancy spreading the word, do.

I'll try and do a bloggle each week to tell you when the new episode is up. So you know. Incidentally, they're going to run the first series straight into the second. We're super proud of season two cos we think we've got better at doing them.

Yours e-mmediately,

thom tuck, esq.

podcast interview

2008-08-11T15:41:00.003+01:00

Alongside the glut of generous reviews featured on the main site, there's this podcast interview from the good people from Three Weeks, who also just gave us five stars in their print daily. Huzzah!

Aeneas Faversham Forever - The Soundtrack

2008-08-06T21:13:00.006+01:00

Forever has a rollocking soundtrack, and I'm always being asked "what was that music?" So here's the list in show order:

The Good German - Unrecht Oder Recht
V For Vendetta - The Dominoes Fall
Stalker - Theme
Shadow Of The Colossus - Sign Of The Colossus
Pearl Harbor - December 7th
X3 - Twenty Years Ago
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - Evacuating London
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Tia Dalma
Alias (Season Two) - Hitting The Fan
Alien vs Predator: Requiem - Main Theme
Bioshock - Welcome To Rapture
Medal Of Honor - Taking Out The Railgun
Prison Break - The Manhunt Begins
Apollo 13 - Master Alarm
White Witch Doctor - White Witch Doctor
Bioshock - Main Theme (The Ocean On His Shoulders)
Conan The Destroyer - Main Title (Riders Of Taramis)
Van Helsing - Who Are They To Judge?
I Am Legend - Evacuation
Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - Dinner Is Served
Van Helsing - Attacking Brides
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - Main Theme
The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe - To Aslan's Camp

This time I've crowbarred some videogame music into the mix, with bits and pieces from Bioshock, Shadow Of The Colossus and Medal of Honor. And Team Dreadful is particularly pleased to get the work of Michael Giacchino into the soundtrack for the first time - it's been tricky finding a piece from Alias that suits the Victorian aspect, but if I can get Prison Break in there then anything's possible!

five stars from fest

2008-08-06T12:14:00.007+01:00

A five star review - and the front cover - from FEST:

Not content with joke-peddling, the Dreadfuls are adept storytellers, weaving a coherent and compelling mystery in amongst the humour. Funny walks and hammed-up accents abound, but the trio also find time for irreverence towards theatre itself.

The banter is sharp, and nothing is spared the knife – every comic situation is, like one of the more unfortunate characters, “completely murdered.”

FEST were also nice enough to treat us to a feature elsewhere inside - Worth Every Penny:

When preparing for their Victorian adventures, however, the history books are left firmly on the shelves. According to David, “A Muppet Christmas Carol is heavy source material for us - and Round the World in 80 Days,” while Humphrey adds Sherlock Holmes and Disney’s Basil the Great Mouse Detective to the list.

Even Die Hard [2] makes the cut – “It’s basically the story of Britain’s rise to industrial dominance in the latter half of the 1830s set in an airport in Chicago in the 1990s – one of the greatest Victorian stories not set in the Victorian era.”

There's even space to add to the ongoing almost-feud with Pappy's Fun Club:

Like everything with Aeneas Faversham, it’s all good spirited, though: Ker relents, “We decided to pick fights with people we like – so when we nemesis each other, we’re at least having a good time.”

Hurrah!

Dear The Internet,

2008-08-03T09:41:00.002+01:00

I am very disappointed in your commenting ability. Steve and I have provided you ample opportunity to put your tuppence worth in the mix and only people named Chris have been up to the challenge. Let's have a chat.

Have you seen any shows? I've seen a fair few. I think I've probably done more though, if you count Spank! and the Pleasance Press launch (Berkoff's back and he's gonna be in trouble, Hey now hey now, Berkoff's crap). What's the bestest thing you've seen?

Yours E-nnately,

thom tuck, esq

Five stars from Broadway Baby

2008-08-01T11:42:00.002+01:00

Hurrah! The first review of the festival, and it's glowing so brightly that you might not want to look directly at (though please do look directly at it, or you will not be able to read it).

From Broadway Baby:

Whoever thought a ‘Victorian sketch show’ would work? Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck – The Penny Dreadfuls – that’s who, and they should be applauded for their ingenuity, comic prowess and real comedic innovation.

Something macabre is happening in the city of London. The Brotherhood have built Tower Bridge to use as a temple under the leadership of Mr Frost, who ‘puts a lot of hours in’ to being evil. People are being killed left, right and centre – for reasons, besides the aforementioned evil nature, that I didn’t quite work out (though I didn’t care). Only second-chance copper McAllister, whose first chance was spent when accidentally ignoring ‘Rule Number 1’ of policing (i.e. not shooting a child in the face), and childrens’ author Rufus Hambledon – he of Jeremy Frog (and all its sequels) fame – can save the day. [...]

An exceptional show has been created here. Not only is it at times snortingly funny, but in form, content and structure it is unlike any other sketch show that I have seen. Imagine a crime thriller inside a gothic horror which bypasses action movies and comedies of manners. Add a significant dollop of stupidness, a smattering of silly voices and some expert character comedy and you just about have Aeneas Faversham Forever.

Click through to read the whole thing.

day two

2008-07-31T11:13:00.003+01:00

First preview down, with a nice big audience which hopefully forecasts the rest of the run.

To celebrate, here's a picture of Thom, working the Royal Mile. Though you might not be able to tell, Thom is in costume and is having some depth-perception problems.

Tickets?

2008-07-30T11:56:00.004+01:00

Previews for Aeneas Faversham Forever - at a startling low £5 - start tonight and run through until Friday night.

The Fringe Box Office has had various entertaining problems with ticketing this year (the "printing tickets" thing being just too darn difficult, alright) but the system does now seem to be up and running.

However, if you've had any trouble buying from edfringe.com, we'd suggest strolling over to the Pleasance website. Anything that you buy there can be collected from the Pleasance Courtyard, with the box-office the merest stroll across the square from our venue.

If you're still stuck and unable to book a ticket, please either leave a comment below or drop an email to me at steve [at] readwriteplay.co.uk and I'll do my best to help you out.

The Wrong Door

2008-07-28T08:24:00.000+01:00

oh yeah. this too.

Dear The Internet,

2008-07-27T21:48:00.003+01:00

it seems to me that this thing better start rolling before august explodes upon us and, seeing as how it explodes in july this year, i thought i'd better push now - sysiphisian a task as it may be. my first real post of the festival concerns our origins at the bedlam theatre at the end of george iv bridge in delightful edinburgh.

the dreadfuls arrived separately to study separate degrees at edinburgh university, but quickly found ourselves in the improverts, edinburgh university theatre company's resident, self-renewing improv troupe. remarkably, if you want to see the work of other improvert alumni then edinburgh is the only place to be in august. al smith returns after jealousy-inducing success with enola and radio and before that, chalk, with his half of the bird and the bee, the bird. lucy kirkwood is, unfortunately, not presenting a show at this year's festival. but she has been busy. over the road, at the forest fringe, andy field is curating. while never strictly an improvert, he did come to "wednesday workshops" for a year.

(take a breath, there's a lot more).

juppers the tubby little comedian (NB he has lost weight) is back with a brand new hour of mellifluous, confessional stand-up. miles is, of course, the narrator of our BBC7 radio series, the first series of which is repeated in september before the broadcast of the second. also appearing for their fortieth consecutive fringe are garry dobson and stuart murphy at the stand. and if one full length comedy play ain't enough for ya, then briony redman attacks the fringe with the rules of drama and suspense.

(tell me if this is getting tedious).

in addition to the people with whom we made improv funnies, there are numerous people doing shows who are also in some way connected. up first, it's super sub dreadful: the magnificent pegabovine. my pegabovine cherry was popped way back at NSDF 2003. the show was the freudian slip and the company presents a one-man show this year. it will be fab. incidentally, the show i was in at NSDF03 was like skinnydipping featuring the aforementioned andy field. next in line is watson and oliver; and here the strands intertwine. for lorna, the former, used to be an improvert and ingrid oliver has latterly appearead as alexandra faversham in our radio show.

(weird).

of course there is the other show of our puppet director jeremy bidgood, the last yak, that you simply must see, darling. his show from 2007, haozkla, was beautiful, inventive and gloriously silly. and you should probably go out of your way to get to thought art, a performance piece presented by two absent artists and co-ordinated by our production's second-in-command, dr steve. one of the absent artists was also the director who enabled me to stop doing comedy for a while as she cast me as christ and then as centenarian clown. and... dr steve was also an improvert. and idil. and neil.

lastly, but by all means leastly, i'm doing another show. i'm still not one hundred percent certain what i'll be doing, but it will probably be a play. if, at the end of that, i've got time i might tell some jokes.

well. that's that i suppose. do let me know if that has far too long for a blogging or, indeed, i have forgotten about your show and totally shouldn't have done.

yours e-mmediately,

thom tuck, esq

Dear The Internet,

2008-07-21T23:45:00.002+01:00

Just got back from Latitude. Thank you everyone who came to see our Sketchatronning at the Theatre or Cabaret tents. One of these appearances was considerably awesomer than the other. But they were both awesome because we were at a festival! Saw Joanna Newsom harp that shit in half.

More Soon,

thom tuck, esq

it heats up.

2008-06-20T00:31:00.002+01:00

dear the internet,

it's been a while. why don't you write back? i expect it's something to do with all this crunchy credit that's been going around. it seems to be the route cause of all our woes.

any other business?

a) the set is being built. i listen as i type to our delightful helper jez snore.
b) we tried on our costumes today! i get an eyepatch. so watch out for that.
c) we were totally on telly. and hump and i were discussing how much of a difference it makes being on BBC2 instead of three. when we had a whole four minutes to ourselves on the latter, noone gave a monkey's arse. now we eat dinner on 2 and the world and its handcart send me a text. crazinesses.
d) we've all been doing grumble work on the wrong door which is a sketch show to go out in the autumn... on three. it's done with loads of cgi, except in the scene where i am the human spider i can't spot any.

anywhom.

to bed.

yours e-nevitably,

thom tuck

It's Official: Best Comedy Show

2008-05-26T21:22:00.005+01:00

After a month of sporadic appearances at the lovely Brighton Fringe, Victorian murder-mystery/sinister-skullduggery play Aeneas Faversham Forever has just been crowned Best Comedy Show at the Brighton Festival Awards. How excellent is that? Very excellent!

Forever has been getting some great feedback from the press since it was unveiled in Scotland some months back (eg: The Scotsman, The Stage, ThreeWeeks, Latest 7, Brighton Argus) so it's all going rather favourably on the run up to Edinburgh. And we've still got two months to add even more japery before our third year at the Fringe gets underway.

Of particular interest to an ardent FaverFan should be the upcoming Grand Preview Shows at the Greenwich Theatre - why not book a whole cartload of tickets online?

फ्रॉम वित्हीं थे Bowels

2008-03-27T13:56:00.002Z

Dear The Internet,
For some reason the title is in hindi। Fair enough. I quite like that there is no word for bowels. As I write this, I am sitting in our "office" ( ऑफिस ) on the fifth floor of Henry Wood House at the BBC, trying to script bits and bobs for our second series. Early news is that there will be five brothers... but four episodes.

Since we last spoke, we have revisited Scotland (our birthplace) and done two lovely gigs. We have a full play for August but it has not yet had the surprise bonus sections inserted. Should be fun.

Yours E-mmediately,

Thom

"As the moonlight fell upon the faded tapestry, there was a searing blaze of silver light, and spelt out upon the wall was the word Leicester..."

2008-02-18T15:06:00.002Z

So, after swearing last year we'd never return to Leicester after performing in a small brown nightclub to eight people, we decided to get back on the horse and attempt to show the people of the finest historic junction town what they had been missing. Against almost all the odds, such as the almost total indifference of the people of Leicester to the fact that there is a comedy festival going on in their city, we had a nice crowd of 50 people turn out in the Sparkenhoe Arts Theatre, which is one of those fantastic small arts centres dotted around the country which don't get used as much as they probably should be.
Not quite ready to debut our 2008 Fringe show, we did a mixture of our previous two years' stuff and a couple of new ones especially for our loyal fanbase. The show was fine, but suffered a little from a certain degree of rustiness on our part, and the fact that most of the lights were pointed at the audience, rather than the stage. The next night we went and did a 10 minute slot at the 'Comedy Heaven' charity night at the Phoenix art centre, compered by the esteemed Arthur Smith. We rattled out 4 sketches, and after some initial confusion, the audience being unaware that we were either a sketch show, or Victorian themed, we went down pretty well, with the 'Duel' once again proving it's worth as an applause generator.
As is traditional, with these trips, however, the greater part of the fun was derived from the car journey on the way home, where we listened to really crap pirate radio and laughed at its super rubbishness. Ha ha ha, rubbish!

Episode Three : Leonidas

2008-01-26T11:33:00.000Z

Dear The Internet,

So there you have it. Eustace Carmichael's own Leonidas Faversham. Just listenagained with my flatmate CJ. Good fun. Also in the good fun stakes was last night's Sketchatron: Hyperdrive or whatever it was called. Us and the Idiots in the first half and then the Sunday Defensive and Pappy's after the break. Although some in the audience may have thought it was an hilarious ploy, the boys were in fact without Ben who was filming an advert and had locked all their props in his car. So they busked it, and it was brilliant. Very irritated I didn't buy a ticket to the meat raffle. A Minnesotan tradition indeed.

In other news... um... not much really. The Woman's Hour serial I'm in is on the week starting the 18th of February. It's during Woman's Hour (shock!) and then repeated at 19:45. Five instalments of FAUST, baby!

Kissums,

t tuck, esq

Episode Two : Theseus

2008-01-22T23:19:00.000Z

Dear The Internet,

So, there you have it. The greatest detective the Victorian World ever knew. Had to wait till we got back from our gig, and first ever standing ovation, in Dublin to listenagain and Alex Riley (t'announcer bloke) was hugely complimentary. So that was nice. Once again a couple edits made me go ouch; it really was a pity to lose the seven deadly sins joke.

Fact fans: the name used by the B of G when he is incorrectly informed by Mulgoon comes from these giants of musical comedy, and this song in particular. Rocking. *** EDIT *** I've just watched the video and, although remarkably good, they've changed the name from Chiniqua to Hanifa from when we saw it live. Oh well. *** END OF EDIT *** *** NEW EDIT *** Ok. I've just found, within this interview with them, the original version of the lyrics. So. Thar. She. Blows. ***END OF NEW EDIT ***

And, excitingly, the two episodes that follow I actually get to do more than be functionally bland. Watch out wireless world.

In other news... Heath Ledger is dead. He was very good. Even in A Knight's Tale and The Patriot. Tremendously sad.

Yours in memoriam,

t tuck, esq

Episode One: Horatius

2008-01-12T14:21:00.000Z

Dear The Internet,

So. That's the first one then. Major ahthankyou to all who tuned in to listen to the exploits of Horatius Faversham. It was very exciting to actually listen to it live (we've had the edits since before Chrimble). And your feller who hosts was the Comedy Club was very nice. Special thanks also to whomsoever at the Beeb who stuck us on the Radio homepage. Tres unexpected.

Couple thoughts... There were at least three jokes in there that made me laugh, and I've heard them thousands of times. So that's got to be a good thing. Only one edit made me go ooo-er. And it was a shame to lose Lobardie the Saucier (played by the inestimable Juppers) who makes the Legionnaires a custard and then is killed cos all he has is a whisk.

And finally, hoot hoot we have a second series. Bonza.

Yours E-mmediately,

t tuck, esq

bee bee sea. seven.

2008-01-09T16:21:00.000Z

Dear The Internet,

Excitingly, we now have our own hastily constructed BBC page. Have a look. Even more excitingly, I played Brian Lara Cricket on the xbox last night. Classy stuff.

Kisses,

t tuck, esq.

extraNEWSextra

2008-01-04T21:29:00.000Z

&&&UPDATE$$$
i very cleverly for
got the link. so her
e it is for you now.
&&&+++%%%$$$

Dear The Internet,

They are like buses, you know, blog posts.

Some news. We are in this highly subjective article. Nice though. I got one call and two texts. DK, Field and Idil should really have something better to do on a Friday than read the London Paper. Still... nice though, innit?

kissums,

t tuck esq

The Centenary of Harry Bensley's Trip**

2008-01-01T19:41:00.000Z

Dear The Internet,

It has been an unacceptable amount of time since I, or others in Team Dreadful, have related to you, the world wide wonderbots, the momentous events in Faversham family life. Two months indeed have passed since we last put pen to keyboard and opened up.

First of all, may we wish you a happy new year? Do let us know as soon as possible, as we would fervently like to do so before it becomes a pointless endeavour. Secondly, we assume that you have had a wonderful Chrimblemas. That seems to be the most obvious reason for your lack of contact: being all fat from eating eight geeses or something.

In terms of stuff, the PD's will all be appearing in a BBC3 sketch show that is currently titled The Wrong Door. I am playing Wagner in a Radio4 woman's hour serial. Dave will playing Peter Cook (yes, I know) opposite David Walliams in a BBC4 Frankie Howerd* biopic. Humphrey has been asked to play the central character in CBeebies epic The Magical Wishing Tree. He has declined.

And we appeared, together, in Victorian Supersize Me, presented by Giles Coren and the lovely Sue Perkins. We were the parlour entertainment, and guests for the ludicrous dinner. Most importantly, Sue kissed me twice. There was a pie that was bigger than my torso, rabbit curry and lots of boozums to consume before we shot off to do a gig at the Pleasance Islington, which is becoming a regular haunt nowadays. Totally come and see the Sketchatron: The Resurrection or whatever it's called. It'll be proper good.

I have spent the winter solstice and the days before three kings playing lego and scanning photos of myself from when I had a ponytail and lived in the tropics. I could've seen that one coming. Sheesh.

Yours E-mmediately,

Thom Tuck, esq.

* Interestingly, the first bit of press David & I ever got together was for The Fellowship of the Panto in the Edinburgh Evening News that said "utterly stupid, utterly brilliant... part Spike Milligan, part Frankie Howerd". We used that quote for our first Fringe as the Dreadfuls, twice: David Reed "part Spike Milligan... utterly brilliant" & Thom Tuck "part Frankie Howerd... utterly stupid".

** On the first of January, 1908, Harry Bensley set off on his trip around the world, pushing a pram, wearing a mask that weighed two kilos and selling postcards of himself. For a bet.

The Brothers Faversham

2007-11-01T10:53:00.000Z

Many thanks to everyone who came to recordings of The Brothers Faversham at the BBC Radio Theatre on Regent Street over the last week. It was funny: you laughed, and a social contract was fulfilled.

Digitally stored using state-of-the-art equipment in the newly refurbished theatre, the four part radio show will now be painstakingly transferred to wax cylinders. We'll have some photos to post soon too, as there's nothing better than pictures of the radio on the internet.

The tentative transmission date is sometime in January, but we'll let you know as soon as we have firm details.

Holy Things!

2007-08-24T12:57:00.000+01:00

Dear The Internet,

First things first, and congratuma-fucking-lations to the totally made of awesome Pappy's Fun Club, who were nominated for the main comedy award this year! We were convinced they were going to win the spirit one so we could be on there (as it is decreed that only one sketch show a year is deemed OK enough to be patronised with a nomination for an award they will not win). They are genuinely fucking great.

Second things second, thank you to everyone who has come over the last three weeks. It's been emotional hasn't it? Last night we went (apart from Humphrey [why is an ice cream more expensove when Humphrey's there? COS HE'S A FLAKE] ) to a proper bigwig party and that. It was good fun and I proper fell down a hill and got a shirt out of it. Mike, if you're reading... bless your cotton heart.

Lots of love,

Thom Tuck, esq.

PS, Leeds are going to fuck Forest up. Fuck them up in half.

Fresh Air interview now online

2007-08-22T16:25:00.000+01:00

The guys were interviewed for Fresh Air FM last week - the interview is available to download and listen to over and over and over again (or even just once) over here.

Spank! dates

2007-08-22T16:17:00.000+01:00

The Dreadfuls will appearing twice more at Spank! before the end of the Fringe: tonight, Wednesday 22nd August and on Sunday 26th. As ever, it's at the Underbelly Cowgate and the show starts at midnight. I'll post again as soon as I have the full line-up.

Remaining dates selling fast..

2007-08-20T15:19:00.000+01:00

Some of you may have noticed that our Fringe Office allocation of tickets has now sold out - woo hoo - but the good news is that tickets are still available for most of our remaining dates via the Underbelly box office. For full details of venues selling Underbelly tickets, go here.

Stuckey & Murray

2007-08-15T12:05:00.000+01:00

Musical wonders Stuckey and Murray dropped into the show last to film and interview the guys for one of their tremendous web videos. Seriously, these are awesome in the technical sense: they will fill you with some awe. But hey, we would say that because Stuckey and Murray are our super best friends.

Here's part one of their Edinburgh diary:

Enjoy! That's an order.

the beautiful publicity game

2007-08-13T14:45:00.000+01:00

We're waiting for the next round of reviews to appear at PDHQ - in the meantime, it's great to see that Idil's design work on our playing-card fliers have been featured by the Fringe Office for the second year running. Mmmm: macro photography.

I'm also now in possession of some beautiful secret treats courtesy of moo.com, proving that there's nothing that can't be improved by making it glossy and sticky. Oh, yes.

It's trying to rain, but we're off out in search of an audience. Oh, and thanks to everyone who has left reviews for us on the edfringe website - it's great to have such positive feedback and we're glad you like the show. We do too.

Oh, and coming soon? T-shirts.

Sketchatron Mark 4.

2007-08-11T12:45:00.001+01:00

And we're back for Sketchatron the Second. It's Saturday, it's pouring with rain and the theatre is packed.

The Penny Dreadfuls are first out.

12.46: It's Magic Circle. Thom's voice is filling out the whole theatre - I'd forgotten how great the Bedlam sounds.

"Why would I steal the name 'Kevin? It's so deeply ordinary."

12.48: A wizard's duel is accepted. It's already two-nil to Kevin.

And now it's Train Station, the opening sketch from last year's show. "A world of travel destinations rest within your grasp.."

12.51: "Woking!"

A round of applause for Lucky Owen, and they're off. A really warm reception for a horrible cold and wet day.

Next up, Idiots of Ants.

12.54: A man who has passed every exam in the world. And someone who has everything wrong with them.

12.55: "Your face is continually contorted into a grimace."

Neil is rockin' us out with some glamorous glam style glam rock. And now a short lesson on practical jokes, united by wafting.

12.58: "Please inhale the contents of this bag." Short but oh, so sweet.

The Sunday Defensive! Friends from the Canal Cafe gigs and doing their only Fringe appearance this year with us. Woo!

13.00: Racism. "It only works with four poofs."

13.01: Rape. "Rape. Pour Homme."

Awkward laughter. Lots and lots of awkward laughter. It's all too beautiful for words.

13.05: Caricature. Two portraits, one of which is made from meats. Trying really hard not to type punchlines. "So, that's what my face would look like if it was made out of meats?"

"Phil, your face.. tastes so good."

13.08: "Why don't I choose this moment to start eating condiments on their own? We're about to engulfed by the icey waters of the Atlantic ocean."

13.12: The best current use of a reference to a duet by Elton John and Kiki Dee.

Mr Winchester and Tommy.

13.13: Some quality northern entertainers. I suspect that they're related to Neil, or Dave. Or, in an exciting revelation of the family tree, both.

13.15: A little bit of improvisation. "It sound shit, dunnit?"

13.21: "Belgium, home of the cyclist, I think."

13.23: "Yes, I should go back because we cannot integrate." It's the Daily Mail in theatrical form. Dr Raj Persaud and the happy Halifax man are assessed for immigration purposes.

Stuckey and Murray.

13.27: Some lovely guitar dancing prepares us for "Awkward Silence." Neil is dancing in the tech box - yes, that's the power of this music.

13.30: More dancing. "It's the mother-fucking awkward silence. Why d'you think we play these guitars?"

13.32: A lyrical road-map to getting laid. It's take-home advice that everyone can use.

13.34: "You want to grab a slice of pizza and go fuck?"

13.40: Turns out the audience loves jokes about going camping for casual sex.

It's all over for Sketchatron's trip north to Edinburgh: two packed shows, and the cream of sketch comedy. Woo. Sketchatron is over - but watch out for more London gigs in October.

2007-08-11T09:30:00.000+01:00

Everyone's favourite improviser-du-jour, Dean Haglund (best known for playing Langly, one of the Lone Gunmen in the X-Files for nine seasons), whom we met when he came to play at The Improverts earlier this week, mentioned Aeneas in an interview with Forbidden Planet on line:

"I have been trying to get tickets to see Aeneas Faversham Returns - the Victorian Sketch comedy group… that is my cup of tea."

He managed to come along to the show on Wednesday, and he seemed to enjoy himself lots and lots. Thank you, Dean.

Catch Dean's show "X-files Improv" is at The Lot, every day till the 26th, at 8.45pm.

He also invented the ChillPak.

Live-blogging Sketchatron..

2007-08-10T12:45:00.000+01:00

Oh yes!

12.45: Ginger and Black are on-stage, playing a lovely song about failing to get work in television production which means that the first Sketchatron is up and running.

"Don't laugh, it ended in tragedy. He doesn't like to talk about it so I've written a film script instead."

12.52: Military accountancy school; the cruel parental microwaving of a leotard.

Tommy and The Weeks.

12.56: A very clever optical illusion using two ordinary household faces.

12.58: Ed is very cutting. "Maybe, just maybe, this guy is Spanish."

13.01: The truth-fawn Shibboleth. "It is 1566. Newton has theory-block.."

13.04: "And he plays in an 'Eagles' covers band called 'The Eagles.'"

And they're off - replaced by the Durham Revue who immediately invite a member of the audience on a Quest, A Quest For Treasure.

13.06: Stella from the audience is facing a series of difficult tasks, involving truth and lies. She is successful. Suspiciously successful.

13.07: Stella vanquishes some more fiends, via Hungry Hungry Hippos.

The Penny Dreadfuls - hey, that's us.

13.12: A Transylvannian inn. "Where there is hat-box.. there is hat."

13.13: The Duel - a favourite from last year's show. *ting* *ting*

And now finally Stuckey and Murray, our favourite New Yorkers, singing about man-love.

13.18: "It started with a glass of Zinfandel and my fingers started to tingle.."

13.22: "Some people call us chauvinists, or misogynists. We call those people bitches."

13.26: "I like chocolates, roses and my vagina."

It's all over. And Neil does really sound a like a robot. Same again tomorrow?

Spank!, Sketchatron and more..

2007-08-09T16:29:00.000+01:00

The Dreadfuls are on at Spank! again tonight at midnight, with a ten-minute set of beautiful sketches culled from the collected minds of the Fringe's premiere (alright, only) Victorian comedy team.

It's a way to see the guys if you've been unlucky enough to turn up after that last precious ticket was sold (sob) for our evening show. It's also a stop-gap measure for addicts who can't make it through an entire night without two doses of frock-coat action.

We're also going to be risking the semi-inevitable rains of Fringe Sunday this weekend to appear in the Cabaret Tent sometime after 2pm. It would be lovely to see you.

Finally, the Dreadfuls are appearing in Sketchatron, the London comedy show-case visiting Edinburgh for two shows only at the Bedlam Theatre. It's simply jam-packed with people we like, and we think you will too. Like them, that is, not be jam-packed with them. Unless that's your kind of thing and you're super lucky.

So, that's Sketchatron on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th at 12.35pm: be there, or rue the alternative.

"Shrieking like banshees, they dived upon the cake and gorged themselves, allowing us to slip from the cell unnoticed..."

2007-08-06T01:16:00.000+01:00

Gee Whillikers! What a day it has been. Greeted with an Edinburgh at it's most wet and grim, the executive decision was taken to dodge flyering and go see some shows. This proved to be a capital decision as we went to see some smash-o comedy and also managed to sell out as well. Jamie and I went to see a fun surrealist play at the Baby Belly*, a brilliant one woman show** and a smashing post-sketch show***, all of which were wildly enjoyable. We then did the show to a sellout capacity crowd who were very lovely and just as noisy as our first show, which was awfully decent of them. Pausing only to cram food into our faces, we zoomed across town to the fringe launch party, where we played the cabaret stage. This was a trifle grim, as the audience was more interested in sheltering from the rain than listening to us. We clearly entertained the people who were near and listening to us, but people nearer the door were very unmoved by our carefully pruned pathos. Still. Their loss. Douchebags. We then sped across Edinburgh to the Bongo Club where we appeared at their resident cabaret show The Vaudeville Cabaret Show, which is always fun. So, now tired and weary, we have returned to our respective homes. I can't speak for the others but I'm sure they are as pleased as I am to discover that the Mets-Cubs game is on five. Sweet. What a killer day.

*Thomas Pape, 1.20pm, Baby Belly 2
**Bridget Christie, 3.30, Baby Belly 3
***Pappy's Fun Club, 4.30, C SoCo.

Possibly The Best Photograph Ever

2007-08-04T12:46:00.001+01:00

Fez Times at Underbelly High

2007-08-04T12:15:00.000+01:00

We've set up a tiny roaming office in the booths of the Underbelly: I'm guarding a host of cameras and laptops while the rest of the guys are upstairs performing a guest slot in Lunchbox Live.

Having been asked about old favourite sketches from last year's show, it's worth pointing out that Aeneas Faversham Returns is 100% New Victorian Goodness. This is proven in part by the arrival of the fez, modelled ably by Thom during an exclusive, reveal-all photo shoot for Pipes and Things to Invade Magazine.

If you're out and about in Edinburgh this evening, you'll also want to know that - on top of our regular 6.10 show - we're onstage for Spank! at midnight. You see? There's absolutely no excuse for not seeing us in action.

Now settle down.

2007-08-02T21:41:00.000+01:00

Dear The Internet,

As D'humphrey has tactlessly pointed out, we have been sullenly incommunicative with you these past few months. We have seen some of you in human form during our RL appearances. But nothing feels as truly intimate as our kind of communiqué - this faceless, fleshless form. Or facebook.

As the Filthy Turk (or her monkey) has pointed out, we are indeed selling tickets at ZOMG prices for the next few days. A gratifying mahoosive number of folk attended Preview One tonight, walking out shaking the lint from their hair and, hopefully, with giggle implanted deep inside. Like a maggot.

As David has not pointed out, we are inventing a card game. So far we know that you will definitely be able to make the opponent's Queen barren with a monkey. Word.

And now, to bathe.

Yours Afringedly,

Thomas Tuck, esq.

Act One

2007-08-02T13:26:00.000+01:00

It's the first day of previews and we're mere hours away from the first official performance of Aeneas Faversham Returns. Yes, soon the world will be a very different place. A funnier, more Victorian place, with additional elephants.

During yesterday's get-in Neil (pictured below with a light for a head) revealed some of the secrets of his profession - namely the difference between ordinary and "sinister" lighting. The sinister lighting involves red: he would have revealed more, but as an outsider such knowledge would have marked me out for death. At least, that's what he claimed.

This year's publicity material - a new edition of our ultra-collectable playing cards - are now out and about in the city. Full decks will be on-sale in the Underbelly Cowgate and at the Bedlam Theatre over the next few weeks; I'll be posting pictures of some choice cards from the deck in a few days time.

Finally, as Humble Producer, I should mention that our previews only run for the next few days, during which tickets are available at the "ZOMG I can't believe it" price of £5. After that, the tickets are merely Extremely Reasonable in price, so you'd better get yourself down to the Underbelly as soon as possible. Go now! Run! We'll be waiting for you.

We're the ones with sinister lighting.

"With tired minds, tired bodies and tired souls, they turned North, to Scotland."

2007-07-31T23:34:00.000+01:00

Well here we are again. It's about a year ago to the day when the world first heard all things Faversham. On the anniversary of his birth, it is with very warm sensations of fuzzy excitement that we peer over the precipice of another Edinburgh Fringe festival. It's exciting for various reasons. We are returned to a city which did as much as anything to shape the nature of the show, being as it was simultaneously super-gothic-o, a splendid testing ground for young comedy-types, and our collective home for the last 5 years.(In Jamie's case the last 26) Faversham was dreamed up in the pubs, cinemas and comic book stores of the Old Town, and even if we had nothing to show for it, it would still be fantastic to be back. The air is different. The colours seem somehow richer. And there are definitely way more toothless people arguing with each other in the middle of the road.
Dave and I arrived from London on Thursday and were immediately thrust into a whirlwind of inactivity. I had cunningly secured for myself a dose of the flu/a cold, and so took to my bed with remarkable gusto. The others, somewhat bereft of leadership without my inspiring presence drifted aimlessly through the weekend. Thankfully by Monday I had displayed the traditional Ker vim and sprang from my death-ish bed to inject vitality and good-natured bonhomie into the project. So after rehearsing yesterday and today, we've reached a point of some satisfaction with the show and now merely look forward with a distinct lack of relish to our 0700hrs technical rehearse-fest tomorrow morning. Weak. Then we've only to go watch other shows, jealously dissect them, drink a lot of fizzy drinks, and pull out all the stops for a rip-roaring start to proceedings on Thursday. I've got a little inkling, it's going to be fun.

"They rushed to Donaldson's side as he slumped from the saddle, hissing with his last breath: "update..."

2007-07-25T22:28:00.000+01:00

Casting my eye back over these illustrious pages, I see that it is some three months since I last posted about the continuing fun-tacular sweet-fest that is The Penny Dreadfuls. In that time we have continued to perform all over the shop, at the Canal Cafe, the ETC theatre, and most cool-ly of all at the Latitude Festival in Suffolk. Many new friends have been made, as well as a small select band of enemies. Those of you kind enough to attend the final preview on Sunday will be doubtless aware of the state the festival show is in. Current rating: Not too shabby. With a week to go before the festival we are quite excited by everything, and very much looking forward to pushing our pro-Victorian agenda on all new festival audiences.
Aside from the festival shows we are also forging ahead with Faver-fun(tm) content for other media, and hope to be able to talk about those in greater detail here at some later more appropriate date.
Anyway, we'd like to thank everyone who came to support us over the course of this year, and promise to only pretend to not know one in ten of you when we make it in Hollywood. Those to be ignored, will be decided by lottery, so don't be too upset if you get cut. So dear friends, roll on the festival where, come what may, we fully intend to get wildly laid.

The Bon Voyage Preview Show this Sunday

2007-07-20T22:24:00.000+01:00

Gosh, well we now have completely sold out of our ticket allocation with Ticketweb. This does not mean we've sold out the show though, we're purposefully keeping tickets aside available on the door, so feel free to just rock up on the night (the earlier the better, doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm)

However it is safer to reserve tickets so email the number of reservations you'd like to previews@pennydreadfuls.co.uk or by calling 0798 4037 417 (between 10am and 11pm Saturday & last minute reservations between 3pm & 6pm on Sunday).

This exclusive Ticketweb ticket unfortunately only belongs to the lucky few:

Soho Revue Bar tickets available now on Ticketweb

2007-07-12T18:56:00.000+01:00

The lovely people at Ticketweb have begun to sell our tickets for our highly anticipated collectors' edition preview night "Aeneas Faversham Returns: The Bon Voyage" at the Soho Revue Bar on Sunday 22nd of July, 9pm.

Only a limited number of tickets are available so please book early... Ticket Web Booking Page

Official Previews This Week

2007-07-01T22:54:00.000+01:00

The first official previews for Aeneas Faversham Returns are this week, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 9pm, at the Etcetera Theatre. Tickets are £6/£5, available now from www.ticketweb.co.uk or call 020 7482 0378. Do come along...

June & July Previews

2007-06-15T14:50:00.000+01:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, a veritable menu of preview delights, the first of which is Sketchatron II, taking place at the Canal Cafe Theatre at 7pm Saturday 16th & Sunday 17th. Book by calling 020 7289 6054 or email mail@canalcafetheatre.com.

2007-05-18T12:38:00.000+01:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, a note on our up and coming official official Edinburgh Festival preview performances in London, the heart of our blossoming Empire.

Aeneas Faversham Returns
The Etcetera Theatre
Thursday 5th, Friday 6th, Saturday 7th July, 8.30pm

Aeneas Faversham Returns
Soho Revue Bar
Sunday 22nd July, 8.30pm

To book, email previews@pennydreadfuls.co.uk

2007-05-14T20:28:00.000+01:00

Hello, avid interweb readers. An announcement that the Penny Dreadfuls have been nominated for the Leicester Comedy Festival Award for Newcomers of the Year 2007!

Sketchatron, 17th-21st April, 7.30pm, Canal Cafe Theatre, London

2007-04-15T04:29:00.000+01:00

This week, Faversham takes to the stage every night for Sketchatron, 7.30pm, Tuesday through Saturday at one of our favourite London venues, the Canal Cafe Theatre, on the bank of a canal, near Warwick Avenue tube station. We're joined by the two excellent London-based sketch troupes, Canal Cafe favourites The Sunday Defensive and the rather well dressed Idiots of Ants. Doors are at 6.30pm, show at 7.30pm, each troupe gets 25 minutes, the Idiots followed by the Defensive followed by the Dreadfuls, and then we'll head downstairs to fashionably loiter around in the bar till late. With lots of brand new sketches, it should be really rather fun. To book tickets please call the Canal Cafe on 020 7289 6054 or email mail@canalcafetheatre.com.

"We could still see their campfires; and with Leighton's relief column at least three days away, we were forced to half our champagne rations..."

2007-04-02T18:27:00.000+01:00

Well it really has been a most enjoyable week, in London. A stint at the reopening of the BBC Radio Theatre on Wednesday and an evening headlining at Big Chuckles in Little Venice on Sunday was topped off to perfection by a trip to the Zoo and the Sherlock Holmes museum, today. If that isn't an awesome time I don't want to know what is. Oh yeah, and Peter Crouch hit the perfect hat-trick against Arsenal. Sweet.

Live At The BBC

2007-03-31T01:45:00.000+01:00

We had a lovely time at Broadcasting House on Wednesday night. Thom insisted that I should photographise him, so I did!

scotsman review: "exceptional talent"

2007-03-22T11:15:00.000Z

A lovely four-star review in today's Scotsman crowns the Dreadful's return to Scotland:

Bursting with derring-do, gothic villainy and aristocratic camp, Victorian pulp fiction is ripe for comic pastiche. And sketch troupe The Penny Dreadfuls embrace the genre with enthusiasm. They send up their inspirations with such panache that their spoofing might well sustain an entire career's worth of material.

Imagine Conan Doyle, Dickens and H G Well's prose brought to life as Michael Palin and Terry Jones's Ripping Yarns, because Aeneas Faversham's is a world narrated with arched eyebrow, a candlelit realm of orphans, adventurers, freaks, diabolical laughter and Machiavellian plots. Fresh-faced yet mutton-chopped, macassared and puff-chested in their waistcoats, the youthful ensemble of Jamie Anderson, Humphrey Ker, David Reed, and Thom Tuck have contrived an almost entirely new show since their well-received Fringe run.

Tuck and Reed in particular are blessed with considerable facial tics and scheming expressions, and the cast interact effortlessly, whether as a bellicose Abe Lincoln, irrepressible childhood apparition Don Diego, impeccably mannered English spies or Gilbert and Sullivan's eavesdropping rivals.

The Dreadfuls occasionally appear a little too pleased with their production, but the characterisation is spot-on and it takes exceptional talent to overact with this degree of comic timing and capacity for braying bluster.

Gonna Take A Sentimental Journey

2007-03-20T17:20:00.000Z

Emotionally, if not exactly factually, it's been one year since Humph drove us all through to the Dreadfuls' first Glasgow Comedy Festival: it was one year ago that I first got my hands on Aeneas Faversham (I remember asking how to pronounce it for the first voiceover intro to the Secret Society sketch.) Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Improvised Plot and Lost In Time may not have made it out of the Britania Panopticon with all limbs intact, but Faversham's been the trooper that's kept on troopin'.

It's been a strange year, full of the highs and lows of a micro-budgeted sketch comedy show with [technical] ideas above its station. We've played some amazing venues cram-packed with atmosphere and performability, and some with slightly, er, less. A very useful year, seeing what we can get out of the show. Fun times.

This time around Jamie's driving us to Glasgow. Hopefully he'll let me put Les Mis on and we can all have a sing-along like in the good ol' days.

I'm a sentimental old git. They'll be plenty more good ol' days to come, Faver-fans! See you on the road.

You'll Take the High Road, I'll Take the Wide Load

2007-03-15T09:48:00.000Z

Well, it's all go at Dreadfuls HQ. Work continues apace on our new material. The shows this weekend in Edinburgh and Glasgow will be entirely composed of brand-spanking-new sketches. How exciting is that? Eight!

On Sunday, we make our triumphant (I hope that doesn't jinx it) return to our home crowd what we love so much. It may very well be our last show at Bedlam - so pull your finger out and come on down. If you miss out, then fear not! We are performing at Brel in Glasgow on Monday and Tuesday. I wager that Tuesday will be the bestest show.

Who's coming then?

The Durham Trip, Or To The Frozen North: An Aeneas Faversham Book For Boys (and Robust Girls)

2007-03-05T15:20:00.000Z

Well, what a super-whizzo weekend. Team Dreadful, minus Idil, went along to the DUCK student comedy fest at the invitation of local humouristes and friends of the show The Durham Revue, to join them on a top bill featuring other noted comedy-types and future stars of stage and screen the Cambridge Footlights as well as triple-threat mega-combo House of Windsor. The whole night was topped off to perfection by the MC skills of Nick Mohamed.
In short an ace-i-o time was had by all, with all parties giving a good account of themselves. We did a mixture of old and new, reviving the "golden oldie" Train Station, and remembering why we found it so funny all those many moons ago. After the show, Jamie, Thom, and Admiral Cheekyboots(Neil) caught the last train back to Edinburgh, missing out on a night of wild excess, the like of which hasn't been seen since the autumn years of the Roman Empire. David and I joined the Durham Revue in hitting the nightspots of Durham like a heavy-calibre artillery shell and left a veritable sea of broken hearts and minds behind us, 'cause we're like that.
Next up, Edinburgh and Glasgow, get set you mothers!

A Second Chance

2007-03-03T12:18:00.000Z

Thanks to the naturally piratical nature of the internet, or sketch is now on YouTube. Those of you who missed it first time around take note - next time you may not be so lucky!

"The smoke seemed to thicken; and there, upon the stair, where once had been nothing, suddenly appeared a hunched figure..."

2007-02-27T19:25:00.000Z

Well, it's been a splendid couple of days for the Victorian Proliferation Army. A couple of sellout shows at top london humour-hole The Pleasance, packed with all-new comedy gold. And some old stuff also. But mainly new gold. Lots of lovely people stuck around afterwards to say nice things to us, and more than some of them were beautiful and elegant. Excellent work Faver-fans! If you attended, you are now entitled to wear the Order of Aeneas (IVth class), at all future shows. If you didn't you are a wet and a rotter and simply not the right sort at all.
Next up for Team Dreadful is a trip up to the dreaming spires of Durham, home of the Prince Bishops, and also the DUCK comedy festival. It should be bo-shank-ular!

Setting A Good Example

2007-02-18T22:31:00.000Z

This fine figure of a man is Alex Scoppie. Young Master Scoppie attended the Dreadful's show at the Leicester Comedy Festival on Saturday night. Apparently, he liked the show.

He liked it so much that he bought us all beer.

Do not let Alex's fine example of decent humanity and respect for your comedy heroes go to waste, Faver-Fans. When the Dreadful's are in your town, buy 'em a pint. When their cancelled sitcom turns up in the bargain bin at HMV, you'll have a fantastic tale with which to bewitch your friends!

(And don't go forgetting the hard-working production team, neither.)

Comedy Shuffle - And Photos Too!

2007-02-08T21:49:00.000Z

Humphrey may have won the First Post prize after our extended break, but he forgot to mention the super-awesomeness that is The Airing Of The Sketch, in the February 15th episode of Comedy Shuffle on BBC Three.

~~But! Because the Beeb is a ultra-modern forward-thinking sort of place, you can watch it online right now in glorious streaming RealPlayer! (fast-forward to 8:50)~~

[The Beeb isn't that forward-thinking. The sketch has now been relegated to YouTube, which is - ironically - far easier to access than a rubbish RealPlayer stream. When will they learn, eh?]

If that wasn't enough, here's An Exciting Behind-The-Scenes Glimpse™ at the magic of television and hanging around in studio cafeterias:

More and biggerer here

We're back, we're bad, none of us are black, but we're all mad*

2007-02-08T21:23:00.000Z

After over a month of silence, at last the e-anuses at blogger have removed their collective cyberfingers and allowed us to return to the good old days of regular updates from the exciting world of the 1890s. If you've stuck with us through the winter of no-content, this one's for you.
Since we left you, the Mighty Dreadfuls, our spin-off ice hockey movie, has been cancelled
as Stan Collymore, who was to play our inspirational coach, had creative differences with David; and Thom turned out to be allergic to ice. We've also found our literary adventure, Aeneas Faversham and the Deathly Hallows stymied by events beyond our control; and because Thom turned out to be allergic to ink. In the meantime we've done a number of gigs, at the Canal Cafe theatre again, as well as guesting at other sketch nights around London.
Next up are gigs at the Leicester Comedy Festival, as well as two nights at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington, London, England.

It's a brand new year and it smells Dreadful.

*Wacky

A Quizzle? For Shizzle my Whizzle.

2006-12-19T03:25:00.000Z

Dear The Internet,

An exciting news gobbet. We have finally settled upon our call signs for when we Four Favvers become Fighter Pilots (tm). But, to make it more fun, I won't tell you who is who:

a. kraken
b. upchuck
c. hate crime
d. the fantastic mr pilot

can you guess?

Tuck, T.D. esq

Penny Dreadfuls: San Andreas

2006-12-14T20:52:00.000Z

Well frankly Favernaughts what a week it's been, and its not over yet. On Tuesday last we had the distinct honour of performing at the Byre in St Andrews for a crowd of quite simply splendid people. Some of whom had the good grace and courtesy to be not only entertained but attractive to boot, which makes all the difference in this post 9/11 world, as I'm sure you'll agree. With the successful début of a number of P.D. branded frivolous distractions our collective attentions now face southwards. London beckons for our final performances in, the year of our Lord, 2006 (MMVI for those following in the Latin text) and I just wish to take this opportunity to show my thanks to everyone and anyone who may have attended even a single unit of our numerous appearances or may even be casting off their mantle of Dreadful virginity with the arrival of the week's end. I thank you and I salute you.

Good cheer, God speed and a Merry Christmas everyone.

@-- - - - S:T:E:A:M - - - --@

2006-12-14T16:25:00.000Z

Dear The Internet,

It has come to my attention that this is
chronically awesome, yo! It is imperative
that we obtain one. You and me together,
The Internet.

Yours Steam-Poweredly,

Tuck, T. D. esq.

"before his very eyes the hieroglyphics seemed to morph, and there upon th etemple wall was picked out the name Matt Berry...."

2006-12-08T16:53:00.000Z

On Wednesday I had a smashing time. In the afternoon I went into Television Centre, home of the BBC, and recorded a number of screams foer our sketch and got to see an early cut of it. None of the effects shots are done, but it still looks pretty cool, and you can see me and everything. Playing around ina a dubbing theatre is awesome, because you are in a sound proof booth. Need I say more. Much hilarity ensued, as is natural with pretty much every activity I perform, no matter how menial. Then the inestimable Matt Berry appeared to do the voiceover at the start. He has just the greatest voice in all creation. I was childishly thrilled that he was reading out words what I had written and acted like a shy schoolgirl around him. Cool-o-matic!
I also managed to see some more people's stuff while I was there and both Peepolykus and Jo Neary's stuff looked great. Get ready for some mind-blowage!

2006-12-07T14:59:00.000Z

We seem to be having some problems this morning, so please bear with us..

Rolling into Glasgow with Bob, Bono, Larry Mullen jr. and The Edge.

2006-12-02T12:10:00.000Z

It's the morning after the night before, as the Penny Dreadfuls returned to where it all began, sort of. Back in March, early incarnations of Aeneas Faversham, Shamwagon, and lost classics Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Improvised Plot and Lost in Time, were debuted to a waiting world at the Glasgow Comedy Festival. Doing four shows a day, for 4 days, in the, genuinely, romantic setting of the Britannia Music Hall, we averaged an audience of about six people a show. Of these six about four tended to be old women.

Nine months on we returned doing an entirely different line-up of sketches, in an entirely different venue to an entirely different audience. Same city though, remember. We did twenty minutes at the Student Theatre at Glasgow Student Theatre festival, or Stag Night. It was thunderous good fun, seeing the debut of a couple of good new sketches, and the welcome revival of an old favourite. The people there were lovely, and the facilities fantastic, and we had the added joy of listening to the Test Match on the way back to Edinburgh in Jamie's car.

The peaceful elegance of England's excellent batting display was, however, somewhat undermined by the enthusiastic installment of the Penny Dreadfuls' new favourite car-based game, "Riding in cars with Bono". This is far and away the greatest in-car game since 20 questions.

This awesome pastime requires four players. The driver takes on the part of Bono, while the front seat passenger is Sir Bob Geldof, in the back are The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. The Edge and Larry Mullen then seek to win concessions from The Higher status players in the front, such as turning the heating up and down, changing the radio channel, that sort of thing. Bono and Bob, have to crush all will to live out of the players in the back. It's a hoot. For The players in the back to win they have to get the two in the front to confess to the murder of Adam Clayton. The players in the front have already won because they are Bono and Bob Geldof.

Last night's winning line: "Sure, You can f*ck (Name deleted for legal reasons), all you have to do is sign her shabby rack" -Bob Geldof

It is prudent at this juncture...

2006-11-28T17:16:00.000Z

... to point out the following fact.

"The Penny Dreadfuls" can be anagrammised thus:

Fleshy, departed nun.

Stepladder! Funny, eh?

Spy left unhardened.

Hunt dead. Fry Spleen.

Discuss!

winter treats

2006-11-27T19:12:00.000Z

It's nearly December, which means not one but two Scottish gigs: it's not even slightly grim up north.

The first is a guest slot on Firday 1st December in the STaG Night Festival in Glasgow, at Gillmore Hill G12. The show starts at 7.30pm and tickets cost tickets £8 (£6 concessions) or £15 for a Festival Pass. To book, call 0141 330 5522 or email boxoffice@gilmorehillg12.co.uk with your name and number of tickets.

The second is in St. Andews on the 12th December at the Byre Theatre - all us, just us, no-one else but us, pure undiluted Faversham. The doors open at 8pm for a 9pm start and tickets cost £6 (£3 concessions). To book, call 01334 475000 or go online at the Byre's website.

Put that in your festive pipe and smoke it.*

*But not in a pub or public building in Scotland.

Dreadful Film

2006-11-21T22:51:00.000Z

The Penny Dreadfuls are in every way affiliated with this movie

For the attention of those assembled...

2006-11-21T22:08:00.000Z

Hello everyone. Thank you for coming. Good to see you here...Steve especially. Help yourselves to nibbles.

Now. Please forgive me if I come across at all melodramatic, but quite frankly our time spent sloshing around in the shallows of artistic obscurity are over. Pack up your bags, we're moving to the big house. And by this I don't mean prison, as you may have first thought, but merely a bigger house. I'm using the term in it's non-pergorative sense and by that I mean wrongly. A house of larger opportunity.

In the last two months we have received these gems of critical acclaim:

"Some actors" - Total Film

and [of Thom Tuck]

"Squeaky voiced" - PC Gamer

Behold! A bounty of recognition!

"As he crept closer to the gyrating cultists, Faversham began to make out the words of the chant. 'Update! Update! Update!..."

2006-11-20T19:08:00.000Z

Well Faver-chums, it has been a very exciting couple of weeks for the Brothers(and Sister) Dreadful. Those of you with eagle eyes, and detective brains, may have been able to piece some of it together from our listings, but here, at last, is the inside scoop. Last week saw us both take to the stage at our largest ever gig, the BBC London Children in Need show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire (see below) and record our first ever piece for TV.

Shepherds Bush was great fun, with a smashing line-up including such comedic heavy weights as Al Murray, Tim Vine and the Oh-so-lovely and oh-so-tiddly-wee Lucy Porter. Gratifyingly we managed to get away without looking balls in such illustrious company, by the simple trick of not being balls. Backstage was like something out of Glastonbury before it got all commercial. We supped upon the finest Coca-cola, and popped more cocktail sausages than Henry VIII on pork-based crack. Meanwhile Al Murray and Lucy Porter were watching Autumnwatch while Shappi Khorsandi had to listen to a blow-by-blow account of Thom's greatest ever bowling spell. (For those interested he took 7-31 from the pavilion end at Kilgooley Secondary school on July 14th 1999.) The whole night was literally hewn from pure rock. Onstage we went over pretty well, and a good time was had by all.

The next day we were summoned from our beds at 6.15, a full twenty-four hours earlier than we usually get up, and driven to Teddington Studios in West London, in our own posh BBC motor-ma-tron-o-bile. By 8.30 we were in Make-up and by 9 the camera was turning over to capture the single most momentous event in television since Emu bit that guy's cock. I can't hope to fully describe the emotions of that day, as I spent most of it playing Football Manager 2007 in the Cafeteria and eyeing up the two cute girls in charge of makeup. That said, when I did get on set and recorded my little piece, It was quite overwhelming to see how awed and humbled the crew were. It transpires that am literally electrifying on screen, and my part had to be reduced a little, because I was just out-acting everyone else, which was awkward.
The crew were uniformly lovely people who went about their jobs, of satisfying our whims, with good grace and striking professionalism; and the make-up girls were cute.

Bully for industry!

Children In Need at the Shepherds Bush Empire

2006-11-16T15:49:00.000Z

BBC London's night of comedy for Children In Need was fantastic: a great line-up of some of our personal comedy heroes, plus sausage rolls in the dressing room. It really doesn't get better.

Massive thanks to all involved, especially Dave (lights) and Oli (sound) for coping with my technical demands.

2006-11-11T12:55:00.000Z

Ladies and Gentlemen, we throw open a debate! Who has played the greatest Holmes of all?

Make your own poll

Sunday Special

2006-11-09T13:21:00.000Z

The Penny Dreadfuls shall be headlining this Sunday's wonderful Sunday Special gig at up the creek, 302 creek road, greenwich, london town, SE10 9SW, with a smattering of delightful Victorian sketches...

To get there, take the greenwich overground or cutty sark on the docklands light railway. Here is a handy map.

TIME: doors 7pm, first act 7.30pm
TICKETS: £5/3 conc.

HOW TO BOOK TICKETS: call 0208 858 4581 (leave your number, name of show and number of bookings and a member of staff will call you back)
or complete the online booking form.

Mark Watson will MC, Tim Key promises to prat about, the delightful american morgan murphy also features, and most excitingly, a *top secret special guest opening act*.... Do peruse their lovely website.

What a marvellous amount of fun. Do come along...

aeneas faversham christmas spectacular

2006-11-07T10:54:00.000Z

Eagle-eyed vistors will have noticed the string of new show dates appearing in the side-bar. However, if you do indeed have the eyes of an eagle you may be about to sweep down on a vole from high atop a thermal current. So - in brief - more Faversham!

We are proud to announce the feverishly festive Aeneas Faversham Christmas Spectacular on SATURDAY 16th and SUNDAY 17th December at The Canal Cafe. The nearest tube station is Warwick Avenue (on the Bakerloo Line) and the nearest blimp stand is Hyde Park.

Tickets cost a tremendously reasonable £5 (£4 concessions) plus £1 Canal Cafe membership fee. You can book tickets in person at the venue from 2pm every day or by emailing mail@canalcafetheatre.com with your name, the show name and number of tickets. They even have one of those new fangled electric telephones: 020 7289 6054.

We do hope to see you. Why not take a quill and put a note in your diary now? Or, better still, get one of the footmen to do it?

Here's hoping people bother reading this...

2006-11-03T00:06:00.000Z

Your Majesty, my Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen, I crave a boon. There has been much debate of late between myself and David as to who is the greatest Sherlock Holmes. Do not misunderstand me, there is no debate as to who would be better should the two of us don his well worn deerstalker. Dave is clearly cut from a Lestrade-like cloth, where as I would be the greatest Holmes of all. No; we merely seek to settle on the greatest Holmes thus far, and find ourselves at an impasse. We throw it open therefore to our online mega-buddies. Who is the greatest Holmes of them all? Rathbone? Cushing? Brett? Let the people decide.

An Halloween Offering...

2006-10-29T22:38:00.002Z

A little late, or is it early, I'm confused. Here is a Victorian Ghost story featuring my Great-great-grandfather Capt. David Richard Blackwood Ker, a Captain the First Dragoon Guards (now the Household Cavalry Regiment). This is copied directly from his journal for the day November 24th 1886, the day he took up his post as one of the guards at Buckingham Palace.

It was a blustery November morning when the Hansome that had carried me from King's Cross drew into the leaf-strewn courtyard overlooked by the state rooms and deposited me at my new home. Have only recently completed my time at Sandhurst, I viewed the Palace with no little trepidation. Just turned nineteen, I was not a little daunted by the prospect of discharging my solemn duty as commander of Her Majesty's personal guard. Of greater and more pressing concern, I must admit, was the prospect of meeting the men I was to command for the next three years; and as the cabbie passed down my trunk, I confess, a certain coldness seemed to settle over my heart.

The afternoon was waning, London settling under the weight of a night that promised frost. As the cab clattered out through the gaping arch that lead back onto Horseguards Parade, I hefted my trunk and turned looking for an orderly or, indeed, any other sign of life. As I did, a curious sensation stole over me and I glanced at the high clock tower that overlooked the courtyard. There high upon the roof of the old part of the Palace, stood a solitary figure, swathed in a traveling cloak and a shapeless hat of indeterminate material. Seeing him, I cupped a hand and called out a greeting.

"I say! Do you know where I might find the Orderly Room? I'm the new Cornet. With the Blues?"

My greeting, however, had a most extraordinary effect upon the peculiar figure. Upon hearing my cry, he arched his back and turning suddenly, scuttled away across the roof and out of sight on all fours, for all the world like a giant spider. Baffled, and not a little unsettled, I strode towards a small door from beneath which issued forth a comforting glow. As I reached forward to knock, the door was wrenched open by an enormous barrel-chested, red-faced man. Who fixed upon me a gaze of such malevolence, that I positively rocked on my heels.

"Who the devil are you sir?" cried the terrifying vision. Stammering, I managed to blurt out my name and thrust my orders toward him with a trembling hand. At once his aspect changed, and a queer timbre tinged his voice. "Ker, eh? Yes, we were told to expect you, come in", so saying the vast man ushered me in to what it soon became apparent was the Orderly Room. In front of a crackling fire sat a small man, the right sleeve of his uniform hanging loose, bent over some ledger entering a series of figures. The colossus grunted, and the small man looked up, running his cold dark eyes over me, like some oriental potentate assessing a wayward slave in an Arab souk. Evidently I passed some manner of test, for eventually he stood and extended his left hand which I rather awkwardly shook.
"Giles Carstairs, I'm adjutant".
"David Ker, though everyone calls me Richard", I smiled.
"Ker will suffice I suspect, this is Mcmanus, the officer of the watch." he snapped. Cowed, I swallowed and swiftly cast around for a safer topic, "Who was that extraordinary fellow I saw, by the old clock tower, in the cloak and shapeless hat?", I said with what I hoped was an ingratiating smile. There was a pause that seemed to last for a lifetime, as the two men stared at me, then Carstairs spoke, his voice like ice, "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about Ker, now get your kit and Mcmanus here'll show you to your billet." In the instance that the words were spoken, a flash passed over the face of the huge Mcmanus, and was gone.

Having been conducted to my billet, a dank room, lit by a single guttering candle, a knock at the door heralded the arrival of my batman, a bucolic Scotsman called Buchanan. Seeing an opportunity to explore my suspicions, I soon broached the subject of the spider-like man with my dour manservant.
"Look here Buchanan, when I arrived, I saw a peculiar man, on the roof...", but I had no chance to finish my question, for the wiry Scotsman had whirled round his eyes wild and staring, his hand flying to a small silver cross at his neck.
"God have mercy on you sir, God have mercy."
A little flustered, I asked in no uncertain terms what the deuce he meant by that. It seemed as if the room grew a little closer, and a little darker as a curious light came into Buchanan's eye. "I'll tell you a tale sir," said he. "A Tale as would turn your coal-black hair as white as fresh-fallen snow!"
Anyway, turned out I'd only gone and seen a fucking ghost!

More tales of the Ker's coming soon! Stay tuned!

chicken little (photos)

2006-10-28T12:48:00.000+01:00

First, a small apology from the Dreadful's absentee web-landlord. My computer broke; I now have a new one. Huzzah!

Second, some lovely pictures from the Hen and Chicken gig are swarming around our flickr photo stream:

A full report of the Canal Cafe gig to follow very shortly, though some images of the event may prove unsuitable for a family website.

Blat!

2006-10-27T20:58:00.000+01:00

Eagle-eyed and under-employed Faver-fans and Dreadfuls-dorks (I'm working on that second one) will have noticed that there has been little in the way of updatage since our last show. Tuesday night at the Canal Cafe was super ace-i-o. Many thanks to all the lovely people who came and saw a mixture of old and new material, in an appropriately Victorian setting. We managed to put on six new sketches with varying degrees of success ranging from fine to excellent. We'll take that. Fun was had by all, including, fortunately, the audience.

In other news, David and I auditioned for an advert, and didn't get it. Damn you elusive big time!

The Continuing Adventures

2006-10-06T15:41:00.000+01:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, announcing the next full length Aeneas Faversham gig:

Aeneas Faversham - the Continuing Adventures, at the Canal Cafe Theatre (Tube: Warwick Avenue, Bakerloo Line), for one night only, Tuesday 24th October, doors at 7pm, show at 7.30pm.

Tickets are £5 / £4 (plus + £1 Canal Cafe membership fee, unless of course, you are already a member). Book tickets in person at the theatre from 2pm every day /
email number of tickets & contact details to mail@canalcafetheatre.com / call the booking line on 020 7289 6054.

BONUS TRIVIA

The Canal Cafe Theatre, true to its name, is unnervingly close to a canal. It is oft thought that Victorian enterpreneurs invented The Canal, as 18th Century horses were notoriously lazy and objected to dragging heavy carts on high-friction roads, and preferred pulling heavy boats over low-friction water. However, canals were actually in use 6000 years ago in Mesopotamia. The Victorians had nothing to do with its invention. Ah well. Enjoy the show.

children in need comedy night at shepherds bush empire

2006-09-27T15:26:00.000+01:00

Hot on the heels of our Hen and Chicken gigs - more on which shortly - we're delighted to announce another London date.

The Penny Dreadfuls' Aeneas Faversham is but one of nine fine comedy acts coming together to raise money for Children in Need at The Shepherds Bush Empire at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14th November. Doors open at 6.30pm.

Tickets cost £11, with everything but the VAT going to charity. You can either buy online or by calling Ticket Web on 0870 771 2000. Handling charges will apply BUT NOT if you buy in person from the theatre box office.

Finding the venue is the height of simplicity - the main problem being deciding which of three delightful tube stations to use. We like the tube: it's reassuringly Victorian.

So, those important details again: Aeneas Faversham at The Shepherds Bush Empire at 7.30pm on Tuesday 14th November. Remember: it's not for us, it's for the children.

The Smoky Streets

2006-09-24T10:07:00.000+01:00

Dear The Internet,

Seldom is it incumbent on me to scribble down my meandering thoughts on a little scrap of e-paper, place them in an interenvelope (which apparently, isn't a melon of any sort) and post them to you; today is a different matter. For today, we are in London. A fact that hasn't eluded many a popular organ.

This evening we will gently brush the farmyard animals off the chairs so that they may be utilised to accomodate the braying hordes one assumes will be attending our delightfully monikered Islington venue. In the distant mists of time, and before it acquired its modern day hankering for sun and sand, the Egyptian city of Boosh was contained within the walls of the pub. Delightful!

My regards to all.

Thom Tuck, esq.

Costumery

2006-09-19T20:37:00.000+01:00

Just a quick note updating those Faver-fans (yes that is the official name for people that find their way inadvertantly to these pages) interested in the beautiful garb in which the Dreadfuls are regularly to be seen. Prior to the Fringe, we were clothed in a motley selection of items, from the suit I wore to my sister's wedding to Jamie's grandfather's sunday best. For the Fringe, and our upcoming appearance in London a Kingdom-wide search for Britain's finest Victoriana was initiated under the capable eye of the lovely Trish Kenny, an Edinburgh-based costume mistress.

Anticipating a spate of gigs, entertaining at the palace and providing the half-time show at Super-bowl XXXVIII, we have decided to invest in tailor-made outfits, specifically designed to show off our expressive facial hair and well-turned calves. To this end we are proud to announce the appointment of Lisa Cochrane as our official Penny Dreadfuls Costume Mistress tm. She will be providing us with the myriad different costumes required for us to take our audiences on our fantastical journies of the mind. While only a non-executive member of the Penny Dreadfuls council (just like Dave), she is permitted to wear the Order of Aeneas (Second Class,) (just like Jamie).

P.S. Just been watching that Nike advert with everyone doing backflips and stuff set to that ethereal piano music. I am single. All female athletes, dancers and just flexible girls please advertise here.

p.p.s. I am the tall one.

london prices

2006-09-18T13:22:00.000+01:00

Ticket prices for our London gigs have now been confirmed at £6/£5 conc (£5/4 to members of the Hen and Chicken) - which is tremendously cheap, given that even a tiny cup of milk costs over a thousand pounds in the national capital. To book, leave your details on 020 7704 2001.

Those all important dates again: Aeneas Faversham at The Hen and Chicken Theatre, Islington, London. 24-25th September, 7.30pm.

the radio spectacular in pictures

2006-09-18T13:19:00.000+01:00

The Radio Spectacular

2006-09-17T08:51:00.000+01:00

The Dreadfuls performed the Aeneas Faversham Radio Spectacular to a sold-out crowd at the Bedlam last night, giving all-new sketches their first airing in the light of day. And it was all captured in stunning high-fidelity sound - many thanks to Technical Supremo Xander for his equipment and expertise. After a few nips and tucks something's going to happen to that audio, a CD or a podcast or whatever, so check back for details.

The crew is currently gearing up for the London dates, placing ourselves in strategic locations around the country and waiting for the green light. Watch this space.

Faversham @ The Bedlam

2006-09-13T15:44:00.000+01:00

Last night's gig at the Bedlam Theatre went down a treat with the lucky bunch of lucky audience that were lucky enough to get their hands on tickets. Quite a different space from the Underbelly (a lot more of Humphrey was visible, for one thing), with a bunch of different lighting effects occurring as a result.

Next up, the Radio Show Spectacular on Saturday. I'm currently sourcing some old-timey microphones to sweeten the deal. New sketches! New fun! Be there!

extra gig

2006-09-10T11:31:00.000+01:00

We're delighted to announce a further Edinburgh performance in the coming week on Tuesday 12th September at 7.30pm in The Bedlam Theatre.

So that's an additional peformance of Aeneas Faversham on Tuesday - with our original Saturday performance in Edinburgh now upgraded to The Aeneas Faversham Radio Show Spectacular - the best bits of the original show and the promise of all new bespoke radiophonic scenes.

Huzzah!

what the dickens?

2006-09-06T11:13:00.000+01:00

Dear the internet,

I write to you now to express my delight in discovering that the very famous charles dickens esq. took time out of his busy schedule, which includes such wonderful activities as "being dead," to write a small account of life as Penny Dreadful Humphrey Ker and his new clock. You can read this on the dickensblog here. In other news, my scullery ceiling caved in. Hip hip huzzah!

yours interwebularly,
Thom Tuck esq.

PS, I am perturbed by your lack of contact in recent weeks, the internet. All you send me are stock reports and tips. I applaud your entrepreneurial spirit, but you forgot my birthday.

all important gig dates

2006-09-05T19:41:00.000+01:00

The Penny Dreadfuls are delighted to announce a limited London run of their hit fringe show, Aeneas Faversham at 7.30pm on Sunday 24th and Monday 25th September in the Hen and Chicken Theatre, Islington. The venue is incredibly easy to find as it's opposite the Highbury & Islington Tube Station, on the Victoria Line.

We'll be announcing ticket prices in the next few days so please check back for final details. If that wasn't enough, we also have one final post-Fringe Edinburgh performance on Saturday 16th September, 7.30pm in The Bedlam Theatre with tickets at an incredible £1. We're doing it for the kids, apparently.

So, those important dates again:

EDINBURGH: Aeneas Faversham at The Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh. 16th September, 7.30pm. Booking Line: 0131 225 9893 or call 07984037417

LONDON: Aeneas Faversham at The Hen and Chicken Theatre, Islington, London. 24-25th September, 7.30pm. Booking details to follow ASAP.

If you want to go to both gigs, you'll need these directions, which are slightly less straightforward (and I'm not convinced you really have to go via Glasgow) but it'll be worth it all the same, we're sure.

Press Play

2006-09-02T19:36:00.000+01:00

View Photo Slideshow

2006-08-28T17:06:00.000+01:00

The very last ShamWagon of the Fringe seizes the stage at 11pm tonight at the Pleasance Courtyard - making it one of the very last performances of anything in the whole festival.

We'd love to see you there, not least because we've been saving the Very Funniest Improv for the end.

This is the end...

2006-08-28T16:16:00.000+01:00

Well crumbs. After three long weeks and just short of eight billion performances, packing in just overeighty-nine billion screaming Faver-fans, Aeneas and his Late-19th-century chums are about ready for bed.

It has been an amazing time that has seen us received in a manner almost entirely commensurate with our hopes and dreams (We had hoped for more Steam-powered automatons. Maybe next time). By the end, I think it's fair to say, we were all pretty worn out and Aeneas suffered a little as a result. "Does this mean the end for Victorian society's favourite son?" I like to imagine I hear you cry. Doubtful.

Discussions are ongoing as to whether we take the show to London for a little while, with the Albert Hall seeming like an appropriate and above all realistic venue. Otherwise plans are already being laid for next year, and Faversham 2.0. We may or may not be wearing hats!

beauty is in the eye of the beholder

2006-08-26T12:27:00.000+01:00

Neil - a fantastic photographer as well as the Dreadful's technical director and lighting designer - has added some marvellous portraits to our flickr pool.

Why not go and take a look?

2006-08-25T15:30:00.000+01:00

A sell-out week of Aeneas Faversham ends with a glowing five star review from the Edinburgh Evening News:

DON'T worry if you couldn't get tickets to see Aeneas Faversham. Chances are that it will be snapped up for a TV series when the Fringe finishes.

Owing a great deal to Monty Python for their style and to Michael Palin's Ripping Yarns in particular for the conceit - a sketch show set in Victorian times - The Penny Dreadfuls team consistently and constantly had the audience in hysterics.

Their timing was faultless and the absurdist, often displaced material, nodding occasionally to Milligan and the Pythons, was refreshingly original.

The quartet, dressed in morning coats with red cravats, ran through a wealth of characters including the terrifying Horatio T Station - the Station Master, a cowardly Boer war captain, and a Russian circus performer who proclaimed earnestly that "tea is coffee's bitch".

You'll be in debt to the Victorians for the rest of your life, if you actually get in to see it.

Listen to the nice man and buy a ticket. After all, your country need you (to see this show).

2006-08-24T02:25:00.000+01:00

There are only a few precious performances left of Aeneas Faversham and ShamWagon: each show clad with a shower of critics' stars. While there are many reasons why you might not have seen these shows - plague, roads washed out by flood, held at Her Majesty's pleasure - there are very few convincing reasons. Find a cure, borrow a canoe and break out of prison - it's really that simple.

So, lest you be struck with woe and grief for not having witnessed The Penny Dreadfuls in action, make your way to the Underbelly and Pleasance for our last few performances.

Aeneas Faversham at the Underbelly - last night 27th August.
ShamWagon at the Pleasance - last night 28th August.

the audience speaks

2006-08-24T02:20:00.000+01:00

As the "online media manager" (a title invented one day on the Meadows as more respectable than "blogging muggins") I try to keep track of the online public response to the Penny Dreadfuls. Today's find beats every other quote out of town:

If i could bring them off using words alone, I would.

Delightful - we're glad Aeneas Faversham had such a strong impact and hope that our mothers are not reading this.

Finally! More stars for ShamWagon

2006-08-23T15:40:00.000+01:00

Not many people have reviewed ShamWagon, it is, after all, a small improv show in a small venue. So to add to the lovely four stars from Three Weeks, SkinnyFest have awarded ShamWagon FOUR stars. That is rather fun. Here are bits of the review:

ShamWagon take the crowd's suggestions and run all the way to funnyland. The cross the canals of hilarity, climb the mountains of ridiculousness, jump the hahas of the hysterical.

It comes down, of course, to the troupe: they are loose, inspired, and they snatch every opportunity they spy... While only one woman numbers among them, there's no lack of variety in ShamWagon's cast: the short and schizoid one, the creepy black-humoured one, the sharp and middle aged one, the lanky one who plays dumb. The marvel is how well they work together, throwing themselves into the silly and the gut-busting with a beautiful skull-cracked ease.

Hooray!

2006-08-21T23:07:00.000+01:00

Aeneas Faversham has received 4 stars from The Scotsman: text of the storming review to follow as soon as possible.

Oh, and we also sold out again this evening: it's allll good in Team Penny Dreadful.

UPDATE - here's a little something from that review:

Jamie Anderson, Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck - all former members of the Edinburgh University improv troupe the Improverts - have crafted an absolute winner of a show here, and what's more they are all strong enough performers to make their material sparkle. ...

The acting is excellent throughout - controlled and confident - but what is really striking about this quartet is their effortlessly excellent diction. Given the state of radio comedy these days - and I'm thinking of Radio 4 in particular here - somebody should get these guys on the airwaves, pronto.