James Meehan and Will Duggan are friends who also happen to be stand-up comedians. At this year’s Edinburgh Festival fringe, you can watch them do thirty minutes of stand-up comedy each, as they prepare for their future debut hour long solo shows, when they can finally stop working together. Martin Walker talks to James via email.
Although the venue staff last year did stop my pal Ed - who I’m in the sketch group Gein’s Family Giftshop with - getting his dick out for a sketch; which I found strange as we were on after a burlesque show where a lady shook her jebs at the audience for several minutes.
“I worked with Laughing Horse last year and they have good venues and supportive staff.
“Although the venue staff last year did stop my pal Ed - who I’m in the sketch group Gein’s Family Giftshop with - getting his dick out for a sketch; which I found strange as we were on after a burlesque show where a lady shook her jebs at the audience for several minutes.
“I should point out this was nothing to do with Laughing Horse, I’m just still annoyed by it.”
How do you describe your comedy to those that might not have seen you before?
“Some people have used the words understated, offbeat, and aloof about me. Whereas my mate ‘Duggo’ is more of a human quiz machine with cracking material to boot. We lived together for a bit. I reckon we’d make a great team on the quiz show Pointless.
“It’ll be an eclectic mix of stand-up that will be interesting, different, yet accessible. Hopefully…”
What advice would you give your seventeen year old self?
“Don’t work as an entertainer at Pontin’s next year you prick. Also…
“3, 19, 35, 38, 39, 42, bonus ball 1. That’s for the 25th of January ‘03, two days after your birthday. You’re welcome. I better have a nice house in Canada and a LARGE George Foreman grill.”
If you were curating a stand up show for television, who would be your guests?
“All of the acts that should be on TV because of how devastatingly good they are…
“MC: Dan Nightingale, Act 1: Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Act 2: Chris Stokes, Act 3: Lee Fenwick, Act 4: Michael J Dolan and Act 5: Myself but as a hologram, like Michael Jackson is now at his gigs.”
Not in the Fringe Programme. Freefestival Link: http://www.freefestival.co.uk/show.asp?ShowID=3268
Website: www.jamesmeehan.co.uk
Twitter: @jamesmeehan86
