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Behind the Scenes Photo Diary - Week of Oct 7th
🕑 Added 2021-10-05 16:40:48 +0000 UTCIts Friday afternoon, and we could get the sketch done if we just had ONE more joke, maybe two. Not just any joke will do though, we have pages of jokes. We need one of a different kind...
We've been using the analogy of an abusive police interrogation all morning - imagining a suspect in a prison cell is being hit with cruel joke after cruel joke, and then the good cop comes in, and gives them a few jokes that are silly, or complimentary and there's a reprieve. (Hog and Foil are acting this out, I am laughing too much to take a photo, sorry).
At the moment our suspect is basically dead, under a barrage of mean-ish jokes that only focus on the negative aspects of our sketch targets, in this case the Russian Federation. The sketch is 'Getting past Russian Immigration', and whilst the Russians that I have met (including my next door neighbour), can very much take a joke, you have to be balanced with these sketches, or it seems targeted, which it isnt', it's just fun. For every joke or two that pokes fun at part of a governments poor policy, or regretful part of history, you need a few 'good cop' jokes - that word play with some culture, or silliness - otherwise you're just a big sketch bully! I'm finding it hard.
It doesn't help that last night we had our first show in 18 months, and we're exhausted. Can't believe we started performing this material over two years previously. Its really enlightening to have a look over it again and go "hey that was actually funny" or "wow, did we actually keep doing that bit for 9 months with no laughs... why did we do that??" But sometimes sketches just need space and time. I remember a sketch we did in Edinburgh that worked well, but only if everyone said the exact lines at the exact time, in the specific order, every night. Now, the more astute among you may point out "Arms, isn't that what a script is?" , and you'd be right of course. But scripts in live sketch comedy are a guideline, a comforter, the small talk in a conversation. It's the in-between part that makes it come alive. The "lets just have fun in that section" part of the script that makes it a little different every night, and lets the audience know we're enjoying ourselves too. So this sketch, that was tight as a drum, faithful to the script, like a fan who enjoyed the 'Science and Faith' album, and not the rest, but kept buying them just cause. Anyway, the sketch in question, much like an office printer, for no reason whatsoever, stopped working, and got a big black line through it. We binned it. Then two years later at the Brighton Fringe, we tried it again, remembering the lines almost as we went, and then... just improvised... just changed it - and it brought an extra layer to the script, to the fun of it. That sketch grew up to be 'One Man Play'. Anyway, we're hoping the same renaissance will happen with a few of our Swines sketches. Fingers crossed.
So on this Friday afternoon, at the late hour of 5, we are short two, maybe three jokes. Good cops are nowhere to be seen. The station is closed, and the suspect has not been given a coke. Its not looking good. No doubt, harder to write, good cops almost require more knowledge of a country. This makes sense to me. If you only wrote jokes based on what news stories you read about a country, well... there might not be a lot of positive things to write about ANYONE!
We call it a day, and decide to pick it up on Monday, where things are looking a little rosier. With the script done, we get to work on the set.. primitive as these ones usually are. We just need ... A FLAG
A FLAG
AF LAG
AFL AG
AFLA G
WHY DO WE ALWAYS SCREW UP THE FLAGS
NOT TODAY SKETCH GODS. We have double and TRIPLE checked the correct colours
in the Russian flag, it's precise arrangement, and made sure it's not upside down or back to front. GREAT!
Then we remembered our printer is out of ink, and so we have to make one like we are 5 years old in a Russian classroom at arts and crafts time. This. is. an. actual. job. We should be fired.
Comments
Christine S. Nielsen
Thank you for the insights Arms 😘
Rose Main
You certainly make good use of all the space you have in the office. You have a lot of things though where do you stash it all so that you have space to rehearse for your gigs?
Thank you for the BTS diary and photos, Arms. The One Man Play is just brilliant! It’s one of my favourite sketches and it’s nice to have the background… thank goodness you didn’t give up on it 😀 I can’t wait for tomorrow’s sketch… the ‘Immigration’ ones are always hilarious 🤣
It was on the live show indeed. I have never been to a show, unfortunately. I hope I will soon! I don't know if you read this reply, but watching you guys really helps me cope with my job. So thank you for making me laugh.
Karen Russell
Foil Arms and Hog it's the live show up on Patreon. I had to Google it too, I thought it was something Foil had made up to throw a spanner in the works, judging by your reaction, he succeeded 🤣
That made me feel quite ill.
The real Easter egg is how many unopened emails in the inbox..
Filmed version!
I have read the whole page of that script. Not proud of it 🙃 not disappointed either
Foil Arms and Hog
haha the poc fada, wow, im not sure we did that every show, where did you see that?
Foil Arms and Hog
We'll see Jen
Ah I absolutely love One man play, so cool to hear the story behind that sketch! And your new wall is looking FANCY ✨✨
Good morning to you all. Looking forward to the sketch and as always it was a treat to read the diary. A great way to start the day. Btw I love how you guys get off script. You can see that you enjoy yourself. I especially love the one with the poc fada (how not to hold a baby), although I had to google it.
Cheers for the BTS diary and pics Arms! I love how you refer to One Man Play as "growing up". It's one of my faves. Looking forward to the sketch- I'm sure the elusive silly joke sprung to your mind as soon as you'd finished writing, and the balance is now perfect.
Samantha Mohi
AhComeOnNow 😂 At least he can't block and report us here.
Foil Arms and Hog
hope you like it 😁
Foil Arms and Hog
NAUGHTY
I'm really looking forward to it
Just Anja
Tbh, I'm the kind of person who even when she hears spoiler (like for the latest James Bond) still wants to see it...so that's why I'm going to the cinema tomorrow AFTER A YEAR!
Samantha Mohi
Soooo tempting haha I WANNA READ THE BRILLIANCE NOOOOW 😂🤩
It’s like cheating on a test!! 😆😆😆
Samantha Mohi
Saw the script, zoomed in because I'm impatient and nosy, read one word, panicked and immediately zoomed out because it just felt... wrong 😅
Samantha Mohi
I'm awake, but so tired it probably is just my subconscious talking 😂 Hey at least we know it has good taste!
Just Anja
Or is that just your subconscious? xD
Just Anja
Pssst.....you awake?
Samantha Mohi
What the? I was watching the Green Card Game Show just the other day thinking "I want Russian Arms back so bad" and now... He's back? WOOHOO!!!! 🤩 Thanks for a fantastic diary Arms and for all the work Hog and Foil do as well. It means the world to a whole lotta people!
Love how resourceful you are with your colouring in!! Bless you for filming after such a big night too! And thanks as always for writing these. They are so funny and such a great insight!
