Feeling good from you use their fantastic this is the last line jump B.B.C. Radio Oxford every Wednesday and Thursday evening I'm going to be introducing you to one of my favorite comedy acts from Iran the kind to and this evening I am delighted to introduce you to Harry Harry Connick it's very good to be here it's great to have you here thank you for being our very 1st guest on the show is my absolute pleasure and privilege why are you this evening I'm great gent generally having a wonderful time but I'm delighted to hear hopefully it will only get better over the next hour Harry the 1st thing we want to know is what is your comedy origin story where you bitten by a radioactive comedian How did you come to be a comedian that is a very good question. Pretty much my journey begins at birth let me take you back there now a hospital room no I start against the Stand Up with my dad was about 10 years old and we all ritual was the very 1st one we just over the next kind of like $5.00 to $6.00 is so so much like hundreds and hundreds of lives stand up shows and always the youngest person in the audience everyone else increasingly My father and much older ages and sitting in the front row. Interactively like Frankie Boyle and stuff like that. Away and then just eventually when I was 18 it was a logical progression of both performing and having watched so much stand up that when I was at school I started running some comedy nights and there were no one off to uni started running some nights and doing comedy as much as possible to the point at which I was very much doing more comedy than I was doing work you know. Mention running these nights uni I'm one of the knights that you began to run. Just blown up and become huge Tell us about Jericho comedy absolutely Well when I 1st moved to Oxford there was somebody who ran a show at the Jericho tavern and eventually in my 2nd year he did so many of our shows with the wonderful Jim pass and person Pearce and Pearson is his name. I hope you're not listening Germans are for butchering your name and in my 2nd year he decided he was like you guys run such great gigs cross Oxford just just have this one and that was Jericho comedy and Alex Farrow and myself started running the shows and just kept running them and running them and running them they used to be once a month then they were once every 2 weeks now there every week and yeah just we've we've we've done shows all over the place we've done shows in Edinburgh in Cambridge in Brighton shows coming up in Bristol so you just yeah it kind of governments ish the hotbed of what you do is all in Oxfordshire isn't absolutely mainly at the Jericho cafe in and around Jericho hence the name Jericho coming yes but yeah around Oxford doing loads of different shows so yeah we do the Jericho comedy Saturdays at the café we do other people's previews in other shows the jerk a tavern I run an improvised Harry Potter night Blackwell's bookshop called the Show That Must Not Be Named also run show called an improvised funeral which is an improvised You know we get suggestions for the person who's deceased do that in and around the place with them at lest a cathedral some Mary's Church in Brighton is that Mary model in Oxford. Done improvise trial shows in the Oxford Town Hall courthouse Dunn murder on the National Express on a moving coach in Oxford because I did to the beginning that you you are a jack of all trades but I think you're also a master of them all because you've written these plays you're an improviser you're a producer you're a stand up comedian you host Jericho comedy as well which is quite a different skill set to comedy you know to like traditional stand up a little lot of kind of thinking on your feet which one of those hats when you're wearing them which one kind of feels most comfortable on you know that's a really good question. I feel like for all of it it's improvising I wouldn't define myself more as I think I flip between the projects that are causing me the most excitement so if I'm particularly all about an improv show I would define myself more as an improviser sure if I'm particularly loving one of the standard shows that we do define myself as a stand up if I'm particularly just enjoying producing or putting on other people's shows I call myself a producer so I've had a few people refer to me as Harry of many hats Harry of many harry of many how do you literally wear many hats yes it is a complaint of my partners that top markets there are about $10.00 to $15.00 never counted them probably because that would be something that deeply troubling about my collection it's not a collection it's just props that got out of hand. We got about 15 hats you know that's a good number of hats we're going to hear more about your comedy and possibly even more about your I'm going to talk more about the local scene very soon but how you 1st would you like to hear Kaiser Chiefs with Ruby born here it is. Cries are chiefs with Ruby there I'm kind of a grandma and this is the laugh lines are brand new Sure by all things comedy in Oxfordshire there is such a thriving comedy scene across the country with award winning comedy nights like Jericho comedy established art venue's bringing the best touring comedians to the county and some more experimental nights happening to we've got improv troupe sketch groups musical comedians fantastically funny playwrights there really is something for everyone in the local scene Harry What was your you mentioned when you came to university started running some nights was that your introduction to the live comedy scene in Oxfordshire it wasn't DADE I think a lot of the 1st gigs ever did were really terrible open mikes run in colleges in Oxfordshire I students who would never run anything before no music no lights and also always being the only comic on and there being like magicians on as I remember them going very variable a bit sometimes quite well you would almost. No one and then we started up a little game called the Oxford comedy collective which we and that was about 6 of us performed 2 probably fewer than 6 people every time which point we then went and I and said yeah OK we we think we can do some of our own gigs and I think that would be fun and enjoyable and also it's just nice to take control in terms of being able to manage your own right and relying on other people so the time there was a huge amount I mean it was the glee club and there was a gig called human to human. Think I remember posters for that well the scenes really it seems in the last few years I've been involved with comedy now for about 3 and a half years in the country and it's really blown up there nights happening all over the place and not just in Oxford it's very easy for us because we're kind of involved with the Oxford scene what do you know about the comedy scene kind of in the wider kind Yes well there's loads of stuff in and around I mean there's obviously a lot of like really great regional theaters and stuff like that there is a really good night run by Andy Gleeks called comedy in Taman Stoke and just so your new to those I would very much Hello Irishman right well special shout out to Irish comedian. And he's great he's an absolutely fantastic host the night Seabrooks always really really brilliant and have you been to many of the other kind of bigger. Venues around the country places like the mail and Bambery or the cornerstone did car I have been to the cornerstone I can't say that I've been to the mill actually because I used to for venues the cornerstone really really nicely It looks gorgeous I've never had the pleasure one hint that I would give listeners if you do fancy finding out what comedy there is on I am on with lovely Lily Mitchell every Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock when I talk about all the comedy the coming and the kind so you can always find out what's going on them but Harry if you for some reason weren't listening to. Early on Friday afternoon which is madness of course but if you weren't high would you say what's the best way for people to find out what's on I would say in Oxford. Group on Facebook called comedy in Oxford that usually posts a lot of the stuff that's going on but most of all I think daily involves a route such a great resource for finding out what's on it has such a wide range of different things that you'll discover but it's really good for comedy listings any comedy worth going to be largely be listed on daily. I'm sure people already know it's I mean delivers great yeah it's a super super resource and of all the the comedy shows happening in the kind including shows that you've run what's what's been your kind of most interesting experience I want to ask side of the city of Oxford What's been your most fun performance that you've attended or been a part of in the wider kind to who that's a very very good question I've got one of my head that you produced recently I don't know if you were in it yes with the Oxford in the film and why are so yeah that was oh brilliant Yes So also a member of the local improv group the oxidant who is the 15th anniversary and so I helped the group to put on we've not finished yet but 15 shows to celebrate 15 years one of which was improvised film you are a dick at railway center so cool steamy Lokomotiv museum for the most atmospheric kind of eyes no nontraditional comedy venue as well which is very exciting Well folks if you want to hear more about that check out the comedy in Oxford Group listen to Lily on a Friday afternoon for no more from these 2 Non Blondes coming up after we enjoy for Non Blondes what's up. You are listening to the laugh lines on B.B.C. Radio with me on my fabulous cast the saving Mr Harry hires them telling us about how he got started in comedy his award winning night Jericho comedy and we've been chatting a bit about the thriving scene we have here in Oxfordshire I didn't know until long after I 1st wanted to write and perform comedy that it was something you could actually do heres the thing listen or if you want to do it nobody will stop you maybe you're listening and you wondered whether you should give comedy a go get in touch with us let us know text on it 133 Start your message with the word Oxford call us and 109120. E-mail me at McDonald's B.B.C. U.K. Coming up next I'm going to be asking some very important questions and later I'll be taking Harry on and a little game called Fact or fiction 1st though have a listen to this. Is a radio. Show every afternoon from one join me to test your brains with excellent shall topping songs from the mystery in the top 10 from when but when when well that is the game only I can tell you is the. Book. That which makes me wonder is why me and is which and does anyone even know what I'm talking about to stop them from Les Yes the talk from a mystery Yes but when it's when well doesn't want to and we don't know limits show on B.B.C. Radio and B.B.C. Sounds one weekday afternoons from. Colin McGranahan on B.B.C. Radio X. And. 9 for a feature of. The show called very important questions Harry I'm going to ask you a series of important pressing timely challenging thought provoking questions and I want to get your honest answers just to stress these are not silly questions they're very important questions are you ready let's go do this. Harry was the 1st film I ever saw at the cinema. I don't know the 1st one I ever saw but it was probably the poke him on film or the 1st one I can remember very vividly it's definitely not the 1st one I ever saw but Van Helsing I enjoyed the film so much I refused to go to the toilet and had to pee in a phantom bottle on the way home there's so much I want to unpack there. First you really seems to go into like a kind of space if you had there you had the answer almost prepared the film was that not just released Well I mean the BEEN THE been low so have that yeah I can't remember which one it was I think it's just because I definitely can't remember the 1st film I ever saw in the cinema I feel like I remember films that I did see at the cinema but I also don't know which ones I'm misremembering that I just watched just after they came out remember watching Lord of the Rings on V.H.S. Oh yeah but the I can't remember the problem of those who have an early films I also to this day just don't understand in any way shape or form how my parents sat through those that will have been tough they can't name any of. It while it's been a while in the plural Yeah they can't name any of that I just I never realised until I was an adult hold on a 2nd my parents watch. Me Mike or it's a really good to me you should take them to something that you definitely aren't enjoying. And Harry obviously the next question follows what age were you when you found a bottle and I think I must have been 9 or 10 maybe. You know if you think that's OK. How much is too much to pay for a burger. I'm a Pesca Tarion So most of my burgers are falafel or chick baby or fish that's right I go have I'm the one person who has the filler of fish at McDonald's and the only literally never seen anyone else order that in the history of man. They look at you with confusion and anger when you order it. Too much for a burger I can remember back my old meat eating days you had something like a bore. Like I can't this is how long it's been like an ostrich burger you know like one of those artisan meat say the most I would spend for an artist like OK an elephant but it's not that they're heavily endangered sure some Dannielle folks maybe 10 or the like are really pretentious that is what I'm like an artisan pretentious the kind of bread is a kind of bread that I can't pronounce because it's so French. Smoky I want to put this to you then Tampines is your upper limit yes water like. These cars have only ever been fair. I'm talking like oysters and they only drink comparing on 50. I don't know if that's a good year for you know $52.00 was a good year for dumping you know they've only eaten a better diet than we would have you wouldn't pay $11.00 pounds for that burger. As I say have a pesky Terry insist. But also I feel like I feel like anything above 10 pounds and I just would feel so guilty that I would not enjoy myself extraordinary All right Harry which of the 7 deadly sins is your favorite lost no I can't remember all of them last Wow did I see some of before last all that so disappointing. I don't forget gluttony is a really good one for me the. Perfect between sloth and lust. Indulgence I'm glad in the after bit of. Pride you'd. Pretty. It's rare I mean maybe not for everyone else is a very rare one you don't. Often get me wrong I wish I was some kind of like mediæval Emperor of. A civilization with my wrath but I think my wrath mostly just gets taken out on people I love in a passive aggressive way. That's not. One I know again I should I should be saying last I should be saying the call answer not the real. This is good. This is grit Harry how do you think the world's going to end very good question in flames big flames big hot flames and soon. Burgers those burgers are going to be grilled on the way flame grilled not because just because natural flames kind of I would love nothing more than I think for an apocalypse to be like zombie or even like the journal like disease like a lot of films but I just think it's going to keep getting hotter and hotter 36 was last week I think it's just going to get hotter and hotter and hotter and I can't what I don't like about it I feel like when it's hot I'm very dumb and. My brain ceases to function and I don't want the end of the world to be when I'm in India if the world could end and I'm brilliantly clever Yeah great if you're in a pub quiz when the world's ending and you get all the answers wrong that's just going to be humiliating on the way you don't want to be your last memory no completely not the apocalypse everyone else has no mind they are. Brainless always the smartest guy in the room during a zombie apocalypse exactly exactly last man standing that is why they're always satisfying those kind of films like The Last Man Standing there the most intelligent person. Yeah I think realistically. How well we've all got to look forward to. Your favorite teacher at school. No none of them know I took such a good question I remember liking lots of my teachers I don't know why I'm trying to I didn't want you to have to be diplomatic if you didn't like any of them just say I feel like the 1st person who introduced me to performing was Mr Metcalf because I was Willy Wonka in the trucking factory excellent role and parents were coming up to me on the rugby pitch a year later being like you Willie Wonka weren't you and that's a strange thing give me some chocolate yes. So I very much enjoyed that Mr Tom a drama teacher was incredibly supportive but loved my history teachers Mr Wright and Mrs Edwards are probably one of the main reasons I. Get to those guys if any of you are listening get in touch and if any of you aren't listening. I'm going to criticize you next week. Harry To what do you think meatloaf was referring when he said he would do anything for love but not that I go on a cruise holiday go on a cruise meatloaf would love a cruise probably would that all you can eat buffet meatloaf would kill for that I feel like he's probably implying it's something dirty or you know past his limit in the oh my you think it's and I think that's what the song is saying I don't know the lyrics well enough to confirm or deny that but I feel like it's probably something actually you know I do love you but I'm just not into that specific and for me it's like going on a cruise OK Yeah well there we go folks we just that's an exclusive meatloaf if you're listening confirm or deny her or did you grow up in a hard or soft water area soft fantastic I mean. If you had to host a dinner party with one dream guest and one night mare guest who would you choose. Yeah OK dream guest would be. Oh Wow Dave Gorman my favorite comedian Louis love Dave Gorman completely and utterly He's a wonderful human being he was just a generally nice person and also incredibly funny and one of my idols and nightmare person all the people I've wronged in this been so many of them. Who have experienced a rough Yeah there are probably people that it would just be very not seen them in a way and it's. Just Also you're kind of thinking like not any sort of evil figure from history like you're just being to Gorman or having a nice time and there's someone that you kind of feel you have a conversation with point bounce and an acquaintance of the worst word and yes exactly an acquaintance who it's somebody who I like the obligation would be to to also talk to them even though I clearly want to speak to Dave Gorman sure but is the nightmare part of pretty much but again because they would be acquaintance I can't specify anyone just anyone who I've not seen in up to 78 years there's been to be someone from your past is listening. And you're just and I hope I don't see you for dinner yes agree agree to respect what's the difference in German marmalade the difference between John and marmalade. It's a different kind of preserve which means that it's made with citrus fruit any kind of marmalade they have to naturally in the skin as opposed to with a jab you need to introduce pectin artificially whereas a marmalade or anything in that family so you can do it with other citrus fruit pectin is naturally in the skin already I'm somebody who's made jam so middle class everyone I believe that weird question got. Through if it Harry last question if the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were real do you think they'd be feared or celebrated absolutely fade and hellish but also if they were real turtles chances are they would be incredibly slow. Yeah it would be difficult for them yeah they would probably just be impounded in some kind of Area $51.00 type situation. Maybe. Maybe. Behind. So maybe. After row. After row. You see. The sea. In the. Summer. After all and you only. Have to. Place. Blame. On. My. Son or. My. Money. After. Bad. I'm only. On. I'm just a. Song rag and bone with human this is the last B.B.C. Radio Oxford like the live lunch but for content and indeed legal reasons it is not the live line so apologies if anyone. Form a cover to Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On That's a different show entirely we've been asking you where you see live comedy in Oxfordshire we also want to hear how your favorite local acts I remember myself and Harry are both active on the local scene so but a story goes by texting and tells how much I enjoy our stand up with a lovely text. From Terry and Georgina saying come around and sing a great job in his new show listening while stripping wallpaper in my new house thank you very much George and Terry keep those texts and e-mails and everything coming in you can get in touch with us by texting. The word Oxford. B.B.C. Give us a call 180-810-9100 or e-mail me. At Reynolds bbc dot co dot U.K. Coming up I'm going to be taking Harry on in a game called Fact or fiction but before that I will listen to this. The axis. The AS. You. Portugal The Man there with feel it still that's an absolute banger. It's time for a little game called Fact or fiction Here's how it works Harry and I are going to present 3 facts ever Some of them may not be true we'll take it in turns and we have to guess whether these facts are indeed fact or whether they're fiction. And Harry correctly calls me and he gets a point but if he guesses incorrectly I get the point does that make sense to you as it does bring it to you this. I'll go 1st shall I sure will flip a coin that's fair. Go on my show you'll do what I want. Sorry 1st fact the national sport of Peru is croquet. Croquet is families are fixed again giving away I'm very middle class and I got into Peru for a long period of time really. For a month but there was no croquet being played I'm going to call your bluff and say no. Absolutely correct or the chances of me making that up and you say well I have a deep personal connection to Peru OK that's very unfortunate for me I mean I suppose you could be there because you can be in England for a month on holiday and not see anyone playing it was on national football or cricket probably football or a football oh maybe no you would it depends what you're wearing at the time to be honest English people love the sport to winning OK Harry your turn for a fact all right a lot of people when referring to a long period of time use the expression I've not seen that person in donkey's years but everybody is using the phrase incorrectly in actual fact donkeys years don't exist they're not like dog years or cat is in actual fact it is called Me rhyming slang you're meant to say donkeys is meaning yes I've not seen that person . Is yes that signs very plausible to me. But you could know you know what it's true plausible it's fiction. It's true. Everyone's were are your 2 points. If I don't get this next one then it's almost insurmountable for me so. I think you're going to get this is one which is annoying in the French language version of the Harry Potter series Lord Voldemort's middle name is Elvis I know that J.K. Rowling has to play around with things quite a lot in the translations they have to play around with things because there's a lot of wordplay like Hogwarts and in other languages they just translate to the like pigs. Start school for witchcraft and wizardry so I'm going to say I don't know if Elvis is much of a French name but I guess I also I'm going to say that's correct that's a fact yes that's fact. It absolutely is fact. Lord Voldemort middle name in French is. Your 3 points up the best I can hope for at this stage is to pull it back to tie your fact this year is the 50th anniversary ways of the 50th yet the man walked on the Moon Yeah. However did you know that also on the Moon thanks to all of our explorations and expeditions there are 96 and bags of human excrement. That is fiction. And so is our economy there on the moon $196.00. Of human excrement you are kidding now we're not just talking. We're also talking vomit as well but yeah there are 96 and bags of human excrement on the moon we've taken to littering on the moon whenever people talk about it's all right we'll move to another planet we really need to look closer to home to know that they're also just brilliant to know when you return to earth not only have you walked on the moon but you can genuinely look up at the moon and go there . Are random and also great facts because the best way to remember it is by the song like bottles of beer on the wall here 96 bags of people on the moon 96. 97 but he said it's great it's catchy. Well I'm really just playing for pride at this stage Harry Silvio Berlusconi's final act as a Talon Prime Minister was to write a letter to the I C S A the International Council space agencies to formally request Pluto regain full planetary status fact or fiction Soviet Dallas County really probably went off on one. Yes we all do love Pluto the underdog plan. Systems Nandu off planets understates strictly as a fact I really hope it is because I wanted to be true it is in fact fiction I made it up I've got one hairy your last fact very quickly Fantastics OK Fantastic most tropical marine fish could survive in a tank filled with human blood that is horrifying I'm going to say. Fall fiction it's fiction has to be fiction please tell me it's fiction I got this piece of information from a very question of also some the Internet but according to that very questionable source on the Internet it's fine. The rain fade could survive in a tank filled with human blood which raises the question how did they find that out and how how rowing was not seen when the next person walked in the well that is that is truly how rowing and not only that but here you have comprehensively beaten me 5 points to one that I'm going to keep a running tally while we go along in this series so right night comedians 5 corner one let's everybody listen to list compound the well we take that in. Truth she. Says. Capacity there you're listening to B.B.C. Radio Oxford and this is the laugh lines with me come around also my guest I'm sorry if anybody was listening to the show this evening on a toy but the idea of getting into comedy themselves what would be your piece of advice start with what makes you laugh then get confident if you're not confident fake confidence but most of all get out that gig as much as possible get as much stage time nothing makes people better at comedy think getting stuff in front of an audience and getting getting getting That is brilliant it's a muscle the needs to be flexed fantastic stick around we're going to listen to some Coolio and Alvey Gangsta's Paradise. The cat said so and I got the faces I came home I was raised so much out of me. Those are good too but they got me takes a drink educate him with blood alcohol long. Gangsta's Paradise from Coolio and L.V. There we found another lovely text my favorite local comedian is Chelsea Burke baby she's incredible loving the new comedy show on B.B.C. Oxford Harry's answers were hilarious keep up the great work that comes in from Kirsty thank you so much Kirsty that is much appreciated. Where can we see an action next. You can see me next Saturday on the 10th of August at comedy downstairs at the Jericho cafe and after that the 24th as well as the 6th of September Blackwell's bookshop for the show that must not be any rule and you're not being mysterious there that is actually the title of the show it is indeed fantastic Well it is in German I am afraid to say it is one closing time at the laugh lines from I thank you so much to my guest this evening Mr Harry how is M M Thank you so much for tuning in to the very 1st episode of the laugh lunch on B.B.C. Oxford pleased to join me again next Wednesday evening when my guest will be the fabulous local comedian Kitty speed Stay tuned for the news at 10 o'clock and stick around afterwards for Paul Miller until next time thank you so much I've been Carmack Reynolds on B.B.C. Radio Oxford the time is just coming up 10 o'clock by. Radio on Freeview and on B.B.C. Sound. Is B.B.C. Radio. B.B.C. News at 10 I'm more wrong dissonant police are urging of the 6000 people to leave their homes in a dark town because if it is a dam could collapse and cause widespread flooding and the agency services have described the situation in Wally bridge. As unprecedented concrete panels have been ripped off the damaged reservoir during heavy rain local councillor Jim Paxon says it will be devastating if it collapses it will be a massive shock for a whale of a cost there are 4 valleys lovely people that would probably take a few hours where they. Are thousands of fish destroyed. Is just an unthinkable at just. I don't know what up with it when he was saw tonight police say some homes in nearby furnace fail a new mails are also being evacuated emergency vehicles from fire services across the country are currently pumping out 7000 liters of water every minute to try to lower the levels local pub or not Jennifer says it's frightening it's a mess it really is a mess and it does look really on say that extreme lots of and there's a lot of water in that reservoir so if that goes where will that will to go with him that's the biggest issue in a minute in other news a woman's been found guilty of murdering her 2 young daughters in Warrick's her Louise Porton killed 3 year old Lexi and 17 month old Scarlett in rugby last year the B.B.C.'s Simak attach it was burning in Crown Court during the trial witnesses told the jury the Porton saying like an unloving mother who did whatever she could not to have her children she had an incredibly active social life and her daughter is in to fit with what she wanted to do and with whom she wanted to do it with firefighters say nobody was trapped under scaffolding which collapsed and all shopping center in reading today after searching for much of the day a site worker and a couple had been passing by the time were taken to hospital with minor injuries police investigating the death of the British woman in Madagascar have confirmed she opened the door of the small plane she was in herself 19 year old alone a couple and a student a student at Cambridge University was on an internship on the island when she fell during a flight last week her body hasn't yet been found the R.S. P.C.A. Says there's been a big rise in reports of illegal poppy farming in England over the last 10 years it says it received less the $900.00 calls in 2008 but almost 400000 last year the government says stricter laws will come into force next year Catherine Tilsley who played either incarnation Street is the latest star confirmed to be taking part in this is strictly come dancing the actress will join the likes of former England football. David James a 19 year old You Tube star saw from Barca and the weather a mix of sun expels and scattered showers from many places on Friday but there will be the chance of a few thunderstorms in the east of the country top temperatures of between 19 and 24 degrees Celsius B.B.C. News It's 3 minutes past 10 B.B.C. Radio walk straight with Colin. Leaving all of those a show 1st of all there's almost over. About a. Rather it's quite interesting we have a lot to get through tonight should be a busy one as a way to find out what you've been up to the final time this week in just a 2nd already got stuff coming through on that we have the. We have the mystery. On the ledge mall we start it all off with the coming hours like.