Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | October 23, 2014 | 35
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Festival oF ideas: Comedy
James Mullinger
A
FTER riffing on a train with comedian Tony Law, journalist, telly man and stand-up James Mullinger realised he could turn his obsession with Danny Dyer into a show. ‘How a middle class feminist fell in love with Danny Dyer’ is the result, and a mouthful of one at that. ELLA Walker caught up with him ahead of his Festival of Ideas gig at CB2. Can you describe ‘How a middle class feminist fell in love with Danny Dyer’? What should we expect? It is a series of tales about how pathetic I am: all the embarrassing things that have happened to me when I have tried to be hard and how I stalked Danny Dyer and what happened when I met him. The stories are all really out there but all totally true. You will not believe what you are hearing. Where did the initial idea for the show come from? Why your fascination with Dyer? I have always secretly wanted to be a ‘proper geezer’ like him. I’ve always thought there is something inherently funny about the British obsession with hard men and crime culture – The Krays, the Richardsons, the Essex Boys – and why a middle class feminist like myself is obsessed with it. I’m not hard at all but I find the whole crime thing fascinating and think that it’s all a bit laughable. What was your first ever gig like? Great. But the next 10 were terrible. Then I died regularly for about five years. Then three years later I got good. Two years on here I am. Passable. What made you want to get into comedy? It was just something I always wanted to do.
But never thought I would. And I still can’t quite believe I get to do it for a living. I hate comedians who moan. Other than the ones that moan, which fellow comedians do you admire? Jerry Seinfeld is in my opinion the greatest comedian of all time. Louis CK is obviously second. But my biggest inspiration and favourite
i’ve always thought there is something inherently funny about the British obsession with hard men and crime culture – the Krays, the Richardsons, the essex Boys – and why a middle class feminist like myself is obsessed with it.
JamestiCKets Mullinger: How a middleoN Hot WHat’s class feminist fell in love with Danny Dyer, Cambridge Festival WHat’s oN Hot tiCKets Of Ideas, CB2 Bistro, Wednesday, Hot tiCKets October 29 at 8pm.WHat’s Tickets £6oN from 07889176050 / wegottickets.com/ WHat’s oN Hot tiCKets event/268091.
comedian is Frank Skinner. I grew up watching his videos and they made me laugh day after day. And they still stand up today as some of the greatest live stand up recordings ever. What I do now – be honest about sexual indiscretions – is basically inspired by what he did. So the night he came to see me on my Schooldays tour and I died the worst death of the entire tour is possibly the worst night of my comedy career. Ouch. You live in Canada now (Mullinger’s wife is Canadian), how do Canadians generally react to your comedy? It’s been going really well. It was a gamble moving to Canada without any profile there but the people have been lovely and welcomed me with open arms. Moving to New Brunswick was the best decision I have ever made. I honestly believe it to be the most idyllic place on earth. What always makes you laugh? My sons Hunter and River. And farts. Their farts really make me howl. On the journalism side of things (Mullinger is GQ’s comedy editor and a celebrity interviewer for Comedy Central), who’s been the most fascinating person you’ve interviewed and why? Jerry Seinfeld because I am in love with him. And Anne Hathaway because she hates joy. Have you been to Cambridge before? Any fond memories? Many fond memories partying there in my youth, but the best times for me have been performing at the Festival Of Ideas. Every year I bring my new show there and it is always, always one of my favourites. Last year my best friend Georgina’s parents came to see me for the first time. I don’t think they were too shocked! Although we will see if they come again this year. . . Finally, tell us something surprising about yourself. I have a degree in Women’s Studies. I volunteer for a domestic violence prevention group a few times a week. But maybe this isn’t surprising. Erm, how about the fact that I haven’t seen a single Harry Potter film? Or a Lord Of The Rings film. And my favourite drink is Jägerbombs.
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