Cambridge News | cambridge-news.co.uk | November 27, 2014 | 35
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COmEdy
Pete Firman Pete Firman is on a one man mission to be both funny AND magical, it’s a tough ask but the Middlesbrough born comic is nailing it (his nail in the face trick is spot on too – Google it). ELLA WALKER quizzed the TV regular ahead of an appearance at Cambridge Junction with his latest show, Trickster:
What should people expect from your current show, Trickster? Jokes, tricks, me. . . In a nutshell it’s a magic show mixed with a stand-up show. There’s mind reading, sleight of hand, levitation, things disappearing, things reappearing, impossible feats and hopefully lots of laughs along the way. How does your TV work differ from your live shows? It’s very similar but you get that instant feedback in a live show. Usually with a TV programme, the feedback you get might be on Twitter as it’s going out, having recorded it weeks before. A live show is more of a dialogue with the audience, it’s a show for them in that particular theatre and no two performances are ever exactly the same. Where does your love of magic come from? I’m not sure really. I’ve been captivated by it ever since I was a kid. I think I liked the idea of make believe, the notion that not everything is as it seems. Latterly, I’ve really enjoyed finding ways to make it relevant to an audience today. There are loads of tricks you can show an audience, the hard part is making them care about them. Which is your favourite trick to perform and why? I like anything that involves members of the audience. Those routines allow me to improvise and have some fun with a routine. Whenever you select somebody to help, you never quite know what you are going to get and I like that. What do you think has been the greatest illusion of all time? Economic recovery? Jokes. Probably something like sawing a person in half. There are many incarnations of it, but it’s something that everybody has heard of and we
“I’ve been captivated by magic ever since I was a kid. I liked the idea of make believe, the notion that not everything is as it seems”
Pete Firman: Trickster, HOT TICKET Cambridge Junction, Friday, WHAT’S HOTickets November 28ON at 8pm. £16 form (01223) 511511 / HOT TICKETS junction.co.uk. WHAT’S ON HOT
instantly know what the effect is. Who are your inspirations in comedy and in magic? Loads of people. Penn & Teller, Geoffrey Durham, Steve Martin, Pat Page, Ken Brooke. Some of those names you’ll know, some you may not. They are all well worth a Google. When interviewing other magicians, what do you always want to know? I haven’t done that much of it to be honest, but I always like to hear funny gig stories. Ideally when things go horribly wrong, I’m a sadist. Good to know. Can you tell us about the worst gig you’ve had? Many years ago I was hired by a company to entertain on their promotional stand at a medical convention. The idea was to draw in customers with magic tricks, then the salespeople would start their pitches. The company sold laxatives. Oh the glamour! True story.
ROuNd up MEXICAN acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela are bringing some rock-flamenco-fusion to Cambridge Corn Exchange on Monday. The pair, pictured, who have performed for President Obama at the White House, ooh-er, will be playing tracks off their latest album, 9 Dead Alive, as well as old favourites presumably. Tickets are £27.50-£37.50 from (01223) 357851 and the show starts at 7.30pm. FORMER Groove Armada frontwoman Saint Saviour is playing at The Portland Arms, Cambridge, on Tuesday. She’s into spouting “sensitive, powerful and ultimately unusual ballads” and she’ll be joined by joint headliner – and her producer – the wry and whimsical Bill Ryder-Jones (formerly of The Coral). Tickets are £10 from wegottickets.com/greenmind, get there for 7.30pm. FANCY an oddball evening mixing organ music and comedy? Fictional singer-songwriter and radio pre-
senterJohn Shuttleworth (aka Graham Fellows) is bringing new show, A Wee Ken to Remember, to Cambridge Junction on Wednesday, December 3. Don’t know what to expect exactly? Us neither. Apparently John is “obliged to spend the evening paying homage to his next-door neighbour and sole agent – the diminutive Ken Worthington”. Tickets are £17 from (01223) 511511 – doors open for 8pm. THE ADC, CUADC and the Footlights troupe are getting in early on the old panto action. The Emperor’s New Clothes is their production of choice, on nightly at 7.45pm until Saturday, December 6. The Yuletide Parade is approaching and the emperor needs to get his outfit in order. The local newspaper run by the “shady reindeer-human” Rudolph Murder has some sneaky plans in the works though. Tickets are £9-£14 from (01223) 300085.