Chatback Thanks...

I left Canterbury, and university, in 2010 and, with it, the comedy club my housemate Sam and I set up while studying. We were heartbroken and vowed to keep it going but I think we both secretly believed it'd peter out within the year. More than two years on and the club is still going strong. It's a lot of hard work and, like all show business ventures, can be quite up and down in the level of success it's achieving at any one point in time. Regardless, it's nothing short of a miracle that, whilst living in separate cities and holding down other jobs, our Canterbury presence has flourished. We've been able to produce monthly comedy shows at our residence The Parrot, a season of larger scale shows for students at The Attic on the UKC campus, a couple of seasons at the Horsebridge Arts Centre in Whitstable, a programme for Lounge on the Farm festival and gigs at the Gulbenkian Theatre and the Canterbury Festival. It's been bloody brilliant and, to top it off, we've been shortlisted for a Canterbury Culture Award this year in the category of 'Destination Canterbury'! It looks like we actually have a shot, fingers crossed, at creating something lasting. 

Although this is, to some extent, due to impressive and/or foolish devotion to the company on the part of Sam and I, it's also - in a massive way - down to the incredible people around us. Ive always yearned to be surrounded by talented people eager to create something with me. I've often been quietly envious in the past when I've met others who seem to do so effortlessly and wondered if I'd ever find people willing to take a bet on me, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I'd end up with what I have. Which is a bunch of awesome, fun people who are passionate about live comedy and full of enthusiasm and the drive necessary for doing all the hard work needed to make our gigs happen, and our club continue to exist, both when we have the money to pay them and when we don't. I hope that I manage to show my gratitude whenever possible and that these wonderful individuals know how much I appreciate them and that they themselves have been enthused and fulfilled by the experiences they've had with Chatback. 

I'm making a point of doing so right now specifically because quite a few of our most precious team members are leaving Canterbury to run off into the real world. Though we'll miss 'em plenty we know it's time for them to fly free and spread their talents around the UK's arts and entertainment industry. It's not fair to keep them all to ourselves. We know this. Their talent must be shared. So, without further ado, these are the talented Canterbury folk who've really helped make us what we are today (If there is a single person who's been missed out please write and tell me off immediately. It's midnight.): 

From day one our designer DAN TOLLADY has been an essential part of the creation of the company with his handiwork seen everywhere from our first logo to our most recent poster and flyer designs. He's always willing to try something new and is awfully patient in dealing with my incredible lack of sense of colour co-ordination. 

Our first show was photographed by the talented RICHARD GREBBY (check his stuff out!) and compered by the ever supportive and super talented DR OLIVER DOUBLE who is now the head of Theatre & Drama at UKC and the author of two (definitely at least two) books on comedy and vaudeville. Later on in our first season the multi-talented Mr OWEN EVANS also lent his photographic skills. 

Our technical team has been manned over the years by two lovely gentlemen. The splendiferous CJ BELFIELD was our first and, over the last couple of years, we've been blessed with the calm, committed and loveable presence of JAMES WAYNE. Thanks also to the musical accompaniment from time to time of ANDY JEFFS.

Our feisty Production and Stage Manager FAITH AUSTIN started off as a volunteer and is now a real life member of staff. Seh's been an incredible force in the company, always working, always on the ball for new comedians and committed to achieving perfection in each and every aspect of her role. 

Our sassy FOH lady is GRACE IRVINE. She's super-organised and has massively improved the audience's experience of a night at Chatback with everything from her swift box office management to her team of lovely lady usherettes who are...

The talented comedy buff that is SOPH THOMSON and the most lovely DAPHNE NANCY SEALE.  

So...I'm all done. For now. I just wanted to say thank you. There are too many people to name who have helped in important little ways here and there (plus the brand new team who've just started!) but I just wanted to pay homage to those who've really thrown themselves in and become part of the team. All that remains to be said really is that if you're an employer in the creative industries I promise that you won't go wrong with any of the splendiferious individuals above.

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• http://www.richardgrebby.co.uk/
• http://www.owenjamesevansdesign.com/
• http://www.oliverdouble.com/

Comedy is Subjective. Newsflash!?

Why is stand up comedy such an unreliable art form? How come a comedian can absolutely smash it at a gig on Monday night and die an anguished comedy death 10 metres down the road on Tuesday? Why is a joke deemed hilarious by friends in the pub suddenly completely lacking when delivered at an open mic night? Why does a comedian suddenly feel the need, mid-show, to edit or ad lib part of a set that was working fine over the past three months? And really, how is it that the 8pm show is nothing like the midnight show at The Comedy Store, London!? It's the same acts! It's the same material! 

The answer is simple: The success of a joke, of a comedian, lies solely in who's listening. 

It's part of why people gaze admiringly at comedians, those loveable ego-driven funny machines clutching a pint to their sub-par physiques, and declare breathlessly 'You're so brave!', 'It's the hardest job in the world', paramedics, soldiers and fireman instantly swept to the side. 

The same happens in real life. Yes, real life! Some people are naturally the more amusing jokers, some just happen to have found friendship groups that enthusiastically enjoy their wit and wry observations whereas the rest of us just assume that we're not funny. And maybe we're not. But if we look a bit closer we'll see that many of these successful jokers are not nearly so funny when removed from their group-with-built-in-comedy-fans or that they have a hit/miss ratio on par with many professional stand ups depending on their company, the time and the event. 

It all depends on who's receiving the joke. My sister has a very dry sense of humour. Unless I whip out a corker any joke I ever make will always be met with a disapproving glance and a distinct lack of laughter. My best friend will most likely be in hysterics but she's a compulsive giggler and wants to be amused. That makes a big difference. So I might be utterly unfunny, I might be the comedian of the century (it's unlikely yes). The truth is that it depends on who's listening. Also on how drunk they are.

It's a basic truth that comedy is not always funny. Or not always funny for everyone. Look to improvisation and you'll see a clearer illustration of how the power of comedy lies in receiving feedback from audiences, from keeping alert and developing in response to the audience's level of appreciation. This is how newbies with one good joke and twenty minutes of crap can end up honing incredible sets that speak perfectly to his or her generation of fans. This is why Michael McIntyre worked the circuit for years before becoming the only comedian in the list of highest earning arena tours 2012. 

It's a truth that's been covered by the success of TV panel and 'live' roadshows that edit down sets until only the laughs remains and any unnecessary awkwardness is quietly removed. TV audiences then feel disappointed when a live comedy show contains jokes that fall flat on their faces or sink without trace, when the laughs don't consistently come at neat five second intervals nor does every comedian end his set on a high note. The comedians are now the 'new rock stars', the untouchables who define what is funny and it's very hard for up-and-coming acts to live up to that in person. 

This isn't another rant about TV killing comedy. Panel shows, roadshows, they all have their place. I watch many of them myself. And while I'm not trying to encourage new talent to enter the industry, it's hard and pretty oversubscribed right now, I would like to ensure that clubs remain where comedians can break out new material, can try to do or say something innovative and where people are still willing to listen. Because, at the end of the day, comedy only matters if someone is listening.