Gumph

John Mawer* is a London based stand-up comedian and improvisor (performer, director, writer, organiser and cod-piece manufacturer).

Stand up

Stand up, for those unfamiliar with the term, involves standing in a designated room/grotty pub, making people laugh by telling them jokes what you have written. It's a solo activity, especially if you get it wrong and the audience piss off to the bar. Personally I don't roll out jokes as such, more amusing witty banter, punctuated with punchlines. Topics include smoking, love, gulf war, Formular one. Christ that's a dull list - Basically I tackle all the ussual hack subjects, plus a few others that are harder to get laughs out of. (Bows head in shame and goes off to write something less done to death).

I'm well and truely back into the gigging, my comedy career has contained a number of what country folk like to call a "Fallow periods". I'm sort of a set-a-side comedian who every few years stops booking gigs in an attempt to keep his comedy fertile. At the moment I'm gushing ripe and dripping with fertility, I'm harvesting the laughs by the bushel and reaping what I have sewn. In other words I'm gigging again - check out the gig listings.

I don't at this time have an agent or booker, but I'm always on the look out for one. If you think you'd like the position please get in contact.

Compering

Much like stand up, but you get to rip the piss out of the audience meet a lot more people. Great compering successes include the Ludlow comedy festival and the various clubs I've run around London. I love to do it cause it lies nicely between stand-up and impro, however I can't spell it - still...

My motto when it comes to compering "Be nice"; If that doesn't work shout obscenities in a stupid accent and pretend to be a pirate/yokle/nazi/shakesperian actor. Then get the acts on, let them take the flack.

Impro

Once described by Marcell Proust as "the nobel art of not having a scooby", impro involves a bunch (or team) of Improvisors (or failed actors/comedians) running on stage and making up short plays/scenes/comedy bits. It's ussual refered to by the shortened term "impro", rather than "improvisation", because all the best things have to be shortened (Englands stay in the Euro 2004 competition for instance).

I've been an Improvisor/er (I can't spell bitch!) for quite a while, ussualy filling in breaks between stand-up. I used to be the artistic director for Big Wednesday, (a title I was never proud of: I wanted to be called "Chief Whippy, organ arranger and king of pointy fingers"). Currently I'm focusing on the Stand-up, but still guest with groups like Improvedy , Grand Theft Impro and teach sometimes at London Theatre Sports. I'm also involved in a short improvised film idea.

Their are many different types of Impro, I started out by doing the gamey sort ( "Whose line is it anyway" style: short games for laughs). I'm now more into the long winded story telling, lets re-write "war and peace" in a Barnsley setting, style of a thing. Particularly into pirate sketches and songs that involve, erm singing lots.

Teaching

Those that can, do. Those that can't, miss out. Those that get overly interested in the theoretical, classic/romantic dicotomy of the subject, and who can't bare to hear themselves be silent for more than two minutes - I'm a Leo's. I was born to boss people around - Teach.

I've never made anyone do squat thrusts in the rain or wear their pants so I'm not a real teacher (I couldn't spend that long around kids and not swear). I teach impro to anyone who wants it. I'm very very interested in the psychology of comedy and communication. I'm very proud of my E=mC² Theory. Call now for a cluttered explaination involving a lot of half arsed guessing and a bit of misguided NLP. 

Writting

I can do the ideas, just not the grammar/punctuation/spelling bit. Always up for a bit of writting, comedy or serious. I've taken two plays to Edinburgh - The XX Factor (comedy misadventure in the future) and Speed Date (A 20 minute short, set in a lift).

Movies

I have a habit of getting involved in other peoples short movies and projects. By all means log yourself into www.TriggerStreet.com and do a search for the "Cheatles" or "Chocolate Pralene Mocha". Two improvised shorts by Roy Peterson (long may he stroke velvet in a happy laid back way, on a chez lounge surrounded by adoring totty).

Nudie

OK, so one year at Edinburgh I took me kit off and streaked through Phil Nichols "Things I like I lick" show. I'm not proud of it (I so am, 250 people in audience, top stuff, photo's on site, might be my closest chance of a Perrier). Subsequently I posed balls akimbo for David Bailey, although thank god and all his little bishops, it's not been published yet. I've been to the gym a lot since.

 

Please take a look at the gig section for details of upcoming performances and feel free to email me if you've got any questions.