Crack comedy trio return to their roots

The Penny Dreadfuls

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Three years on from their first appearance at Edinburgh University’s own Bedlam Theatre, the Penny Dreadfuls have garnered multiple rave reviews, been commissioned for their second radio series and are looking forward to their third sell-out Fringe.

But on March 7th, the Victorian comedy sketch troupe will return to its roots to premiere its new show: Aeneas Faversham Forever. Leaving the sketch format, the trio present an hour-long exploration of the murky Victorian underworld, in which the lives of a policeman, a cripple and a children’s author are irreversibly intertwined.

The Dreadfuls are David Reed, Humphrey Ker and Thom Tuck, and, along with half their production team Steve Greer, have all directed The Improverts, Edinburgh’s improvised comedy institution, during their careers at Edinburgh University. Producer Idil Sukan produced the Imps for three years, while lighting designer Neil E. Hobbs was both a player and their technical manager. The whole team were heavily involved in the Edinburgh University Theatre Company during their student days. I catch up with Humphrey Ker for a quick fire round of questions and (improvised) answers:

What was sketch comedy like in the nineteenth century?

"It was bawdy, it was raw, and in fact it was the catalyst that drove the empire. Initially, there were only a few comedy scenarios available for sketch comedians, and conquering the world produced more hilarious situations and possible cases of mistaken identity."

Gladstone or Disraeli?

"Definitely Gladstone because he was pro Home Rule in Ireland and I’m theoretically Irish, or rather my dad’s an Irishman. Also I’m a liberal, and Disraeli was a Tory."

You performed with and directed The Improverts. What are your favourite memories?

"I had an awesome time with the Improverts, I was going to join the army before I joined so it really did change my life. My favourite memories are of Saturday workshops, and sitting in Greyfriar’s Bobby afterwards eating poorly reheated mashed potatoes, before it became touristy and kitsch."

Would you encourage other students to go into comedy?

"Absolutely and unreservedly. Here is an example of my typical week: on Monday I was recovering from Leicester comedy festival, on Tuesday and Wednesday I filmed a sketch show for BBC3, which involved dressing up as ninjas with Brian Blessed and then as a superhero for a sketch with Dr. Fox. On Thursday I was in the BBC office eating a sandwich and surfing the internet. It kicks ass."

What influence did being in Edinburgh for your student years have on your comedy?

"Lots of sketch comedians come out of Oxford and Cambridge, and I think that not coming out of Oxbridge gives us different perspective. Edinburgh is a very Romantic city with a capital R. Think of the cobbled, winding, gothic streets: part of that inspired our show. Of course The Improverts were a key part of our formation. If I’d gone to university anywhere else, I wouldn’t have been involved in The Improverts and I’d be in Afghanistan right now.

"So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. For your delectation, The Penny Dreadfuls. If you can’t make their Edinburgh show, they’re doing the comedy festival in Glasgow the very next day, and if you can’t make that- stick around for the Fringe!"

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