Tag Archives: Komedia

Komedia with Will Self

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Will Self and Matthew De Abaitua at the Excess Express night at the Enterprise, Chalk Farm

Will Self and Matthew De Abaitua at the Excess Express night at the Enterprise, Chalk Farm

I will be joining Will Self for an hour of conversation at Brighton’s Komedia club, on the 24th January 2011 at 7.30pm.

Last year’s performance at the Komedia was sold out, and went very well. I floundered. As I always do. But Will was on excellent form. I take it as a compliment that the sole reviewer of the show thought it was scripted. It was not. The reviewer described us as “Coming across as a kind of intelligent and less shocking Derek and Clive, the pair offered up their wisdom to the floor, counselling audience members with physical ailments, commitment issues and financial woes.”

I have no idea what this next show will hold, except that it asks what is new about the New Year? Certainly time has slowed down in the last ten years, its sluggardly pace caused by cultural stasis and repetition; the X Factor is always the Christmas number one, Stephen Fry is always on the telly, and I am forever putting the bins out.

Will Self on Matthew De Abaitua

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“The gloom, he says, is likely to be perpetuated by a meeting with his old friend Matthew De Abaitua. The pair lived together in Suffolk in the mid-1990s and Self says each of them attempted suicide on the same day.

“We were both crying for help in separate rooms in the house, so we couldn’t help each other,” he says.

“But you know, we’ve kept in touch… I think more out of guilt than anything else. There’s no love lost between us because there’s no love. Matthew is sick as a parrot, really. He can barely wipe himself he’s so miserable, and as the older and more established depressive, I’ve got some interesting ideas that I think will help everybody in January.”

Read the full article from the Brighton Argus

Coming soon: The Most Depressing Day of the Year

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On the most depressing day of the year, January 25th, I will be accompanying Will Self for an evening’s improvised performance at the Komedia in Brighton.

Will Self

Will Self

For previous performances, I have interviewed Will as the editor of the London Free, London’s Freest newspaper. However, the chill economic conditions lead to the closure of the London Free. I have tried to remain upbeat during my long period of unworking and hope that this spirit of can-do positivity will persist into the New Year.

Matthew De Abaitua in felt horned hat with ears

"Spirit of can-do positivity"

We are also embarking upon a warm-up gig at Express Excess at the Enterprise in Camden, on the evening of January 20th.