Hollie does Jude

Hi everyone, long time lurker here but I've never posted anything before. I'm a best selling author of black comedy/literary fiction, my daughter Hollie is a natural comedienne but has never performed any comedy before. I filmed her doing some improv impressions of me the other day and because so many people on Facebook have posted how hilarious it is I thought I'd share it with you. Do you think I should encourage her to pursue her talent and gift for comic performance? Embarrassingly for me, all the material she's gleaned from me and unfortunately I really am like this...

https://youtu.be/SkWPSw8ZIVA

From what I see, there it is the start of a character. Jennifer Saunders in Absolutely Fabulous springs to mind. Especially with the sun glasses and bag. Inspiration for characters is usually drawn from the people around us and what we have here is something very specific to you. She needs to generalise it so that joe public are going to recognise the traits. We all know the middle class, vegetarian, wine guzzling, save the planet, yummy mummy types. Always searching their over sized bags for something they've lost. There is a lot of humour to extrapolate from that. The joke needs to be extended and made more grotesque. It needs to be a character inspired by you, but made attainably funny by over the top ways in which she might deal with situations. That is where she will derive the comedy from. Not from in jokes. Tell you daughter to go away and write a monologue, five minutes of material. A story about a moment in this character's life and see what she comes up with. Go for it. It's all in the name of fun right?

I agree with all of that - some nice comedy technique, nut at the moment this is probably fun at family get-togethers, but I'd like to see something structured/scripted.

Hi Yogi, thanks, yeah it's all in the name of fun, that's great advice, thanks. I totally agree with you about getting rid of any in-joke stuff and developing the character...

Hi gappy, yeah you're right. I should write a sketch for her!

It's not as good as you seem to think. Sorry to give bad news but it is shite.

Gerron...., a Bonny lass shaking it about - what's not to like.

It does seem a little niche - just your immediate family - and all this talk of best-selling authors and incredibly beautiful and talented daughters makes me think that a sense of proportion wouldn't go amiss...

Hi

When people ask me what it takes to be funny I usually say it takes 4 stages.

(well actually it's the police and I say I wasn't trying to be funny, I neither know how I got into London Zoo after hours or where my trousers went).

But in the rare occaisons it's not her majesties constabulary asking me.

I say it takes 4 stages.

1 Making yourself laugh
2 Making friends and family laugh.
3 Making coleagues and associates people who know you a bit laugh.
4 Making strangers laugh.

Stage 4 is definitely the toughest and the one you actually have to work at. Develop timing, persona, jokes that no one who's ever heard of you will find funny.

Your daughter is at stage 2 in those videos, don't worry most of us are. She may well be at stage 3, the only person I know who failed stage 1 is Iain Duncan Smith/

You're not doing her any favours by playing a video of her mucking around at parties. It's a stage up from catching your teenage son wanking into your underwear drawer and posting the footage on Facebook,
"Look hasn't he grown!"

If you want to post up some more, developed for the wider world stuff go for it. But for now this is just one of the odder things to turn up in critique.

And nicely, maybe consider taking it down?

6.24 is my fav bit, well worth a look

Seriously, I don't see the funny in this because I don't know you. Your daughter should try some scripted comedy as she comes across well as a performer.

Now back to 6.24...,,,

Quote: Will Cam @ 29th August 2015, 5:47 PM BST

6.24 is my fav bit, well worth a look

Seriously, I don't see the funny in this because I don't know you. Your daughter should try some scripted comedy as she comes across well as a performer.

Now back to 6.24...,,,

Made my flat cap fly off, I'll be down t'privy with Manchester Guardian

View original

Eee ya dirty old get.

I think you should leave your daughter to make her own decisions. If she wants to pursue comedy then that's up to her. If she does, then she should write her own stuff. It's none of your business.

I just looked you up. You seem like a very strange lady and I'd hardly call you best selling - you've received 6 reviews. Your 1 book is diabolical and it's currently ranked 249,000th - which means perhaps 1 sale per year.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Adventures-Cyberspace-Jude-Calvert-Toulmin-ebook/dp/B005PR5XIM/ref=la_B004FQVVE4_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440880575&sr=1-1

Oh and all of the reviews are fake

Woah! That's a bit harsh DJ.

Critique the video she put up but personal slurs aren't really called for. This is a lady who had lurked for ages but not posted before, let's not scare her off.

One sniff of the barmaids apron and Our Will's pulling the pints.

But yes bit personal and all that.