The Delightful Sausage
Published: Thursday 5th October 2017
Sausages are great, aren't they? Tasty but also inescapably funny: very much the meat banana in that sense. So it's no wonder that at least one comedy duo would adopt it to represent their finely-honed craft.
"We are Yorkshire's finest meat-themed sketch comedy double act, The Delightful Sausage - aka Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill," says Chris Cantrill. "We're performing our first show, Cold Hard Cache in London as part of the Upstream Comedy Festival on 7th October."
Indeed, and the Delightful Sausage are just part of the tasty menu at the Hackney Attic, also featuring full-length shows from Brett Goldstein, Kat Bond, Stuart Laws, and Short Com's selection of short films and sketches.
If you can't make it, "we're also filming it for NextUp on 25th October at The Bill Murray," says second Sausage Amy Gledhill, of Cold Hard Cache, "as well as starting the daunting task of working on a new show."
Thinking about it, we really should have specially renamed this feature First Gig, Wurst Gig. Too late.
First gig?
Amy: I did my first gig in a pub in Salford, wearing my mum's coat. I kept it on in case I needed to leave sharpish afterwards. You know what? I'm still wearing that coat and I don't intend to take it off.
Chris: It was Downstairs at The Kings Head in the arse-end of 2010. I'm surprised you've not heard about it.
Favourite show, ever?
A: I played the Hollywood Comedy Store. It was amazing because Roseanne Barr had played on the same stage and the locals even found my accent unironically sexy.
C: Probably playing The Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Those mad bastards get us.
Worst Gig?
A: I once did a gig in a corridor and right before I went on 'stage' the promoter showed me a picture of him with a gun.
C: I once did a new act competition run by Dapper Laughs.
The weirdest live experience?
A: I compèred a dog show at Castle Howard in my mother's coat.
C: I once performed for a team of psychologists who didn't so much laugh as take lots of notes.
Who's the most disagreeable person you've come across in the business?
A: We were conned by Channel 5's Sunil Patel into letting him direct our show. After six months he had only written "lighting change" on the back of a napkin.
C: We sacked him immediately but remain firm friends and wish him all the best.
Is there one routine/gag you loved, that audiences inexplicably didn't?
A: We tried a bit for a while where we got someone to read on stage while I ate some Monster Munch and Chris took his trousers down. We thought we were doing 'clowning' but turns out it was just pure self-indulgence without any jokes.
C: It took us a long time to find the line with our 'men's rights' bit. Once again, I would like to apologise to everybody in Leeds.
What's your best tip for keeping a double-act together?
A: Friendship.
C: Contracted obligations and the great British judicial system.
The most memorable review, heckle or post-gig reaction?
A: Ed Fest Mag said we were "One of the best adverts for modern alternative comedy you could ever wish to see." Which made it very difficult to breath.
C: During the Edinburgh Festival we gave one middle-aged lady in a cagoule a nose bleed.
How do you feel about where your career is at, right now?
A: Well, it feels like we're on the rung of a ladder we want to climb. Previously we'd not even been allowed in the ladder shop.
C: We'll perform for a tenner. Private performance for £15. For £20 you can do whatever you want.
Find out more about the duo at thedelightfulsausage.com
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