Hi Alex. Who are you and what do you do in comedy?
My name is Alex Garrick-Wright; I'm a comedy writer and performer from Glasgow who lives on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere. My writing partner is Rebecca Bain, and together we write and produce comedy under the name Bonnie & Clydeside.
Tell us about how you first became involved in the comedy world.
I actually got asked to try comedy. A friend of mine was running an improv comedy course in 2015, and asked me to join it. I said I would for a laugh but absolutely would not perform. Somehow I got talked into going on stage and got a huge laugh on my first line. I remember thinking "Oh now I see why people do this, this is amazing!"
I didn't start properly writing comedy until I teamed up with Rebecca Bain, who I met in an improv workshop in 2019. Since then it's become one of the biggest parts of my life and I love every second. We've had material broadcast online, on radio and on TV, as well as producing our own material for YouTube.
Tell us your favourite joke, sketch or routine.
Our sketch Making Becca Scottish is a real favourite. Because Rebecca and I live hundreds of miles apart, it was the first time we'd been able to be in a sketch together, and it just came out exactly the way we wanted. I'm still super-proud of the bagpipes in it, which a friend of mine provided for free because he loved the idea so much.
What's your proudest moment, in terms of your comedy work?
Probably getting asked to be Lead Writers on BBC Scotland's Breaking The News for the first time. It was only our second full series in the writers' pool and it was such a huge boost to be given that opportunity. Winning the Making A Scene Of It competition for our sitcom script, Coconut Republic, was an incredible feeling too, and a wonderful vote of confidence in our writing abilities.
If you had £1m to spend on comedy, where would your money go?
I'd probably invest in live venues. Comedy clubs are the spawning ground for tomorrow's talent and without them the whole comedy industry would be on its knees. I'd use the money to secure the futures of a number of venues in Scotland, and start writers workshops and mentoring programmes to help new writers and comedians improve their craft, connect with each other, and get a bit of a start in a difficult industry.
What are your hopes for your current comedy projects?
Both Rebecca and I would love to turn our sketch comedy into a full series. That's the big dream right now; sketch comedy lets us really explore the humour and topics we love the most.
If you ever get free time, how do you spend it?
If I found time between writing, family and all my hobbies, I'd probably start a new hobby.
If a genie offered you one wish, what would you ask for?
You know what genies are like, they're going to twist whatever I ask for so there's an unforeseen downside. I'd probably ask for something very specific and very mundane like a nice bag of non-poisonous crisps so they don't Monkey's Paw me too hard.
Published: Friday 25th June 2021