Press clippings Page 13
There were more laughs in The Windsors than there were in the frankly bizarre Flowers. The Windsors comes from team behind the long-forgotten Star Stories and imagines the royal family as the stars of a Dallas-style soap opera. Obviously some of the jokes are quite obvious such as everybody fawning over Pippa Middleton's arse and Fergie (Katy Wix) being a complete embarrassment to the entire royal family. However there were some gems among the myriad of gags most notably the Middletons gypsy heritage which Kate (Louise Ford) is still proud of to this day. The bizarre soapy elements of The Windsors also lend a sense of ridiculousness to the show which is keen to demonstrate the fact it doesn't take itself too seriously. The main thrust of the plot is that Charles and Camilla (Harry Enfield and Haydn Gwynne) are worried that the line of succession is going to skip a generation as Wills and Kate are much more popular than they are. Camilla's plot to take down Kate by getting her to dress as a pirate during a military amputee ball was an inspired gag as is the central plot thread of the Duchess of Cornwall attempting to have another child. Other highlights included Harry (Richard Goulding) not being able to differentiate between the many blondes he's been linked to and Wills' (Hugh Skinner) need to become a helicopter pilot again. But my favourite characters was the frankly clueless sisters Beatrice and Eugenie (Ellie White and Celeste Dring) who attempted to start an online make-up tips business to make some much needed cash. Although The Windsors didn't always hang together it did a good job at both creating larger-than-life versions of our royal family and at the same time staying true to its soap opera spoof style. The majority of the cast looked like they were having a good time and I was particularly fond of W1A's Hugh Skinner's performance as the affable William who tried to balance his duty with his love of flying. In fact the only person who slightly spoiled the show for me was Morgana Robinson who, despite being a fine impressionist, was a bit out of place here in her role as Pippa Middleton. While nobody should go into The Windsors expecting the next big comedy hit it's good to have a bit of satirical fun on the box once in a while. Additionally I feel that Channel Four have definitely made the right decision by putting it on on a Friday
Matt, The Custard TV, 8th May 2016The Windsors, Channel 4, review
There's some mildly subversive satire in there if you look hard enough.
Veronica Lee, The Arts Desk, 7th May 2016Preview: The Windsors
The Windsors isn't going to win any awards for subtlety and the writers certainly aren't going to win any knighthoods, but if you like seeing royal poshos royally sent up this should put a smile on your face.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 4th May 2016This topical comedy show brings together young British comics, including Dane Baptiste, Ivo Graham, Rhys James, Ellie White and Jamie Demetriou. It feels like a scattershot ensemble, but makes slightly more sense when you learn this is being positioned as a reboot of The 11 O'Clock Show, the late-90s format that helped to shape the current comedy mainstream by employing everyone from Ricky Gervais to Sacha Baron Cohen, David Mitchell, Robert Webb, Charlie Brooker and Robert Popper.
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian, 17th March 2016There are seven comedians behind what is by far the funniest of this year's BBC Comedy Feed pilots: the members of sketch trio Sheeps (Liam Williams, Alastair Roberts, Daran Johnson); Ellie White and Natasia Demetriou (who perform together as Mother And Baby); the latter's brother Jamie, and Australian comic Claudia O'Doherty. From this network of comedy talent springs sharp, silly, strange skits that radiate confidence and wit. If the long-floundering Great British sketch show has any chance of relevancy again, this is it.
Rachel Aroesti, The Guardian, 18th September 2015Ellie White's favourite TV
The comedian and House Of Fools star on how she never misses an episode of Inside No 9 and her love of really, really bad reality TV.
Gwilym Mumford, The Guardian, 11th May 2015Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme (Radio 4) is back for a third series and this week's episode dealt with "the thorny issue of dating", featuring short, bathetic stanzas on flirting, speed dating and other disappointments of the heart. He plays a version of himself: a disappointed, slightly pompous fool with some very odd ideas about courting. This week he brought female companion Ann White (a perfectly deadpan Ellie White) for a romantic tour of the studio, complete with champagne, to the growing annoyance of Tom Basden, his brilliantly dour musical accompanist. While he provided tender flamenco strings, the hapless bard attempted to set a quixotic tone, but it wasn't long before their carping took centre stage and Ann White retreated to the control room with a Brian Cox podcast. "You've been a sourpuss for almost two minutes now," Key hissed as the guitarist tried to push on with the show.
It's only 15 minutes long but every episode perfectly showcases Key's supreme command of tone. His sentences never end where you expect them to and the oddly appealing atmosphere he creates is so spellbinding, it's like emerging from a nice fog when he spits you out at the other end. Fifteen minutes is both perfect and far too short.
Julia Raeside, The Guardian, 26th February 2015Interview: Dan Skinner, Daniel Simonsen and Ellie White
Today, we bring you our catch-up with Bob's regular house guests, Dan Skinner, Daniel Simonsen and Ellie White.
Paul Holmes, The Velvet Onion, 12th February 2015Interview with Ellie White
Q&A with character comic Ellie White.
Comedy Blogedy, 25th July 2014The Ellie White three minute interview
The urgently striving to be unstoppable Ellie White presents an hour of idiosyncratic character comedy. As heard on BBC Radio 4's Fresh from the Fringe seen on BBC Thee's Live at the Electric. Martin Walker asks about her Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut.
Martin Walker, Broadway Baby, 26th June 2014