Roisin Conaty

Seven questions with... Roisin Conaty

An interview with stand-up Roisin Conaty.

Conaty, Pascoe & more added to Raise a Laugh for Refuge

Roisin Conaty, Sara Pascoe, Gabby Best and Jayde Adam have been added to Raise a Laugh for Refuge.

Radio Times review

At last, Buzzcocks has a permanent host. For too long we've been adrift on a choppy sea of guest hosts where for every swell like Terry Wogan or Adam Buxton who could make the show their own, there have been troughs of forgettable faces.

One of the more memorable is voluble Welsh comic Rhod Gilbert, who finally takes on the mantle of hosting duties left by Mark Lamarr and Simon Amstell. He's not as acerbic or waspish as either of those two, so expect more surreal anarchy than vicious putdowns. Guests Professor Green, Roisin Conaty, Gabby Logan and the 1975's Matt Healy will do their best to keep up.

Latitude review: Roisin Conaty

Perhaps her mouthy, soldiering-on outlook is a little wasted on such a largely affluent, middle-class crowd, which is a shame.

Interview: Hayley Ellis

Loser at life and winner at losing Hayley Ellis presents her debut hour of stand-up about love, loss and a little Lhasa Apso dog called Kevin. Fresh from supporting Roisin Conaty on tour, award-winning Ellis lets you in on her loves, losses and life-lessons learnt from a little Lhasa Apso dog.

The Hayley Ellis three minute interview

Fresh from supporting Roisin Conaty on tour, Hayley Ellis presents her Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut hour of stand-up about love, loss and a little Lhasa Apso dog called Kevin. Martin Walker discovers that, We Really Need to Talk About Kevin.

Jolly, though not a lot more original, GameFace (Channel 4) stars and is written by Roisin Conaty. She's Marcella, an "actor" (postal worker), struggling to get her shit together. You know: work, driving licence, love, what she eats and shouldn't be eating, all that. Life, basically. She's clumsy and disorganised, not one of life's winners in the traditional sense, but funny in a self-deprecating kind of way. There's something of Miranda about her, though with more of an edge and attitude - swearier, more real, more now, less cosy, less annoying.

GameFace isn't breaking any new ground. A lot of it feels at least medium to well-done - a little self-loathing, the comfort eating, the life coach (usually a shrink), the denial, saying she's "in communications" about delivering the mail, the book group, not having read the book ... But I did enjoy the irate explosion of the book-group woman who actually wants to discuss The Scarlet Letter. And Marcella's "Don't be an arsehole" talk to her old school. Moving almost, as well as good advice. I'll certainly give it another go.

Any show that starts with a proud walk of shame is good in my books. Roisin Conaty has written and stars in the new Channel 4 pilot GameFace. This first episode is perhaps a little rough around the edges, but I loved it. The pizza scene is a definite highlight... and the meeting an old school friend... to be honest all of it was a little close to home. I think one quote in particular sums it up: "You look quite nice without chicken on your face." I'm so glad Conaty has finally been given the limelight, both writing and acting.

I loved GameFace and found it hilarious, but whether the first episode alone is enough to grab both the masses and Channel 4 commissioners is something I'm not sure of. Like a lot of recent sitcoms (Uncle, Man Down, Hebburn), it may be a grower not a shower. They all improved massively as the series went on, and I think GameFace has the potential to do this.

Hopefully Channel 4 will realise that GameFace is so much better than endless panel shows. Please commission a full series!

GameFace review

I really can't wait for a series to be made of GameFace as I love Roisin Conaty, the scripting was excellent, and there were many unique aspects to the programme.

GameFace, TV review

Roisin Conaty shoves a series' worth of plot into 22 minutes.