Today we chat with The Dog-Eared Collective who are Kathryn Hanke, James Huntington, Joanna Hutt and Jenny Thomson. Anointing the 2010 Brighton Fringe with their witty take on life they are on for three days at Upstairs at Three and Ten from the 7th to 9th May 2010 at 5 pm each balmy Brighton evening. So trot along for a good prescription of the giggles!
1. What inspired you to become a sketch troupe?
We graduated in Theatre at Leeds University, but it wasn’t funny enough.
2. What’s your show about and where are you taking your show after the Brighton Fringe?
The Dog-Eared Collective’s JOYRIDE is a sketch show that will take you on a full throttle thrill ride through the turnpikes of pleasure! There’s Morris Dancing with missiles, Grief Stricken Come Dancing and a Spice factory shindig so whatever flips your switch and fires up your funny bone, join us on a comedy crash course to Cloud 9.
After doing the show at Brighton Fringe we’ve got previews lined up in Leeds, London and Oxford, then we’re off to Edinburgh in August.
3. What are your funniest and worst experiences performing in front of an audience?
Our worst gig was probably dying on our arses at a charity gig in Bournemouth – we literally failed to put the comic in Comic Relief.
Our funniest would be when a Jack Russell heckled us in a London pub but we respected his doubts about the longevity of the material.
4. If you had a chance to work with anyone of your choosing, who would it be?
Reeves and Mortimer and The League of Gentlemen. Definitely our comedy heroes.
5. What are you most proud of and what dreams or goals would you like to fulfill?
Our first review was probably our proudest moment. On our first festival trip to the Dublin Fringe and roughing it in a single room, we got 4 stars in the Irish Times.
Our dream would definitely be to write a TV series so we could expand our characters and give them the attention to micro-detail we always want to run away with on stage.
6. Are you a gadget geek or a gadget freak? How do you see technology progressing to assist production and marketing of your show in the future?
Mostly Geeks. But slightly unskilled geeks. We’ve just discovered a DIY sound editing programme on the Macbook, so we’re plotting our next symphony. But we’re still not averse to mocking up a poster on Microsoft Word… the pain makes us stronger.
7. Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why [dead celebrities included]? And what tasty treat would you prepare?
1. England Goalie Peter Shilton; See Question 9
2. Dame Judy Dench; We’ve heard that her acting’s that good, her little finger can make you cry.
3. Wilkie Collins; he’s lived in the Victorian shadows too long.
We would serve hot muffins. But we wouldn’t let Judy eat with her fingers – it could be emotional carnage.
8. What is the best book or books you have read and why?
Individually, we have very eclectic tastes – but collectively, anything by Dickens or an angry young man.
9. Tell us 5 interesting and unknown facts about yourself?
• We used to have a 5th member, Chris Fittock. He’s now a successful playwright in Liverpool.
• We once stalked Helen Mirren through a flower market dressed as Morris Men.
• Kathryn has a postcard from Peter Shilton (England Goalie) saying ‘Good luck with all your endeavours Kathleen’. She’s not really sure why.
• Jenny once performed an Edinburgh run wearing shoes she’s convinced a man died in.
• We have a 2 min showreel up on Youtube and radio clips on our website for anyone who wants funnies on the run.
10. What do you think we can do as an individual to save the planet, if anything?
Think four times before doing anything, like we do. That way you know it’s worth it.
At the moment there are no plans to repeat this gamble at any other festival. I am however taking myself off to 
7. Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why. And what tasty treat would you prepare?
