The Calman Commission
I've really enjoyed listening to Susan Calman present the MacAulay & Co show this week. She's witty, clever, warm and seems to have a natural talent for radio. I tell you, if I were commissioning programmes on BBC Radio Scotland I would snap her up and offer her a regular gig. Oh, hang on...those nice folk in BBC contracts hate me talking out loud about that kind of stuff. Sorry.
Susan was on top form this morning as she interviewed comedy pal Ed Byrne and got to talking about that new book in which celebrities have written a letter to their sixteen year old selves. Most of the advice was about not worrying about silly stuff like how you look and how you dress (something that has never given me a single fret - obviously) and about how every experience in life can turn out to be useful.
Susan, who qualified to practise law, said she has never regretted that course of study, even though she eventually gave it all up to become a stand-up comedian. She's been on the comedy scene for a good wee while but this past year she seems to be in demand from all sorts of people. I was discussing this with Comedy Unit producer Gus Beattie recently and I suggested that Susan would be on my list of top ten Scottish comedians guaranteed to be even more successful in 2010. Kevin Bridges is another.
I've seen Susan in a live sketch show in Glasgow and she's a brilliant visual perfomer as well as being a great writer and teller of funny stories. Her blogs entries on Facebook are just a treat to read. Recently she came up with the brilliantly funny idea of shortening horror films by ensuring the central characters don't make those cliched stupid mistakes early on in the story. You know, don't explore the old ruined house, don't go back for a handbag etc.
The photograph below shows Susan taking command of BBC Radio Scotland's Topical & Events team. She's the one at the front.
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Agree with Jeff Susan is very talented young woman ..I have seen Susan at the Stand Glasgow and other venues ,Why is this young woman not on the TV ?so BBC radio and BBC TV grab her up before someone else does ....very entertaining ..and imo one of the most Intellectul home grown Talent I have seen in Scotland for many years ...just for the record im in me 50s .....Would like to hear and see more of this young woman as she is a Natural. Mary Ware
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Heh Jeff, you should check out a newly minted act at The Royal Oak in Edinburgh. Every Tuesday at 8pm. Robertson and Reid. Plus Gordon! Music, poems, crack and banter. A bit like Clarkson, Hammond and May but with talent!
Like Susan, Reid had a professional life before the business that is show came to call. And quite the original - see his new band Lincoln City in open rehearsal last month at The Lot in Edinburgh - the usual myspace address followed by /lincolncityband
Anyway lots of original music and poems to enjoy. Wee Gordon stacks shelfs as a day job at Sainsbury and Robertson and Reid aren't quite sure whether or not the wee bugger is going to turn up or not on the night (November 17th). So it could just be that someone from the audience is going to have to fill Gordon's big comedy shoes on the evening as Plus Gordon!
Gordon's spots are:
Gordon reads Larkin
Gordon goes to the movies
Gordon the memory man
and the wisdom of Gordon. (Gordon's current take on the world of high finance and top political discourse).
Anyone who fancies their chances should the real Gordon fail to show for the first night, only need show up at The Oak and keep their fingers crossed that nobody else wants the gig!
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