Tim Key

[buntyman]

Fucking love Tim. Saw Mulberry in Reading. The idea of doing an entire show about lockdown is ballsy, people have had enough, and it's mostly about how tough it was for him, but it was great just cos of how unique he is. Wish I'd bought one of his Mulberry caps.

Thanks for mentioning these. I googled it and see you can buy them online. I seem to have amassed quite a bit of a Tim key bric a brać so couldn't resist adding that to the pile.
https://www.plosive.co.uk/shop/tim-key

[Ron Superior]

Ooh, nice one thanks. I looked on his Utter & Press store and they didn't have them there so I gave up. I'm going to look so lovely in it.

[Easy_To_Assemble]

I always seem to have unnerving interactions with Tim Key when I see him live. Once, was at the Fringe (he was doing Slut in the Hut), where a few hours before in an outdoor courtyard area, I was stood waiting for my (then) girlfriend to come back from the toilet. For whatever reason, he and his mates were all sitting, silently staring at me (it must have been some sort of warmup exercise).

The second time, I went to see him at the local arts centre. During the gig, there's a bit where he walked up into the seats. He went up next to my seat and asked me to hold his hand (for balance) as he stood up on the edge of the seat and started bellowing at the audience. My hand started to get clammy (or maybe it was his), and all I could think about, was him thinking about me having horrible sweaty hands.

[Calistan]

Saw him in Belfast a couple of weeks ago and he was very good. I bought his books afterwards. Was a bit awkward having him standing a couple of feet away as I certainly didn't want to bother him with shite chitchat or get the books signed like everyone else so I just made a runner immediately after buying them.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Saw Mulberry on Saturday. Ninth time I've seen Key live, I think.

He's always done the high status/low status thing brilliantly but I've never seen him be so vulnerable and (at times) sincere before. A wonderful show.

I'm pleased his shows haven't been recorded as I'd rather they stayed as memories. Seeing the one with the bath (Masterslut?) was one of the most thrilling live comedy experiences I've had.

I really treasure the stuff he puts out with Utter and Press though. The books are excellent but the Megadate script they did together is beautiful. As are the playing cards.

[Jerzy Bondov]

Emily Juniper is the nicest name I've ever heard. If you go on Goodreads it seems like she's a poet in her own right but I think that's a different (American) Emily Juniper. If that's your name it's inevitable you're going to be doing something to do with poems. 

[Des Wigwam]

He's always done the high status/low status thing brilliantly but I've never seen him be so vulnerable and (at times) sincere before. A wonderful show.

Yes that's exactly how I feel. I think that's one reason why he's such a good guest too. Where the host is someone who is more the alpha type he manages to out-alpha them but with that flawed self-confidence that could fall apart at any time. It never seems like he's also better than the listener. Late Night Poetry works really well for that reason too. Him losing the upper hand to Tom Basden is always a joy when it happens and resets things.

[Wayman C. McCreery]

Yes that's exactly how I feel. I think that's one reason why he's such a good guest too. Where the host is someone who is more the alpha type he manages to out-alpha them but with that flawed self-confidence that could fall apart at any time. It never seems like he's also better than the listener. Late Night Poetry works really well for that reason too. Him losing the upper hand to Tom Basden is always a joy when it happens and resets things.

That's a great post.

[gabrielconroy]

I've got a few tickets to see Mulberry in the Soho theatre next month. Looking forward to it very much.

I saw him do a turn a few years ago in a charity gig at the Union Chapel and he was hilarious. Brought the house down. I've also seen him with Daniel Kitson in Tree, also quite a few years ago now, and while he was good in that, it was more of a muted supporting role. Eager to see what he can do in a longer format solo show.

[imitationleather]

Snagged myself a chekky ticket to see this fellah at Soho Theatre on Monday. Excited about it.

[stranger]

Saw Mulberry last night - first time seeing Tim Key live - and thought it was fantastic. Highly recommend catching him on this tour. Great mix of one-man-play and stand-up with his slightly confrontational audience interaction, often followed up with a cheeky grin to himself.

He was great at Ally Pally last night, really enjoyed it. Agree with everything in the above post.

[notjosh]

Came across this by chance recently, not sure how many know about it. In 2002 Tim Key was on C5 reality show "Britain's Worst Driver".

I needed some money, so applied to a gameshow where you could win a car. They painted a picture of me as this timid character. They called me Timid Tim. Absolutely true. I won a car, a Ford Ka. Sold it a week later.

There are only a few clips online, and the only one with any significant bits of him are in the opening ep, from 18:50:

Genuinely made me laugh a couple of times.

[Pimhole]

Came across this by chance recently, not sure how many know about it. In 2002 Tim Key was on C5 reality show "Britain's Worst Driver".

There are only a few clips online, and the only one with any significant bits of him are in the opening ep, from 18:50:

Brilliant, I've wanted to see that for years. Amazing how 2002 looks more like 1992.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Fucking love Tim. Saw Mulberry in Reading. The idea of doing an entire show about lockdown is ballsy, people have had enough, and it's mostly about how tough it was for him, but it was great just cos of how unique he is. Wish I'd bought one of his Mulberry caps.

Yea I was really worried when I found out it was about lockdown, but then instantly he punches through that

[Ron Superior]

Yeah, it actually fits perfectly with his whole "character" or whatever being someone who's very self important but has to have that self importance punctured, but you still have to want to root for him.

I don't think it's been mentioned here but they're making a feature length film of their Herb McGwyer short.

Key and Basden are still in it, Basden wrote it and Carey Mulligan's been added to the bill.

Also, if anyone hasn't seen it, his brilliant short film Wonderdate is available here.

[Gurke and Hare]

Genuinely made me laugh a couple of times.

"You've got to go with the flow of traffic, and the cars behind me are all going at 30mph so I will too." was great.

[cacciaguida]

"You've got to go with the flow of traffic, and the cars behind me are all going at 30mph so I will too." was great.

You've just got to look beyond the end of your bonnet, Tim!

Right, well... it's funny how I saw that police car isn't it?

[SteveDave]

He was great at Ally Pally last night, really enjoyed it. Agree with everything in the above post.

I was there too! In the front row. It was me who showed him my vaccinations card.

Later on my wife and I were having a post-show drink at a pub at the bottom of the hill and he walked passed. I asked him a question about Daniel Kitson and then we spent the next 2 hours or so having more drinks together. Lovely man.

[paddy72]

I don't think it's been mentioned here but they're making a feature length film of their Herb McGwyer short.

Key and Basden are still in it, Basden wrote it and Carey Mulligan's been added to the bill.

Thanks, I didn't know about this. The short film is one of my favourite things ever – right in my funny/sad sweet spot.

I hope they don't mess it up!

[buntyman]

Came across this by chance recently, not sure how many know about it. In 2002 Tim Key was on C5 reality show "Britain's Worst Driver".

Thanks for posting, really enjoyed that. He's good value in any old shite

[imitationleather]

Saw him tonight at Soho Theatre and it was just fantastic. Really loved all the stuff about lockdown, it was mining humour from it with exactly the right tone. It's hard to describe to someone unless you make them sit down and watch him, but he is just a total 100% performer. I'm always in awe watching how he controls his sets and the audience viewing them.

First time I'd been to see live comedy in ages and now I've only got Daniel friggin' Kitson on Thursday.

[SteveDave]

On the back of seeing him on Saturday, we watched episode one of "We Need Answers" last night. I enjoyed the awkwardness of it all.

[PlanktonSideburns]

Saw him tonight at Soho Theatre and it was just fantastic. Really loved all the stuff about lockdown, it was mining humour from it with exactly the right tone. It's hard to describe to someone unless you make them sit down and watch him, but he is just a total 100% performer. I'm always in awe watching how he controls his sets and the audience viewing them.

First time I'd been to see live comedy in ages and now I've only got Daniel friggin' Kitson on Thursday.

Yea his whole bag of beers getting shook up and exploding everywhere bit he does at the start is genuinely a brilliant bit of Tommy Cooper level mastery masked as chaotic incompetence , and his little face movements have you eating out of the palm of his eyebrows

[Ron Superior]

Love We Need Answers. That's where I first learnt about Key and Horne. Alex did a tease a while ago on a No More Jockeys that suggested it might be coming back but there's been no mention of it since. Would be awesome if it did.

[stranger]

I was there too! In the front row. It was me who showed him my vaccinations card.

Later on my wife and I were having a post-show drink at a pub at the bottom of the hill and he walked passed. I asked him a question about Daniel Kitson and then we spent the next 2 hours or so having more drinks together. Lovely man.

That's great, he's a good egg.

I must have been sitting about 3 rows behind you (in the theatre, not the pub!)

[Led Souptin]

We need answers is super fantastic. I'll never get tired of Tim getting almost catapulted out of his armchair. Every single time its funny to me.

I think it suffered from not quite being shooting stars but it didn't really need to be. And it does get a tad awkward (the same as shooting stars did) when the guests won't play along or try to get ahead of the punchlines, but it adds such a great chaotic energy to the whole thing.

[lemint]

Anyone know if he's retired Mulberry? Tempted by Laughterama if it's new stuff/crowd work

[Jerzy Bondov]

Yes I saw Mulberry in Falmouth last month and he said it was the last one.

[Bartholomew J Krishna]

Squid have done a thing with Paul Ewen, read by Tim Key.
Its available here.

[extraordinary walnuts]

Enjoyed this a lot:

Fern Brady is not someone I'd previously been aware of, but I found her really funny in this. I must check out some of her other work.