Hello.
I don’t often think I do much, but as April 2024 ends, I realise I had a busy month. Once I’m doing at least two “things” I gain momentum, realise I’m caught in a manic upswing and decide to try to fill any available gap with whatever I can. Don’t be mistaken, this isn’t the “hard shaft, hard graft grindcore mindset” patter – there are plenty of other performers, comedians and creators out there with more verve and sputum for that than I.
Now that all of the below is complete, I will likely return to the routine of having half an idea and letting it go cold like a forgotten cup of tea, and I don’t even drink tea.
Here is a summary of most of all the “things” I did in April 2024 in chronological order. The majority mostly planned, some spur of the moment, but all with the encouragement and collaboration of others – which is the best way to create things.
Carbonated Blood
I voiced a character in “Carbonated Blood”, an animated short film by local artist Rarewitch. After becoming familiar with their increasingly popular online content, I shyly asked them to perform at Voicebox Comedy in February 2024, to which they agreed. Despite this, Rarewitch then followed this up by sending me a script where I played a therapist.
I have very little experience of performing scripted lines, which hopefully doesn’t come across in the film, although I did provide multiple line readings of varying degrees of derangement/snootiness. I trust that the most suitable version was used.
There was a live premiere in Belfast which I sadly couldn’t attend, but the film was released on YouTube on 1st April 2024, so I’m counting this as something that happened in April, okay? Okay. It can be viewed below.
Voicebox Comedy x Koch Film Festival
Following the return of Voicebox Comedy in February 2024 after an unnoticeable eight year hiatus, it resurfaced again on Friday 5th April 2024 at The Strand Arts Centre in East Belfast. The Strand is a not for profit art deco cinema which also hosts live events, with popcorn available and everything.
Recognising the utility of performing in a cinema screen and our natural tendency for making things difficult for ourselves, coupled with potentially (and intentionally) confusing the audience, Aaron Marshall and I set about creating a fake film festival that would crossover with the live comedy event.
I asked all the booked acts if they would like to submit short films to make up the roster of reels as part of this deceit, and Aaron and I threw some of our own in also. Aaron went to the internet and charity shops to create a suitable costume for the eponymous vaguely German film auteur, Klaus Koch. The Koch Film Festival was born, albeit in its fake 10th year.
On the afternoon of the event, Lorcan McGrane and I were invited on to BBC Radio Ulster’s “The Ticket” to promote the show. Upon being asked the exact details of the Koch Film Festival element, I wasn’t too sure how much to show my hand regarding the “realness” of the festival, as can be heard below.
On the evening, there were performances from Lorcan McGrane, Adam Laughlin, Clare Johnston, Sara Jade Davidson and Ross Mitchell. Manc-born local poet Mark Cooper made a surprise appearance.
In the end, the night was a parade of stand up, character acting, short films and scripted inter-act dialogue between “Klaus” and I. It culminated in ham-fisted dramatics between the two “competing” events and an unflatteringly public denouement for Klaus at the hands of his harried unseen assistant “Gunter” in the projection booth. Voicebox, like Klaus, will possibly return after a period in the wilderness.
Turnstyle’s Pancake Night
On Thursday 10th April 2024 I performed as part of comedy collective Turnstyle’s “Pancake Night” at The Deer’s Head in Belfast. The blurb reads:
“Never before seen and never seen again stand up. 8 comedians, 8 incredibly niche topics.”
The surest way for me to get on stage or involved in a gig is to have a conceit. This has long been established as a preference of mine. I apparently cannot abide getting up in front of an audience unless there’s a specific wrinkle or quirk at play. Incidentally, being paid money does fall into this kink.
The organisers give the booked acts a specific topic about which to do a short routine, ideally something they don’t already have somewhere in their repertoire. Some were asked to spin yarns about “hot air balloons”, “the life and works of M.C. Escher” and “Zambonis and other non legal road vehicles”. I was mercifully assigned Greek Mythology, which I thoroughly enjoyed researching – eventually.
Initially I felt like I had to become a complete expert in Greek myths, and whilst the lore and increasingly confusing family trees were eye-opening in their complexity and incestuousness, Wikipedia and JSTOR were taking an absolute pounding.
In the end I managed to scrape together a classy connection between Greek myths and STDs. I’d go into more detail, but fortunately for me (and less fortunately for future audiences) this will now be a regularly rotated routine for the next 5+ years or so. You can have pancakes any day.
Note: Downstairs at The Deer’s Head on the same evening, Belfast Ukelele Jam were playing their regular weekly Wednesday night session. I’ve seen them many times over the years and are well worth a look and a listen.
Avalard Productions
One Sunday afternoon, I met up with Robert J.E. Simpson, Geoff Hatt and photographer Danika Sheppard to snap some photos for future use by Robert’s “Avalard Productions“.
I was part of the cast for Avalard Productions’ “Phantom Flyer” at Downpatrick and County Down Railway last Halloween, where I went around dressed as a zombie railway worker scaring children and adults alike while on a train trundling through the Down countryside.
Unfortunately a few days after the weekend event, the railway was badly flooded, causing severe damage to many of their trains and engines. As they are nearly entirely volunteer ran and only subject to a small amount of funding, the flooding has been particularly devastating. They currently have a Flood Recovery Appeal to raise funds for repair and a return to normal operation.
I’m looking forward to doing more things with Avalard Productions, whether at the railway or somewhere else.
Bins & Toilets
On Friday 19th April 2024 I performed my “Bins & Toilets” solo show at Accidental Theatre in Belfast with wonderful support as ever from Lorcan McGrane. This was the third time I’d performed the show. Its first outing was at the previously mentioned Strand Arts Centre on 31/03/23, then again at Black Box Belfast on 30/09/23. For the Accidental Theatre show, the blurb read as follows:
“In his first solo show since 2019, Marcus Keeley presents “Bins & Toilets”, a comedy show exploring his thoughts and hangovers of lockdown, the effects it had and has on his mental health, the ups and downs of banality and his relationship with the internet.
Following the viral success of his videos of him going around looking at things, over the past year Marcus has been featured on BBC Radio Ulster and NVTV to discuss topics such as his creative process and to provide insight on the decline of the country’s high streets. Marcus just thinks he makes daft videos, some of which are in this show.”
I was pleased to have the show filmed by Accidental Theatre and available to stream for folk who couldn’t make it in person. Similar to this blog post, I wanted to have it recorded for posterity, plus I don’t have any other recorded stand up of mine – at least, not publicly available.
Also, a decent bit of it revolves around the pandemic and lockdown and such, and that’s perhaps a bit old hat now, yeah? Although, if we get another terrifying disease sweeping the globe, then I’ll be set.
Especially as it is available to stream on demand from the comfort of your own home via Accidental Theatre’s website, right here, trailer below.
TikToks
A few days after “Bins & Toilets” I jumped on a plane and went on holiday. Amongst the sun and relaxation, I made a couple of silly videos because I can’t help myself.
Looking back on all of these events and involvements, the main thing that strikes me is that they would not have have happened without collaboration. Whether it was me approaching folk with trepidation and a daft idea, or others generously and patiently asking me to do something I’d not done before.
I’m very thankful to those who I’ve done stuff with this month, with as many moving parts some events or ideas have, they were all seamlessly greased with enthusiasm and fun.
It’s May now, and I’m probably up for most things honestly. I can be asked to do things at hello[at]marcuskeeley.com.
Voicebox Comedy 