Comedian Phil Evans is from Ammanford. He is known as the man who puts the ‘cwtsh’ into comedy. This column appears in the South Wales Evening Post, Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star. Website – www.philevans.co.uk
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2018 saw me busier than ever, writing these articles every week; gigging; creating new material for my act; arranging stand-up shows for myself and other comedians; and generally making an honest living.
I also spent too much time watching Piers Morgan’s selfish “This show’s all about me!” breakfast TV rants that went on so long, the national and local news bulletins were regularly pushed back by 10 minutes which meant the final guest only had 90 seconds to plug their new CD/film/TV series/tour before their face was suddenly replaced by Lorraine’s, peering from under her fringe.
I’m not making any New Year Resolutions as I already lead a life free of vices.
If you don’t believe me, ask Cledwyn, who owns the chippie, Mehmet Caradoc-Jones who runs the kebab shop next door and Mrs Betty Evans, the landlady of my local pub.
However, Iwouldlike to make a New Year Resolution for The School Of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who booked comedian Konstantin Kisinto do an unpaidstand-up show this month (proceeds to UNICEF) and then e-mailed him a ‘Behavioural agreement form’ containing a long list of subjects he couldn’t make jokes about, including ‘Ageism, anti-religion and anti-atheism’ and insisted his material had to be ‘Respectful and kind’!
My printable2019 resolution for SOAS is ‘Grow up!’
Have they neverbeen to a comedy club or watched comedians on TV?
Do they not realise that every jokehas a victim – including comedians when they’re self-deprecatory about their own failings?
Comedy club audiences can get a little wild after a few drinks and expect and demand strong material that’ll make them laugh – not ‘respectful and kind’ tales to send them home reciting poetry.
Students who graduate from SOAS will have to leave their intolerance behind, otherwise they’ll find the real world a verydifficult place to survive in.
Ironically, Konstantin left his native Russia to escape repression and came to Britain, the land of democracy where ‘freedom of speech’ was respected by everyone.
Not quite everyone obviously, eh SOAS?
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The weekend between Christmas and the New Year is a proper chill-out time for many.
Well, for those who are not working that is . . .
For me, there was a lot of preparation and planning, building up to what was something of an exciting challenge, something that I had not been part of for more than 35 years.
Last Sunday, I took the plunge, and competed in a tarmac rally event at the Welsh Motor Sport Centre, Pembrey, alongside my co-driver Dean Wiltshire from Ammanford Motor Club.
Well – that’s one way to burn off some of the additional Christmas calories, I suppose!
Despite the damp and foggy weather, this turned out to be a very well-attended event, with close to 80 rally cars competing – and motor sport enthusiasts were out in droves supporting the competitors.
Carmarthen Motor Club renamed the annual Christmas Stage rally ‘The Jaffa Stages’ in memory of Gareth Roberts.
Gareth “Jaffa” Roberts was a superb rally co-driver from Carmarthen, who was killed in an accident while competing in the Targa Flora rally in Sicily in June, 2012, while sitting alongside Irish driver Craig Breen.
The camaraderie among the rallying community is like no other.
Long may the memory continue.
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You can follow Phil Evans on Twitter @philevanswales and www.philevans.co.uk
Please again include www.philevans.co.uk
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