Last time we caught up with Pop-Cabaret duo Frisky and Mannish was Christmas 2010- we tracked them down again this Yuletide to see how far they've come. Bless! Look how they've grown! Now taking over epic venue Koko with their latest show Extra Curricular Activities, Frisky and Mannish, aka Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones are set to re-educate us on the world of Pop, but not as we know it. For a start, this pair of Oxford graduates are proper talented. But with great power, comes great responsibility...hence their incarnation as Official Purveyors of Pop for those who shun the X-factor. Their act is, in fact, the absolute antidote to that sort of mass produced, soulless, vanilla filler- prepare yourself for covers with a lot more bite..

RR:Your shows have evolved from School of Pop to the current Extra Curricular Activities- how has your act changed? Are you in danger of ever growing up and getting 'proper' jobs?!

F&M: That danger is ever-looming and we try not to think about it so ssssh. Evolution, contrary to what those crazies in America say, is a part of life, and we've been very careful to always think about how we can milk what is essentially a one-joke act for everything it's worth! Each of our shows has represented a progression, from the elementary teachings of the school, through the more complex theories of the college, into the world of employment with the Pop Centre Plus - and now that we're nearly 5 years on, with all that we've achieved, we wanted to do away with all the structures and just mount one huge great free-form extravaganza. We're a lot more rock 'n' roll than we used to be! Well, as rock 'n' roll as you can be when dancing to the Spice Girls.

RR:What was the first record you ever bought? Were your parents big pop fans?

F&M: Frisky is proud to say that she bought Clock's cover of 'Oh What a Night', complete with the 90s rap section. Telling. Mannish had Now 26 on cassette, but it was taped from a friend from school so it wasn't actually purchased. His first actual parting with money was for Alanis Morissette. Angsty, and overly-metaphorical.

RR: Who do you think still makes good pop music?

F&M: No one is flawless. Adele rarely makes a wrong step, but then she does tread a very conservative line, so it's no surprise. We're big fans of the loons, but with great risk and experimentation comes great failure too. Lady Gaga's Telephone was probably the best pop song of the decade, but Judas was a misfire. Coldplay have made some killer anthems like Paradise, but their new Christmas song is YAAAAWWWN. Cher Lloyd must be applauded for sheer bravado. Nicki Minaj and Jessie J showed early promise but are yet to capitalise. Chris Brown just needs to stop. Lily Allen, were she not married with kids now, would probably still be the benchmark.

RR: Do you think musicians take themselves too seriously?

F&M: Of course. Which is great for us, because that's the easiest thing to spoof. When all's said and done, it's just words over chords people. Get some perspective!

RR: Have you ever received any criticism/deathsy hate-mail from crazed fans who feel you've disrespected their idol in your act?

F&M: A couple of snarky YouTube comments here and there, but that's nothing surprising. Generally, anyone who feels very passionately about the sanctity of pop is not the sort of person who enjoys our show, because we take pop and MASSACRE it. So luckily, we're usually surrounded by people who actually want more disrespect than we generally deliver! They're like baying wolves, howling "Do Timberlake! Make fun of Rihanna! We want Sheeran's blood!"

RR: What's your favourite Christmas pop song?

F&M: Frisky's is Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time by Wings, because it makes her feel 3 years old again. Mannish's is Fairytale of New York because those aren't words, Pogue Man.

RR: You always look fantastic in Bowie-esque pop couture- is dressing up a big part of the show for you? Getting into your alter-egos?

F&M: Thank you very much. Dressing up can be a bit of a chore when you're piling on the slap a good hour before the show, especially when other comedians are sitting in their checked shirts drinking beer. Knobs. But nothing beats that indescribable moment of walking out there in front of a crowd of people who don't know who you are, and giving them a bit of a shock.

RR: What are your plans for 2013? Or do you think we'll all be wiped out by the Mayan A'pop'calypse (see what I did there?) on 21st December?

F&M: Not sure we can top that, so this round goes to you, Run Riot. We'll spend 2013 thinking of a better wordplay to trump you next December.

RR: What song would you want playing at the end of the world?

F&M: Swagger Jagger. An unmistakable apocalyptic klaxon.

Catch Frisky and Mannish at KOKO on 14th December- we have tickets to be won here.