On Friday 4th November The Place is hosting New Art Club’s Big Bag of Boom to showcase their Greatest Hits, featuring special guest Phil Kay . I chat with Pete Shenton, who gives an insight into this award winning comedy dance duo.

Images by Chris Nash 

Beth Wood:You have been in New Art Club for nearly ten years now, what triggered the idea behind a greatest hits show at this time?

Pete Shenton:Tom and I have actually been making stuff together since 1998 but decided  to give it the name, “new art club”, in 2001.We had got to a point where we were reaching a lot of new audiences in the comedy world in Edinburgh who we knew would not have seen any of the stuff we’d done in the past.We thought it would be an interesting project to re-cut this older material for a comedy crowd.

BW:How did you form New Art Club and how did you meet each other?

PS:We met at Holborn Dance Studios in Late 1994.   Tom was looking for a male dancer to join his group Air Dance Company and someone had recommended me to him after they’d seen me at an audition for Yolande Snaith.  We had a really nice conversation and he offered me the Job without seeing me move at all.  In 1998, after working with Tom on 3 of his projects we decide to collaborate on making something together.  Tom suggested we try to make a funny dance show.    And that’s what we’ve been doing since then.

BW:You have been compared to some of the greatest comedy duos, who and what makes you laugh?

PS:I think when we met we both really liked Reeves and Mortimer.   Obviously, The Life of Brian.  Personally the thing that has made me laugh the most in my life is the moment in Ghostbusters when he is not allowed to think of anything otherwise the thing he thinks will come to destroy the earth.  This is such a brilliant set up and the pay off is glorious.  If you haven’t seen it I will not ruin it for you.   My favourite live comedy performers are: Phil Kay - who will be performing with us at the Place.  He is just simply a force of nature, a force of comedy and a force of love. Daniel Kitson, John Hegley, Alex Horne and the wonderful Horne Section. I like things that have some kind of heart that goes deeper than just looking for the next laugh, that the comedian is genuinely interested in something and then finds funny things to say around that.   I also love people being silly. I think ‘Spaced’ still goes down as one of the best things that’s ever been on telly.   There are some episodes of that that have such a perfect balance of comedy, narrative, character and a feeling of love.  In recent times I think ‘Phone Shop’ was amazing.  It should have been huge.  I hope they get another series. 

BW:What is your idea of a good time?

PS:20 minutes on my own in a warm bath. Tickling my kids and hearing the beautiful sound of their laughter. Being totally embroiled in the process of making something new with Tom. Teaching a workshop and feeling all the inspiration and love going on in a room that comes out of being creative.  

BW:Who do you look to for inspiration?

PS:I really like watching other artists from lots of different art forms.  There are so many people working in the live performing arts making amazing things that express something of their world view and their interests.  I find this inspiring as a person and as an artist.   It makes anything seem possible and reminds me – in the face of some people behaving like such dickheads - how brilliant human beings can be.  

BW:How would you describe each other?

PS:Old. Damaged.

Unheralded geniuses.

Lucky.

Persistent.

BW:What new projects have you got lined up for 2012?

PS:I think we’re going to make a children’s show.   We’re off to Australia for a month and touring this years Edinburgh show, ‘Quiet Act of Destruction’, in the UK – its an interactive comedy show about two villages in conflict over the renaming of a train station.

BW:If you could collaborate with anyone who would it be?

PS:The Cohen Brothers

To book tickets for the show please visit www.theplace.org.uk

For more information on New Art Club visit www.newartclub.org