Where does comedy genius come from? It’s a tough question, one that you might need a whole university thesis to even begin to dissect, but there’s a much simpler answer – the Midlands. Oh sure, Midlanders don’t like to brag, but from Edgbaston to Solihull, Warwickshire to Wolverhampton, the middle of this green and pleasant land has produced a wealth of comedy talent that stretches across both film and television, exposed in all its glory this November and December at Midlands Arts Centre as part of the nationwide BFI Comedy Genius season.
Take Coventry born performer Alice Lowe. Debuting on screen in cult Channel 4 comedy Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace – a show that’s steadily built a devoted following since its 2004 debut – Lowe has since gone on to cameo in Edgar Wright films, co-write and star in the twisted Ben Wheatley comedy Sightseers, appear in dark BBC comedy Inside No. 9 and direct, write and star in the beautifully weird horror comedy Prevenge. Seemingly, a childhood spent in Coventry gives you a uniquely twisted outlook on life.
Lowe has never been one to shy away from her Midlands roots. That’s never more apparent than in Sightseers. Set in the Midlands, the 2012 film tells the story of Chris and Tina, two lovebirds whose caravan holiday takes a turn for the obscene when Chris runs over a man who refuses to pick up his rubbish – an event that soon sends the pair on a killing spree tinged with deliciously dark comedy.
Lowe will be visiting MAC on Sun 16 Dec for a screening of Sightseers and to chat about her extensive comedy career. That’s just one of the highlights of the season, which includes a screening of hit 90s comedy drama Beautiful Thing, Erdington comedian Jo Enright introducing French comedy Amélie and a TED talk style intro from comedian Ian Boldsworth to the 2011 reboot of The Muppets.
So come and join us for a month of laughs sure to split some sides*
(*MAC cannot be held responsible for any medical treatment needed as a result of actual split sides.)
