TIM KEY ON THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND, FAMILY & WHAT HE'S REALLY LIKE WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE OFF

0:00Coming up in this episode of Great Company. I like to open people up. So there's a lot of podcasts where there's an additional thing that you don't need. I do. Trauma. Prizing trauma from people. That's your thing. Just you wait, Mr. Key. I'm going to unlock you. You can't prize trauma from me. Hi, I'm Tim Key and I am in great company. Please welcome the poetic stylings of Tim Key! How hard is it to become a comedian? Um, I think, um... That's the little bit of tea we just got. I would actually open up to you. Oh, can't wait. Go give it to me.

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3:00Hello, everyone. My name is Jamie Lane, and this is Great Company.

3:08Hello, everybody. Howdy, Doody. Howdy, Doody. That is Jemima, my lovely producer. I'm your host, Jamie. My lovely presenter. My lovely presenter. Welcome back to the show, Great Company, your favourite show out there in the podcast landscape. Yeah, if you're listening, scream. If you're listening, don't scream because you'll probably be on the tube somewhere. But also, if you haven't subscribed to our show already, just click that subscribe button because it does us absolute wonders. But also, I think if you subscribe, there's definitely something more in it for you. I agree. And it gives you those little reminders and it's completely free to subscribe.

3:40It's in your pocket every week. And also, my word, that back catalogue. We have had so many good episodes recently. And also, to be honest, over the last year and a half. Yeah, so if you're listening to this episode now and you enjoy it, Go back and listen to other episodes because trust me, you'll really enjoy those as well. And if you've listened to them, listen to them again. Exactly. And today's episode is with Mr. Tim Key. Timothy Key. Who's an old friend of yours. He's a friend of mine. I've interviewed him before. And the reason why I got him on the show, firstly, I love Tim. Me and him have a very unique friendship.

4:11Very unique. You do. In a brilliant way. But he recently starred and wrote in a movie. He starred in a movie and wrote a movie called The Ballad of Wallace Island, which you can now watch on Apple TV, I think it is. That's exciting. It's one of the greatest English rom-coms of the past decade. Maybe century. Wow. I'm not even joking. Were they making rom-coms a century ago? Well, this century. Oh. This is what I meant, the last century. Oh, okay, fine. This is the last century, isn't it? I feel it goes back to 1920s. Okay, well, this century. Anyway, whatever. One of the greatest rom-coms of this century.

4:46He's just fantastic. Jamie went to see it and came into the office and was like, everyone must go and watch it now. And if you haven't watched it, you must go and watch it. We talk about it in the episode today, so I'm not going to give any spoilers. But this is a different one. Tim doesn't like to go deep. No. And not that we always like to go deep, but we kind of like to know about emotions. We connect. The whole point of the show is that we connect. But this one is full of humour. It's full of joy, what it's like to be a comedian, a bit of Tim's life. and I think we get a little snippet of what Tim actually is like growing up.

5:19This is the first time I've heard Tim open up a little bit. Because normally he would never open up, but he did open up a bit, which I love. Tim, if you're listening to this, you're just amazing. And not only am I happy and glad to be your friend, I'm also just one of your biggest fans. Yeah. You guys were on House of Games together and people lost their minds about this combination. Yeah, I want to do it again. But also, Tim is a poet as well as a comedian and his poems are very, very funny. And he also has a new book out called LA Baby. And we, because we were aware that Tim, as a comedian, doesn't love to open up.

5:53We thought we'd play a little game, didn't we? Where every time Jamie asks him a question, he feels nervous about... He would then read a poem. And then I said to Jamie, then psychoanalyze the poem. So we'll see how many poems are in the episode today. Okay. Also, get in touch with us. If you like the episode, let us know what you think of it at Great Company Podcast on Instagram or send us an email, great company at jambordproductions.co.uk I'm sorry I interrupted you that's okay that's just a bad bad habit what were you going to say I said I'm working on getting us a PO box great well that's exciting we can add that in that's like when your parents are like okay well done for doing that useless task it's also one of those things it's like it hasn't been done so why would we mention it you know what I mean and why would I interrupt you to say it it's not even there it's actually useless information sorry I'm sorry.

6:42I'm sorry. Anyway. I had a dream last night. You fired me. Okay. This is a good episode. The intro. Okay. Back to follow us. Great company podcast. Okay. All right. Enjoy this episode of Great Company with Tim Key. Hi, I'm Tim Key and I am in great company.

7:07How would you describe a podcast? A podcast is, well, some of them can take the form of a fun conversation. That's true, yeah. That's definitely one of the styles. Is that going to be this? That's definitely in the frame. Sometimes they can be a podcast. I've heard podcasts that are informative, that drill down on one particular topic. Give me an example. Well, something like The Rest is History, where they'll talk about Mary, Queen of Scots. and if they didn't do that then it would obviously wouldn't make sense um okay so could you take the history out of the rest of history what would you be left with i think you'd be left with a with a perfectly functional podcast they don't need the history that's my opinion so there's a lot of podcasts where there's an additional thing that you don't need like you don't have you don't have an additional thing i do trauma prizing trauma from people that's your thing but it would still work without that if you didn't prize the trauma it wouldn't it wouldn't do you not think no well you're not you're not prizing any for me oh just you wait mr key i'm gonna unlock you you can't prize trauma from me this podcast obviously great company as you said is i'd like to open people up yeah you and i are friends yeah i know what you're like yeah you won't want to open up about anything no well what i would do is i think i'd i would i would actually open up to you but probably not um on podcast that's very fair yeah yeah that's true because that's a public forum i think that's sort of the way i would do it really is on podcasts go on podcasts and it's just like a laugh and just like talk about whatever yeah and then maybe i'll um meet a friend in the pub and then open up why wouldn't the microphone be there it's a puzzle isn't it So I've got a game we're going to play Okay, great, perfect Every time I ask a question that you think is too personal Yeah You have to, instead of answering it You have to read one of your poems Yeah, perfect So if I was going to say Tim Key Yeah Tell me about your childhood Childhood, yep, we're good to go Okay, good, go tell me No poems for you there Oh, I can't wait, go, give it to me Childhood Come on, just come and open up Pretend we're in the pub together we've got a glass of lager in front of us just a little vogue we've just ordered the artichoke I don't smoke anymore alright well you're chewing on some nicotine gum yeah there you go trying to get back into cigarettes

9:41but what do you want to know about my child well I want to know I want to know lots of things yeah what kind of little boy I was yeah I do crybaby were you a crybaby? no you weren't yeah what kind of crybaby? I think I did I think I did cry and sometimes have tantrums A mummy's boy? Yes sir Really? Uh huh Shy? Yes Yes Purple dungarees we haven't said yet Oh nice Yeah You used to wear them all the time? I think there was a lot of purple dungarees My toy What was it? Hippie A hippo You called it hippie? I would lead with hippo and then say hippie afterwards What did I do? You went hippie and I went what's that and you went hippo Yeah That's confusing Yeah I wish I hadn't done that But you can't have regrets can you on this podcast That kind of little mistake I can handle when I'm cycling home

10:43Did you cry as a kid? Yeah What would you cry about? I think I would just lose it sometimes and just cry about anything. Would you really? Yeah. So you're emotional? Yeah, probably, yeah. Did you cry? How are you throwing this back on me? I cried a lot as a kid because I was frustrated. Because I think that I also, I don't know if you had this, when I was a kid, all I wanted to be was older. And so I hated the fact when I was four and everyone else was like 18, they could go and do these things like travel the world and have money. I know, I know. And then you have like your mom just sort of with that withering look.

11:22shaking her head and just she knows that's not what you actually should want you don't want to wish your life away she used to say that to me but you do just want to be able to like you know drive a car i have some moments in my life that really stand out yeah right so like really sort of pinnacle moments what is your first core memory that you have as a kid i do remember we were looking for a to move house looking for to we were looking for to move house and we were on a street I think we'd looked at the house then I think I'm spinning round and then I think I fall and graze my knee, maybe cut my knee open and then my father whose name is?

12:14Bill I don't know if you're lying. His name's Bill. Okay, good. Bill then puts... Bill Key. Oh, God, yeah. Bill puts a white handkerchief around my knee. And I think that's my earliest memory. Is it? Yeah. So you must have been three? I reckon maybe four. I've got one on... There was a street party in honour of... Do you remember Lady Di? Yes. So she got married to, well, the guy who went on to become the king. King Charles. King Charles. Prince Charles for a bit, yeah. Who I met the other day. Excuse me? Shook his hand. Wow. Okay. Wow. Yeah. And he knew who I was. Wow. What was he like? Yeah, like it says on the tin.

13:06He's sort of, you know, hello, how are you? You sort of do an awkward bow with him and you say hello and then he talks to you and He's got a sort of soft voice. You have to lean in quite a lot to hear him. Oh, right. Yeah. Oh, right. It's old ear by the lips time, isn't it? You have to sort of get close in to hear him like that. Is he sort of quite dignified? What do you mean by that? Is he like dignified? Does he have a sort of quiet, gnarled dignity about him? Yeah, and he's sort of like... A tortoise? He's a bit like a tortoise. If he was an animal, he'd probably be a tortoise. If you take, well, without the shell, obviously.

13:42Without the shell. Remove the shell, put on a suit. Did he have a crown? He didn't have a crown on him, no. But he had a suit. Was he with his wife? No, he wasn't. She calls herself the queen. But she is the queen.

14:00So, was there finger food? Yeah, there was. There was some cake, some Victoria sponge cake they took. Anyway, I need to go back to, so Princess Di, you were saying, who was married to King Charles. This was another memory. But the Queen's husband wasn't the King. He was. No, he was the Duke of Edinburgh. Are you all right? And now she said, I think it might be time for me to be the Queen. Pop me down as Queen. Now, what do you think about that? Well, listen, I can't say too much because the royal family now follow me on Instagram. Right, and you've got a sort of an in at the moment you don't want to let yourself down.

14:37Well, I'll say it. Okay, you say it. And then you can berate me. I can berate you, yeah. It's quite mad that she's calling herself the Queen. Okay, carry on.

14:52Because she's not really the Queen. You should not. Listen, I'm not going to say it. I'm not going to say it, Timkie. And everyone else is putting their hands up, so I'm not going to say it. Well, you don't need to say it. It was, she, her husband got promoted to king. Yes. Is it promoted? Well, I suppose it succeeded his mother. That's, yeah, I think succeeded. Promoted is more what you get in a job. And then he said, okay, well, fine, I'm the king. And everyone has said, absolutely, you're the king. And then she said, I'll be the queen. And then everyone said, fine, bit weird. Is that treason?

15:35What I've just said. I don't think it's treason what she's done. It's not treason, is it? It's just an interesting thing. I don't think... I mean, I'm never going to be in that position, I don't think. But if you were in that position, if you and the king got married... Yeah. Yeah. I think I wouldn't be saying I'll be king as well. King too. But would you be saying I'll be the queen? But I don't know. You don't know until you're in that situation. She just lost her head. because what she should have said is, okay, you be the king and I'll stick with just being a person. And what she's actually said is, you be the king and I've got a very good chance here.

16:13This is the closest I'm ever going to get to being able to call myself the queen. So I'll go queen. But I think someone else should have said, well, you're not really the queen. Maybe he should have said that and maybe that is perhaps something you say next time you're in the house. I reckon if I was in that position though, I would say I'm queen. I would take it. I think you would, yeah. I would take it Okay So Back to the memories Yeah back to the memories Back to the memories You're in Cambridge I'm at a street party Oh yeah How old are you now? So that was When did they get married? 1981? Yes Yeah Yes So you would have been You're five I think I'm back I'm actually four Probably Did they get married in 81 or 82?

16:56You're born 76 Born 76 And that street party would have been I'm sure they would have got married in the summer. But describe what a street party is for anyone who doesn't know. Okay, so they will, but it's... In my street, there was a party. Trestle tables. Nice, yeah. English. Oh, English, yeah. Flags. Yeah, English flags. Yeah, far right. There are lots of, like, picnics and stuff. Picnic food or picnics? Picnics, Petrotic songs.

17:28Sausage rolls. Yeah. Scotch eggs. definitely scotch eggs pork pies oh yeah what's your favourite out of that trio um scotch uh scotch eggs I think oh yeah I like I like a nice I like a nice scotch egg sometimes I yeah sometimes I get a scotch egg from Marks and Spencer's but they come in twos really they do always come in twos yeah so sometimes I'll um you take two down um do I take two down I'd rather maybe it's time for me to read a poem Go on, let's read a poem I've got a common editor to tell you whether I take two scotch eggs down Okay, so my new book is called LA Baby and it's about I went to LA last year We can talk about that I'm going to get on to that Can I just say the thought of you being in LA is already quite funny Yeah, funny Right, why?

18:24Because I just don't think I don't think you would like LA. Lauren Laverne said this to me. Lauren Laverne said this to you? Well, I'm saying it to you now. Yeah, that's two out of two. That's two out of two. Because I imagine you, you sort of live in North West London. Yeah. It's where you kind of... Don't, you know... I'm not going to... Dox me. I'm not going to go. But that's sort of where I sort of feel you. Where do you live? North West-ish London. Oh. How close do you think we are? Very close. Are we? We're not far. you're probably about 10 minutes from me right what would be the geographically best pub with a garden between us I don't know any pubs but but how can you not well I sort of do but I don't really sit in pubs you sit in pubs I don't think that's the phrase but yeah I do I do go to the pub you go to the pub yeah I don't sit in pubs makes me sound like I don't have a sofa do I sit in pubs so what what are your reference points then uh cafes yeah actually yeah yeah you sit in cafes sally clark tim key

19:37gales gales yep good now i know where you are okay okay this is a poem i wrote um when i arrived in la yeah this is my first thing i saw when i opened the doors when the plane doors opened okay this His poem's called Welcome to America. The air hostess opened the plane door and boom, a lightning bolt straight into the veins. Stood at the top of the steps there. The United States of America came at me like a fucking hairdryer. Mickey Mouse, Huckleberry Finn and the goddamn Super Bowl swept towards me from the tarmac. Jimmy Connors, Cherry Pie, The Wall Street Crash, The Stories, The Legends, The History.

20:10Buck Rogers, Walmart, Lassie, NASCAR, Tipping Culture, Thanksgiving, Penelope Pitstop, Karen Carpenter, Hot Dogs, Antonio Pettigrew, Peter Falk, Star Wars, The Yellow Brick Road, Yale, MASH, Jennifer Aniston, everything. The star-spangled banner rang out like cathedral bells. I wiped my eyes, picked up my House of Games carry-on case, and trickled down the stairway into the promised land.

20:37That's why you've got so many staff. Yeah, to do that. They're part audience. That is Jennifer Aniston thrown in there. Jennifer Aniston yeah that's piqued your interest yeah yeah do you like Jennifer? love Jennifer Aniston have you met her for tea? I haven't met her for tea but I think you're you're relating that to what you grew up on which is friends I'm relating it to yeah just a sort of a white noise of America I guess that you just you can't really avoid it can you? just for everyone who is listening who wants to know Tim's little bit of life obviously grew up in Cambridge you I need to finish this street party story so street party go this is drama I think the street party we went to the the park after the street party home fields it's called and then there's a slow bicycle race do you know what one of those is?

21:27I'm assuming it's a slow bicycle race yeah so what do you think the rules are? everyone on their bikes you have to go slow to win so I'm on a tricycle three wheels? yeah because I'm only four or five Okay. So I'm sat on my bicycle at the start line, on my tricycle. And so I guess the elephant in the room is that I can just sit there because I've got three wheels.

21:59Not such a big elephant.

22:04My brother says to me, he's older. He's called? John. So Bill, John, and Tim. Yeah. Hang on. That's not so bad. I know. I know. Bill, John, and Tim. What, like we're simple people? Like I've got a basic family. Bill, John, and Tim. I'm Bill Key. This is John Key and Tim Key. And mum is called? Carol. That's a bit more spicy. Yeah, there's something going on. So my brother leans over to me and says, you can win this. And you're okay. Yeah. But all of the other kids have got two wheels. And so it starts. and all of the other kids start like, you know, maneuvering their handlebars so that they don't go too quickly and that they're trying to stay still.

22:48And I just go as fast as I can on my tricycle and lose. And cried for about maybe the next, maybe seven years. What, because John was furious? John was, no, John was very happy that he'd told me to go as fast as I can. Damn. Yeah. Do you know when I was a kid, I remember, do you remember Silly Putty? Yeah, loved Silly Putty. So you'd pick your finger into it and make noises and it was kind of this putty, right? My brother took me to a well. Sure. And, yeah. Well, this isn't Romania. He said, he said, he said, if you drop it in there, it'll bounce back. Oh, this is the problem with brothers. Older.

23:27Yeah. Older. Alexander. Alexander. It's a bit more spicy. Yeah. He dropped it, plop. Yeah. Didn't come back. And you just lost it. How old were you? Five. Yeah. Was that one of your earlier memories? Yes. Wow, we're so similar. I knew we were similar. Yeah. brothers hoodwinking us yeah and there was another time with my brother yeah where i had drawn a picture for my dad yeah daddy for daddy yeah and i said look at this picture i showed him to him i'd open it up like it was a book yeah my brother stapled it together without me realizing when i want to show my dad i opened it and ripped wow yeah trauma yeah trauma um so um we were playing with fishing nets by the river.

24:06Wow. You, Bill and John? Me and John. Bill was varnishing a boat. Where was Carol? Where was Carol? Where was Carol? I'm just worrying about Carol. Where was Carol? She would have been at home. It was a different time. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. But Bill was varnishing a boat. Let's focus on me and my brother. Okay, all right. We can't just zoom in on my father varnishing a boat and we don't see the anecdote. I can't just describe him varnishing a boat for five minutes. He's away but varnishing. And then we're pissing about with these things. And he's how much older, John? Two years. Yeah, yeah. About right, same way.

24:49So then I'm walking backwards away from him and we're like jousting, I guess is the idea. Like sword fighting with these fishing nets. And then I walk back and I just fall in the river. But he hasn't touched me. Yeah, so then I come. this is a good this is a measure of the man i come out and i said that he pushed me in yeah and then um i'm a hero because i've got this um green weeds in my hair yeah and i think like i was called weed head or something for about three months and my brother had to face the wall he had to face the wall yeah for three months as well no that was less than three months that was just to think about what he'd done but he hadn't done anything so there's nothing to think about what he was really thinking is why i've done what i've done and then did john turn on you from then on um No, he was a very nice brother.

25:36But, you know, it's, it's, it's fractious stuff, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. You know, I do remember the bit when you're like, he's sort of 16, 17, and it all kind of evens out a bit, doesn't it? And you sort of, you sort of start, well, you like your brother when you're on holiday and stuff like that. But I do remember like thinking, ah, I quite like this sort of, you know, grown up brother. Who in your family is funny? um i do i do remember that bit where it turns slightly where you're like you know sort of 16 17 i always found my dad like does impressions and stuff does he it's funny yeah i remember him doing impressions of um you know big did you ever see the film bigfoot and the hendisons no um big foot and the hendisons yeah i think it's in the 80s i watched it at center parks anyway but bigfoot is like a sort of um well Bigfoot Bigfoot yeah yeah and uh it was very funny but he was like you know he's like heavily um prosthetics guy um because it wasn't actually Bigfoot oh god no no that would have been if that was a documentary that's been has that been sent to you yeah wow Bigfoot and Henderson's is it's a picture of Bigfoot in prosthetics my dad could do a decent impression of Bigfoot what would a Bigfoot sound like I don't think he did the sound I think he just like manipulated his face.

26:53So yeah, he was funny. And then, well, my mom is funny, sometimes intentional, but also, yeah, decent. She's a decent laugh. She's pretty funny. But I think there comes a point where you're like a little older, deeper into your teens, and you're sort of eating together, but also you're allowed to have a glass of wine. and I do remember that being a kind of good sort of halcyon period I like that you know to have a couple of my dad used to make homebrew homebrew of wine or like spirit? of wine and also of beer no, vile he was, yeah nasty I don't see him anymore horrible little man did you used to drink did you used to drink the homebrew?

27:47Yeah. No. I used to drink it and I used to, I love it. And actually when I go home now and drink it, it's just a very nostalgic. Wow, that's a big nostalgic thing. It's a very big nostalgic thing. And no one else would understand that. No. I love that about nostalgia. No one else gets it. And it's all kept in the airing cupboard, right? And it's all in, all the bottles are like bottles from, I would say he started doing this home brewing in the 70s. So the bottles are like thick glass lemonade bottles, like Corona lemonade bottles. Yeah. Yeah, so it's kind of a very specific. So you go in there and you just pour yourself something?

28:23Yeah. You do, actually. You go in there and you just pour yourself something. Well, he usually, he always gets it. So he'll go up the stairs. So you're not allowed to? No, no, no, no. Still now? Now probably I could, yeah, because his legs sort of creak a bit more. But he would go up and he would get the homebrew, bring it down, open it, pour it into the jug. There's a process. yeah and then but also i remember him brewing it and that's a very fond childhood memory where he was in his element in the kitchen just sort of brewing this like he made elderberry wine so i remember like being in my bedroom maybe i'm like seven and so i've gone to bed and it's like um half past seven and i can hear uh classical music and smell the uh elderberry wine drifting up the stairs.

29:14That's amazing. Smells do that. Why do you smell? I can still smell like, well, I can't smell it now. Well, you probably can't remember the smell. I remember the smell. I remember the smell of my school. Yeah. Yeah. Remember the smell of my school. Remember the smell of my first home. Yeah. Remember the smell of my bedroom. Yeah. I remember all those things. Brings me straight back. I remember, I've got a very, very powerful, um, yeah, uh, sensory, connection with Edinburgh where when you get off the train in Edinburgh have you been to Edinburgh much? Someone else told me this the other day maybe your group of people that have this someone else said this to me they have a real good connection with Edinburgh I think a lot of comedians have this thing where of course because of Edinburgh Festival so you get off the train and there's just yeah this kind of waft of hops from the breweries I think that's what it is and it immediately just well it's sort of what I'd like to do with Edinburgh is actually not go there for about 10 years so I can like fully appreciate the nostalgia because at the moment it just takes me back by one or two years because you're repeating the same thing I just keep doing the same thing I'm in a cycle yeah

30:30you won the Perry Award 2009 big huge huge massive that that is that let's put it out there Edinburgh Festival people don't know most prestigious comedy awards in the world for up and coming comedians. The Perry Award is the creme de la creme. It's the Victor Le Dorem. What's that? Victor Le Dorem? Is that a fashion one? It's for athletics at private school. Wow, okay, yeah. Did you go to a private school? No.

31:02So it's the Victor Le Dorem. When you won that, who gave it to you? Frank Skinner. Whoa! One of your heroes? Yeah. Yeah. I used to watch his shows, you know, he used to do fantasy football league and Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned. And he was really famous. And when you first go to Edinburgh, you don't, that, that, that was an interesting, the feeling of like being in Edinburgh for the first time. there's a lot that goes on a where you gradually realize that something is possible where you're playing um bottom just because you're at school and then you're doing plays at university just because you're like at university and then the moment where you're like thinking and also you're just watching comedians and stuff on telly and not associating what you're doing with what they're doing.

31:53And so the bit where you kind of realize that it's possible to do the same job as them kind of creeps up on you and takes quite a lot of time. But there's definitely a bit where you go impossible. And then there's definitely a bit where you go, I'm actually doing that. Yeah. And then it becomes weird, right? And then suddenly you're looking around going, hang on a second, I'm doing what I've always wanted to do. But I haven't realized I'm actually doing what I thought, where little Tim over here never thought was possible. But now I'm actually doing it because it's not possible it's like doing you know it's like being a footballer how hard is it to become a comedian like that and a successful one uh yeah it's quite hard it is hard isn't it but you just need to but but but the main the biggest moment is where you just find yourself on at least on the bottom step rather than just thinking i don't even know where the steps are when was that was that after 2001 i'd say you know way before way before yeah yeah really yeah By 2009, I kind of knew what I was doing and it was slow, but you know what you're doing and you know that you're going on stage and people are laughing and stuff like that.

32:59There's stuff happening. You also know that you've got friends who are doing the same thing and you have a sense that maybe you're in a good group of people. You sense that maybe Alex Horne is like a genius, but you don't know. He might just be someone who in five years' time, neither of you are doing it anymore. I always listen to the American comedians when they say they used to do the stand-up circuit and then suddenly this man came on stage and it just blew everyone out of the water it was Robin Williams and everyone just was like that guy is just how are we going to do that and the other one was like Jim Carrey was just so good and they always talk about these people I guess when I started watching it was people like Paul Foote and Daniel Kitson who were like just kind of enormous you know stage acts in the early 2000s but still you don't know you don't even then you don't it's difficult to sort of work out how you could ever be on stage for me anyway how I could ever be on stage on my own making people laugh that's the bit that took maybe five years so when was the moment because you you pretended you went to Cambridge University to get to the footlights yeah yeah mad yeah that That was 2001.

34:17So that, yeah, that's... You lied. Yeah. Yeah. You frauded people. Yeah, I did actually. I was fraudulent. To getting into the footlights. I didn't really lie. I just didn't, you know. The footlights are the notoriously famous group that was at Cambridge University that does comedy shows. Yeah. The likes of Hugh Laurie came out of it, Stephen Fry, Rone Atkinson? No. No. I think he was at Oxford. Sophie Ogilvie? No, what's that? Yeah, Sophie Ogilvie. basically the three main ones are Stephen Fry Hugh Laurie and Sophie Ogilvy not Sophie Ogilvy I'm thinking of who's the incredible British actress and her name is Sophie Ogilvy no it's not Sophie Ogilvy Olivia Colman Olivia Colman nothing like Sophie Ogilvy Olivia Colman in the Footlights she was yeah I think she might have hoodwinked her way in as well so audition happens to get into Footlights so I go that is after I've been to university in Sheffield I go there and you've studied what at Sheffield Russian.

35:15Привет. Привет. Да. Как дела? Как дела? Как дела? Привет. Привет. Как дела? Как дела? Nikolaevich. Как дела? Как тебя зовут? Да.

35:38Хорошо. Why didn't you study Russian? I went to Kiev in 1996. Capital of Ukraine. Capital of Ukraine. And really enjoyed my time there and decided I'd change my degree and learn Russian. Wow. Yeah. Has that been useful?

36:02Well, I mean, I think... Languages? Yeah. I think it's... I mean, I'm glad I did it. But I mean, yeah, I think it is useful. I think it's an interesting one to study. Communication. Because I was going to like study English, I think. That's already sort of backed up. Yeah, you've got that in the bag. So no, I'm quite glad I did it. So you come out of Sheffield and studied Russian. You speak Russian. You go for the audition. You say I'm at Cambridge. I go to the audition. I say I'm at Cambridge. And they say, what's your email? I say my email address. They say it's different from all the other ones.

36:35I say, yes, I'm waiting for my college one. They say, what does that mean? I say, I don't know. Then I do the audition. They say, fantastic, you can be in our thing now. And then the director phones me up and says, yes, I know that you're not at Cambridge, but you can stay in it. And so he lets me stay in it. Wow. Who was the director? He's a guy called Phil Breen. Are you still friends with Phil Breen? Yeah, he's fantastic. He's a big short director. He directs opera in Japan. That is niche. Yeah. Just quickly to caveat part of a conversation. we've actually got Tim Key's book here was it in the shops?

37:15it was in the shops all the way in London I'm being thrown at by Jemima I think that's a perfect time to read another poem I'll read a poem yeah after that because what it is it's like an ad break yeah so we're now going into an ad break where you read us a poem yeah pick a goodie oh yeah always yeah always do you want one that's more sort of traumatic yes I do this is where the trauma comes in so when I arrived in LA yeah it's quite different have you been there? oh boy yeah yeah do you like it? I find it lonely right yeah I find it lonely right you're going to like this book why because it there's a seam of loneliness that runs through it it is lonely yeah and also living in northwest London we're not lonely no no because you can go and sit in the pub yeah and you can have you can have your friends oh yeah you can go to Pure Gym you can do that yeah and you can make friends there I've only made one friend at Pure Gym you can go to like a farmer's market doesn't really happen in any way no and also everyone drives everywhere where in northwest London most people walk well that was a culture shock the fact that you can't walk around I love walking around who did you make friends with at Pure Gym well well well well Can't say The spin instructor came to my show Okay, let me read this There's the little bit of T we just got Were you front row, middle row, back row?

38:47Just give it to me What, spinning? Yeah Back, always Wow Yeah, shaking her head at me Well, the thing is I was always adjusting it when she wasn't looking That's a phrase

39:04Okay The amount of times I said sorry in that spinning class I think that's probably the world record that I'd said yeah yeah because I'm not like doing it properly like just sort of put it on its stand and I'm leaning against it no but basically the thought of you in a spin class in Pure Gym is hilarious right yeah different from being in LA similar that's where I'm supposed to be but so then I said to her because we were making a live stage show a good comedy show and who's we uh well me okay um but i wanted to have some like film in it yeah so i um i talked about spinning in the thing and then i said to her would it be possible to film in your spin class and she said yes and then i got some extras and we filmed in a spin class and it was fantastic that's very good and she was in it and then she came and watched the show Because that is funny.

40:02Yeah. Because you in a spin class with other people is funny. Candles in the spin class? Candles? Some people put candles in the spin class. No. You don't know that? He's saying no. He's saying, Raffy's saying no. All right. Okay. Here we go. So after the first couple of weeks, and then I'd started the job, and then in the book, there's some trauma because it's difficult. There's some imposter syndrome. It's trying to keep up with the other fantastic actors. And it's an American show? American show. When's it out? September here we go yeah okay so this is me after you know when you're beaten down and you have to get up again okay so this is basically your journal but in poems it's a memoir yeah sort of yeah wow so you're being vulnerable in this well it's yeah a very it starts on the drive to Heathrow and it ends next to the carousel and just quickly what emotions are you when you're driving to Heathrow Yeah, good question Nervous?

41:05Excited? Trepidatious Is that the fear of holes? I think it's a mixture of nervous and anxious Fear of holes? I'm not scared of holes Are you? Well no, if you see those pictures of lots of little holes I don't like that at all There you go, you're trepidatious Wow This poem's called The Wounded Okay, here we go Prostate on the floor A leopard, wounded Its fur, lank with blood A pulse of sorts, still bubbling through its arteries A pained breath, honking through its nostrils Shifting sound from where its skull hit the deck A Dodger's baseball cap upon its head A UK passport in its pocket A claw, getting traction in the dust Its knees, whir into action its thighs harden like resin the beast claws itself to its feet there we go so you're the leopard yeah i imagine i must be so what you you're feeling you're feeling a bit broken there uh yeah yeah emotionally physically just working out how to well also there's some poetic license yeah so i was fine but there's yeah just an element of um uh getting used to this new place and finding out navigating your way through it you know it's hard yeah where did you live when you were in la uh silver lake silver lake why do you silver lake is that where the studios are no no silver do you know silver lake well i think it's like isn't that somewhere near west hollywood or malibu or anywhere like that or beverly hills yeah they're all completely different places i know so your silver lake was sort of, I don't know, it's like quite near West Hollywood.

42:59Is it? Yeah. Okay, nice. Yeah, it was about a 25 minute drive to work. What did you learn about yourself when you were in LA?

43:10Well, quite resilient, quite adaptable.

43:19I think I did a pretty good job. Yeah, you would have done a good job. Made some nice new friends.

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45:08I really want to talk about this as well. The Ballad of Wallace Island. Oh God, yeah. Holy. so I was invited yeah by Richard Curtis the great Richard Curtis the great Richard Curtis to a screening of this got an email from his wife actually he was cc'd in yeah saying Jamie love your stuff love what you do yeah it's brilliant had you met her before no oh brilliant she reached out but I had done something for Comic Relief I did a big old run oh you did actually well not just one five you went again and again and again five days yeah fake news that's real news was it real five yeah Five in a row How did you do that?

45:48You thought I faked that? I absolutely did not No That was a joke How could I fake that? I don't know Impossible Anyway I was invited Cameras

46:01From the starts and the ends Carry on There was the arc You saw me running I did Yeah You can't fake that I couldn't believe it I saw your feet Yeah Swollen Yeah Thank you very much So I got invited by Rich Cut as I turn up It's in the Soho Hotel Yeah it is He's saying we've got to watch this movie called The the Ballad of Wallace Island your friend Tim Key's in it I'm thinking well I like Tim Key I like the sound of this I like Richard Curtis and his wife yeah I do and I like Soho Hotel yeah so I'm like okay this is going to be good so I turn up there I walk in first person I see Paul Rudd Ruddles Ruddles second person I see here we go Sophie Ogilvy Olivia Colman she was there she was in floods she was there she was there next person I see Tim Key yeah see you there yeah you're chatting amongst your friends yeah yeah yeah I found like a little pocket of people I knew do you want to hear the truth about this I've lied by the way yeah when I was invited to the Wallace of the Ballad of Water the Silent yeah I didn't realise you had written it or you were in it oh really and then when I saw the poster I saw you there and I thought okay there we go anyway we sat down and watched this movie it is possibly my favorite movie I've seen in the last decade.

47:19And I'm not even joking. That's very kind of you. It is. I sent you a message afterwards. Yeah. I'm going to have you read the message. Yeah, let's read the message. Let's read the message. Here we go. Eighth of May I said to you this. Dear friend, truly magical. I imagine you're the kind of person who hates compliments, but you were more than fantastic. A perfect movie. Sorry, I had to run. Have a nice start. It is. It's a perfect movie. You've got to tell us, Okay, for anyone who hasn't seen it, what is it about Synopsys Go? Synopsys Go, it's about a millionaire who, an eccentric millionaire, lives on an island, decides to throw money at the problem and get his favourite band back together and play a private gig for him, for just him.

48:00But the two people in the band are no longer in the band together and used to be lovers, and he doesn't give the entire truth to either of them. so they arrive and there's some awkwardness and it's about relationships nostalgia people being stuck people moving on pleased with that actually I was very pleased it felt a bit out of control after a bit but then I think I brought it around I think you brought it around and it stars the great Carrie Mulligan yeah who you emailed out of the blue to get on it I emailed Carrie to ask her to be in it yeah because you kept her email address I kept her email from a previous anecdote and then but crucially Tom Basden who I wrote it with 18 years ago you wrote it yeah which is mad we wrote a short 18 years ago and then turned it into a feature yeah two years ago and the thing about the 18 year ago one which you wrote yeah only had two people in it this one now had three this one now had five because it also had AK who plays Michael and Sian Clifford who plays the shopkeeper and then Kerry Mulligan and then Tom Basden in addition to everything else also wrote all of the music.

49:10MVP. MVP. MVP. And how many days did you shoot the whole movie? 18. 18 years, 18 days, it all matches. 18 years, 18 days, brilliant. You should have thought about that. 18 awards. Come on. Yeah. Just because it is so good, it is so good. This is the kind of thing that you would get in a junket when I'm going to ask you. When you're playing your character in that, because you've written it and you've done it for 18 years and you know it so well, is it feel like just the best thing to be able to play around with that character and that role and just be free with it because you know the character so well?

49:47Yeah. Yeah. It's a, it's, um, it was a joy. I mean, there's a bit of pressure cause you don't, cause it's your film and you don't want to fuck it up. So the first scene, you know, there's a lot of stuff where, well, obviously the first thing is getting it made and it looks impossible. Took 18 years. Yeah. Yeah, and almost to the last week, it feels that it might not happen. Get out of here. Yeah. No, it can't. Even to the last week. There's mad stuff happening where you're trying to get the finances together and all of this. I stay out of it. But yeah, there's stuff happening. It's crazy. Can I just ask a personal question?

50:23You can go to a perm if you want, but please don't. 18-day shoot. How much does that cost to make? Oh, I don't know. I don't know. Why not? I don't think I'm supposed to say. I can't remember That's probably a good answer I think that You don't know or you're not allowed to say Well I mean I know I can tell you Whisper it I actually So you So you can't say I actually don't know You do know I think they haven't told me so that I can't incriminate myself It's like a spy I've got only the information I need I'd rather answer that other question about whether it's nice to have that role Can I ask you another personal question Oh yeah Because it takes 18 years to make Yeah these aren't personal questions you know oh they sort of I don't know maybe can make it deeper than this because it takes 18 years to make the Ballad of Waters Island yeah sometimes the process yeah of that is the best bit like when you're leading up to a wedding it's all amazing amazing the wedding is amazing and then afterwards you have a real sort of blue bit does that happen with a movie where it's taken 18 years to make and finally you make it and then everyone goes to sees it and you're like whoa okay that's now happened yeah um no without one it's kind of um uh sort of exhilarating right the way through from when we started writing it again about 2020 where you sort of have hope in your hearts that it might happen yeah and then i just love the writing process was very very enjoyable because we write alone and then stick it all together so you're constantly getting I'm getting Tom's writing and when you get some of the writing you're like this is genius yeah I love it I love it and then the shoot was part of the reason we did it I think is because we always remember that short film and it was really fun to shoot it so this we have the same thing where we just arrive it's a small crew and all of the sort of cliches like you know like a family all that stuff yeah but we like that but it was nice you know it felt all good it felt like everyone was like into the film it felt like people liked um making the film which is really uh it's really important and that comes a lot from whether i guess whether they like the stuff that we're shooting but also we had a very good director i think that's quite a big part of being a director is galvanizing a crew because you're a leader aren't you yeah you have to lead the culture i I really think so.

52:51I feel like there's more to it than just, he's a very creative, brilliant director with a real vision of how he wanted the film to be. And he's made the film brilliantly. But I think also he's like someone where you really feel it on the set that all of the people want to do it for him. Yeah, so that was all good. So it was very fun. Then we finished it. And then I remember on the train home thinking, think we've got something good, hopefully. then there's bits of ups and downs when you're you know being sent edits and things like that because things are cut out you're like no we should keep that yeah there's a bit of that there's a bit of like it's it's all a bit difficult to watch when it's like assemblies that's what they're called when they're like sprawling two and a half hour versions of it because you have to sort of get there but there's there's not just a bit where like the film you saw yeah it's finished and i saw maybe 13 versions that weren't anyway then we eventually see the film in Sundance in America.

53:50That's the first time we saw it. And what was the reaction? A good reaction. Like, uh, it was a massive cinema and it was kind of very nerve wracking, but it was good. There was like a, I mean, horrible phrase, but standing ovation. Did you stand up? Yeah, me and Tom. Did you wave? Oh yeah. Then we had to go on stage. And what, so you get, did you bow as you went on? Um, we just look - Or just clap yourself? We're terrible. We're just like, we look like really sort of bashful kind of seven-year-olds. We're just like, I don't know. I don't know what's happened. But yeah. People may know Tom from Afterlife with Ricky Gervais.

54:25They might know him from Afterlife, yeah. They might know him from... He plays Ricky Gervais' brother-in-law. He does. He also has a sitcom called Here We Go. He also has another sitcom called Plebs. He also is a prolific writer for stage and he's also a fantastic musician. Look at you picking up your friend. I hope you do this about me when I'm not around. Yeah, I do actually. Do you? Yeah. No, you don't. I do. I like you. I like you too. Yeah. I think you're very good. I think you're very good. We've got emotional, see. Continue.

54:58Well, when you go on House of Games with someone, a bond is formed. And Sunday brunch. I went on that the other day. I know you did. I tried to get on it. That's a surprise to you. That's a surprise to you. That would have been amazing. I know, I tried to get on it. It was sad not having you there. Wait, hang on. So you get on stage, the standing ovation. Right. And so what you're asking about, is there a bit where it just, you're finished and then there's like a low. That hasn't really happened yet because we did that. Then we did some stuff in America. Has it landed in America yet? Yeah, it started in America.

55:30And what was the reaction? Well, like, good. Like, people liked it. I mean, the, because we're like looking at it as quite a, it's a pretty English film. Yeah, totally English. It's a very English film. Yeah. and so you're kind of like watching it slightly through that prism do they get the humor yeah do like references and then humor like will they understand all the references and there's like straight off the bat there's lots of stuff about you know monster munch and things like that yeah but it's funny but where and also where is wallace island uh probably somewhere near wales i think so right that's what it feels like yeah um but yeah they they were i mean i think they were yeah they they kind of got it and they went with it and then you sensed when we were watching it that they were like into it and i think you know they kind of yeah there was it was a great response but i mean we did it in germany last month and they liked it yeah i mean that's like that that was interesting have you been dubbed or is it subtitles it's a great question the version that we saw was uh the um munich film festival and uh it was no dubbing and no subtitles and it was just good luck germans if it was dubbed into russian yeah would you do it yourself um do you know the way they do it in russia is they have one guy who does all of it and then they keep the sound up a bit and then the Russian guy just goes over the top of it going you know blah blah blah blah and I watched Armageddon.

57:08That's one of my favourites. Right and in Armageddon there's a bit where someone gets like blown out of the spaceship or something and sucked into space and there's this great moment where they go nooooo and then the Russian guy goes nyead. What do you feel writing? scripts or poetry um poetry good okay because um it's really really hard to write scripts i think why because um there's more that stuff you have to retain in your head and there's more stuff to do with structure there's more stuff it's like writing a novel yeah i just i think it's i think you gotta have a big old brain for that i don't know can you have a bad script but a good actor and make a good film?

57:57Or does the script always have to be good? I would say that probably happens all the time. Don't you think? Yeah, I think script writing is... I think... I'm really sad about movies because I feel like script writing is not so precious as it was. If you look at old movies, like, I don't know, look at like True Romance or things like... True Lies. True Lies. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Or Last Action Hero. Yeah. Unbelievable. Yeah. But if you look at that, like Jingle All The Way, the script writing. Yeah. What, do you think is good? But if you... Script writing, because people don't now focus as much on script writing.

58:29They focus on IP and they focus on what's going to sell. Am I lying? I think there's a lot of IP. There's a lot of IP. And, you know, I feel like we're very lucky that we managed to put one together that was our own idea and was original. But also I think that's partly because we're sort of wired in that way, I think. that I suppose right from when me and Tom started writing, we were writing sketches and writing live stuff. I mean, it just wouldn't really ever occur to us to write something that didn't start with a blank page, I don't think. I don't think it would. Have you got something else in your head that you're writing?

59:18Yeah, well, what with Tom? Or solo? Yeah, me and Tom are talking. We're talking over boiled eggs. Let's go because over boiled eggs? Yeah. Scotch eggs? Boiled eggs. Not scotch. I mean, if you march into a cafe and ask them to scotch the eggs, you're going to be there forever. We haven't got long left. No. In life. No. Do you worry about your own mortality? Not as much as I used to. Right. You worried about dying? I don't want to die. No. Yet. I don't I feel like you're I feel like you're just you're not even you're not even at the top of the mountain at the moment you know for you right now this would be not a great time to die well it depends you can look at it both ways can't you it might be the perfect time to die because then your art of then your work your art becomes much more valuable there is an element of that isn't there I mean it's like Eva it shifts some units for the book not Eva Mendes Who was the person who sang Fields of Barley, Fields of Gold?

1:00:26Not Eva Mendes. She's married to Ryan Gosling. Sophie Mongolia? Eva Cassidy. Eva Cassidy. When did she die? She died before she was famous. Oh. Her work became famous after her death. Ah, that's a neat trick.

1:00:44Look, we're going to have to stop really upsetting you because we don't have much time with you, which is really, I'm annoyed at that, but we've got three minutes. Yeah. So I'm going to ask you eight questions, then you're going to read your last poem. Yeah, perfect. But I want people to buy Tim's book, LA Baby. That's available in bookshops, as we just proved. And it's great. It's great. And I also want you to go and watch the Ballad of Wallace Island, if you haven't, because not only would it support you, but also, boy, it's good. It is really, really good. I told my family to go watch it, they all watched it, they loved it.

1:01:19I think actually it's useful to watch anyway, just to support independent filmmaking. There we go, I should have said that. Okay, eight questions, ready for this? What's a saying or phrase that makes you smile or cheers you up? Sort of, I like the phrase sort of. Best compliment anyone's ever given you? Oh, Richard Whiteley, he said that I had a funny face. What scares you most about yourself? what scares me most about myself if anything you cry no no not okay what scares you about yourself don't really know it's a weird question that but we ask it we ask it every time uh what uh the fact that i can't switch off that's quite scary sometimes yeah yeah okay i can't switch off I overthink.

1:02:06Yeah, I have a bit of that and a bit of maybe getting consumed by writing sometimes. Yeah, hyperfixation. I have that. When was the last time you cried? It was, I went and watched a play recently and wept. Did you? Yeah, my friend had directed it. It was about Bill Shankly. the Liverpool manager and it was it was a beautiful beautiful play love that with about maybe about like 30 actors in it and then an additional 30? maybe 20 and then an additional 20 is way less than 30 well 25 then and then an additional 40 people which was a community choir from the city of Liverpool love that and it was fantastic what's something you can't let go of?

1:03:01your dad varnishing his boat yeah yeah um what can't I let go of I mean I cannot I cannot stop playing football clinging on really for dear life what position do you play um yeah pretty far back now yeah that's alright team favourite team uh don't have a favourite team yeah nor do I no don't have that what's your guilty pleasure Columbo watch a lot of Columbo what turns you off

1:03:32what turns me off yeah what turns you off

1:03:39what turns me off mine's rude people don't like it people who are outwardly rude yeah outwardly ruders yeah I don't like people who are outwardly rude I suppose I don't I don't really like it when people are too used to having a nice lifestyle for example you see someone i don't like it when someone i think you should still be excited if you like go to a nice hotel or find yourself at a sporting event okay people who are like get too much of that in their life and it becomes something which is routine i love that you should be able to like um find excitement find exciting places what turns you on um um i actually i do i do enjoy um live performing that makes me feel quite alive last question yeah your writing partner tom yeah or steve coogan it's a great it's a very good question um i they're they're completely impossible to compare steve coogan is um like a hero of mine and there's a sort of surreal ness that I work with him he's also incredibly generous and uh I've learned a lot from him and he's very nice to me and he also watches my shows and things um Tom Basden uh well he definitely edges it because um formative writing and performing comedy in 2004-5 um well, right the way up to the present day.

1:05:28I guess we learn from one another, and it's kind of very, it's something I feel very grateful for that I have a synchronization with someone like Tom. That is beautiful. Awesome. Do you know, it's the best way. We're 501, 502. Perfect. So you have to read your last poem. Here comes the last poem. I can't wait. yeah this is so this in the in the in my story of la this is when i'm about to leave okay i'm in my airbnb what a story we had as we began then halfway through yeah now you're about to leave that's like the journey of the podcast it's the journey of the podcast okay this is called the games up quickly quickly before you start that favorite crisp um walker's ready salted every time are you serious yeah walker's ready salted favorite sandwich um tuna mayonnaise and cucumber okay now you can read the poem the game's up i sat down on my bed beside me my suitcase unclosable spewing its contents my hollywood life dodgers scarves and coffee beans sun hats and snow globes pushed down onto the possessions of the englishman who arrived three months ago And beyond, the Airbnb Restored to neutral Post-its peeled from walls Candles burned out Newspapers binned Pans scoured Another attempt at the suitcase Folding the top shell over Spread-eagling myself Forcing, farting My international adventure crammed under my belly My fingers groping for a zip And now my full weight, hard-earned in bars and diners Crushing my American dream flat and now the zip munching the track steam whistling from my ears and then silence game over chapter closed order Uber we're done Tim Key ladies and gentlemen thank you I love Tim Key he's so wonderful he's great he's great very funny man go read if you liked his poem go read all of his books but his latest book LA Babies go watch him in stand up if you can get tickets.

1:07:43They normally set up pretty fast. I have seen him an innumerable number of times. Yeah, you do. An embarrassing number of times. Yeah. You have a little soft spot for Tim King. Yeah, also, I think he thinks that I'm like a shadow. I think he does. I'm just always there. Yeah, you're always there. And I think he knows that. Every gig, I'm there. No, I'm not that much, but I have. Hey, folks, it's Marc Maron from WTF. Today, I want to talk to you about Boost Mobile, offering reliable nationwide coverage backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. Love your service or get your money back. No questions asked.

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1:10:12Then I wake up. Don't let hiring nightmares ruin your dreams. LinkedIn Jobs' new AI assistant goes beyond the resume, using unique insights to deliver a smarter shortlist. Get 50 % off your first job post at linkedin.com slash pandora offer. Terms and conditions apply. I've seen him a lot. We really hope you enjoyed the episode and thank you for coming back. As I said, if you like this episode, go and listen to other episodes in our catalogue. There are so many different amazing ones that will entertain you, that will educate you, that will inspire you. Go and listen to them. And if you haven't subscribed to the show already, please do.

1:10:44And remember, you can get in touch at Great Company Podcast on Instagram. We'll send us an email. GreatCompany at jampopproductions.co.uk. We're also on YouTube. And we'll see you next week for another episode. We don't have a PO box. We don't have a PO box. We'll see you next week for another episode of Great Company.

1:11:02Do-la-la-la, do-la-la-la, do-la-la-la-la.