Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones

Laura Corcoran and Matthew Jones  

Frisky & Mannish are the world’s finest, and only, Pop Educators – elucidating to the globe the inner workings of the greatest pop songs, their singers, and perhaps how things should have been. Since starting on a barge in London in 2008, F&M have since performed across the world, from the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, to the Sydney Opera House, via Edinburgh, Berlin, New York, Singapore, New Zealand and Slak Bar, Cheltenham.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Laura: For a while I wanted to be the first woman in space, but around the age of 5 I discovered that had already happened. So from then on it was performing.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Matthew: When I was 5, a shopkeeper. Then, a teacher. Then, like most narcissistic children in the world, an actor.

When did you know you would work in the arts?
L: It was always quite a forgone conclusion really – my dad has worked in theatre, music and TV his whole life, and my brother is also a musician in theatre, and you couldn’t keep me off a stage throughout my childhood. There was a period of time during my degree where I considered a proper job, but it didn’t last long.

M: At age 14, when I saw an advert for auditions for the National Youth Music Theatre of Great Britain, I starting hoping and trying, and luckily, it now looks like that was the moment of knowing, although really it was just a big dream.

Where did you get your start in the arts?
L: As I said, it was the family trade really, so I’ve always been part of it. But while I was studying at the Royal Academy of Music I met and studied with some of the industry’s top professionals, and that experience has not only shaped me as a performer, but the contacts continue to serve me today.

M: Professionally, my first performing job after leaving school was Frisky and Mannish, so I'm very lucky to have hit on a successful start almost by accident. But the first proper start I got was at the age of 10, when I joined a local children's drama group in my hometown, and over eight years learned everything about performing, from an inspiring teacher named Anne Berry who is now an extremely successful novelist.

As a returning act, how did this year’s Fringe World grow and improve from the pilot season in 2011?
L: The scale was, obviously, much bigger, and the diversity of the program was absolutely fantastic. It’s great to see brilliant new theatre and music represented alongside the more frivolous silliness (i.e. us).

M: In every respect, it was a growth this year. More shows, more performers, and vitally, more venues. Thus there were numerous hubs of artistic activity, which is important to a good Fringe. Not just one big central space having the monopoly, but a healthy competition between numerous equal places to be as exciting as possible and draw people in to see things they never usually would.

How does Fringe World compare to other Fringe festivals around the world?
L: At the moment, Fringe World is still quite centrally organized – which gives the whole festival a gorgeous aesthetic cohesiveness, and the audiences seemed genuinely excited to be part of this new Perth venture. There also isn’t the cut-throat competitiveness of the bigger festivals yet, but as it grows and competition for audience becomes fiercer, it will doubtless creep in! To be honest, that is when things get really exciting, if a little manic.

M: Perth itself is a major draw. The city is not only beautiful to look at and be in, but the people seem enthusiastic about getting out and seeing things, and are very responsive to our efforts. The festival itself is at a lovely stage of its development, when things are small enough to feel personal and accessible but big enough to be ambitious and exciting. I hope it doesn't grow too big too quickly! That's it's charm.

What was your favourite part of Fringe World?
L: I think our opening night was my favourite moment. To come back to a packed-out room, full of
familiar faces from last year, and for their reaction to our new show to be so warm… it was absolutely
brilliant.

M: I'm biased but I love a Spiegeltent. The venue itself is magical, before you even begin putting a show in
there. Add to that some of our favourite performers (including Ali McGregor, Meow Meow, the Wau Wau
Sisters), an ever-open bar, and an orchard outside full of walkabout performers and interesting things,
and you have an instant festival atmosphere that can't be beaten.

Did you see many other performances at the festival? Who was your favourite?
L: I thoroughly enjoyed Ali McGregor’s Jazz Cigarette. It was wonderful to see world-class jazz musicians doing what they do best, and to see Ali in a very different context was lovely. It was a delicious show.

M: We were very busy promoting and producing our show this year (unlike last year!) so we didn't have lots of time to catch other things, but we saw almost everything we could at the Spiegeltent, and I think by a tiny edge I'd have to say that The Freak and the Showgirl were my highlight, mainly because I find Mat Fraser inspiring and Julie Atlas Muz a true one-of-a-kind.

How would you describe your work to a complete stranger?
L: I tend to say that we mess around with pop songs, changing everything BUT the words – basically recontextualising to hilarious comic effect. There’s nothing less humorous than describing what we do in words, so I generally just tell people they have to see it to understand. Obv, that has the extra benefit of selling a ticket too, so it’s win win.

M: It really is just pop songs done in various unusual, entertaining ways. That's the simplicity of our concept, and I think the reason it seems to work is that we apply as much intellectual analysis and seriousness to the subject as we would to anything else. We don't look down on pop. We celebrate it.

Who in your industry most inspires you?
L: The entire world of cabaret is a constant source of inspiration. It’s so driven by individual personalities,each performer is the only person in the entire world who could do what they do. Everyone is making the most of the skills they have, combined with brilliant inventiveness, wit and fearlessness. To be able to be part of that scene in some small way feels like a real honour, and I’m always looking at the performers around me with awe, and bitter, bitter jealousy.

M: Anyone who's doing it on their own. People who haven't had the opportunity fall into their lap, but have enough drive and ambition to work hard. Some people we know have been slogging for ten/fifteen years on the circuit - when we've only done four - and are still as committed as if they'd only just graduated. And they're only being pushed by themselves. That's inspiring.

What is the best thing about your job?
L: The hour we get to spend on stage with the audience in front of us. A show truly is made or broken by the audience, and a good one is the very very best fun I know how to have.

M: Having people come up to us / send us letters / write to us on Facebook and Twitter, saying "I came to see you in such a bad mood after the worst day at work / home / school, and I left really happy, and thank you for doing what you do." We're not real altruists like doctors and relief workers, but if we can feel like we've made a difference to someone, that's a massive bonus.

What advice would you give anyone looking to break into the field?
L: Do what turns you on – the best art comes from a place of real passion, and it will get very hard to keep going against the tide if you don’t really love and believe in what you’re doing. And also, don’t be afraid of grasping opportunities with both hands – you never know when they’ll come round, so if you have a bit of luck, damn well use it!

M: Perfectionism is a good thing to an established artist with a team of people relying on them, but for a new starter it can be abortive. You find yourself never feeling ready to get out there and show your material, because it "could always be better." Well, everything could always be better. And one of the quickest ways to find out how is to let an audience tell you what is and isn't working for them. And the answers can be surprising. The fact that we're still doing what we're doing is testament to the fact that you can never guess what will work!

What is next for you?
L: We’re back in London working on new material for this year, and also developing the act in new media. There are lots of possibilities open to us at the moment, which is exciting but terrifying, so I’m just trying not to arse it up. M: We're back in London writing new material for a spring/summer season on the South Bank, and hopefully returning to Edinburgh - our spiritual home - in August. Then it's a larger-scale autumn tour of the UK. And we're trying to break into TV in some way. So not much, pretty low-key, really...