The Party T:ts miss parties and have decided to host a new show and invite the public into their living rooms every Thursday at 8pm. Ailish McCarthy, Ben Verth and Keego got the party started with us.
Can you tell me a bit about the Facebook Live event – what it is, how it works and how you came up with the idea?
Ben: We all met at a socially distanced gig and we hit it off, we just loved making each other laugh. We really enjoyed being back at stand up comedy after many months of not being on stage. We felt it might be a while before we got to perform again, and on the DART home we came up with the idea that we would like to collaborate on something fun and positive to lift spirits (under the influence of some spirits).
Ailish: We wanted the show to be inclusive for the audience. Many events were cancelled this year and the happiest type of event we could think of was a party! As comedians we feel obligated to make people laugh. So that’s what this show is about – it’s a hybrid if doing something we love combined with entertaining the public as we go into lockdown 2.0.
How has Covid been for each of you? Why were you inspired to put something like this together?
Keego: Covid is tough for everyone. I think we came to a realisation that we needed something new to get through this one. The first lockdown was tough enough. This was going to be something different.
Ben: I moved here and I had a job, comedy was the job. Then comedy and live entertainment on all levels suddenly stopped, and I didn’t have a job. And anything else that I was remotely skilled in – event management, tourism, history – was also gone, so I’ve been not just unemployed but unemployable for months and months with no end in sight. I’m from Edinburgh. I moved to Dublin at the start of the year, so I’m also cut off from friends and family. Now, I’m with my partner and everything is broadly fine compared to the experiences of other people, so I don’t want to overstate my situation, but this show is an attempt to try and be myself again after several months of, well, feeling a bit useless frankly.
Ailish: I really miss performing stand up comedy and really miss seeing my friends. It was a social outlet for me where I set aside a couple of times a week to laugh and to make others laugh. This was kind of the inspiration for the show and something we’d like to continue to do in terms of a live show after restrictions ease. We wanted to make the show for the public and really use that dynamic of a party where you’re in the kitchen and you’re huddled, talking about things going on in each of our lives. That’s one rule of the show – we are New Zealand, where there is no covid. Its a space for people to leave that at the door and talk about things we would usually talk about if this pandemic wasn’t happening.
What does an ideal party for you look like?
Ailish: I guess to stay on brand – this show! We feel that this could have legs once restrictions ease and we can go back to performing in socially distanced gigs that come with regulations. We’d love to have a live show in Dublin where we give the audience party bags as they sit and enjoy their drinks. And we would continue the panel dynamic where we have a different theme for each show. We feel very exciting times lie ahead.
Ben: Bevs, no masks, and a live show version of the Party T*ts at some swanky venue in the centre of Dublin.
Keego: Happy people and enough laughs to lose bodily functions.
Tune in every Thursday at 8pm…
