Jack Dee
Jack Heal
Jack Samuel Warner
Jack Whitehall
Jackie Mason
Jaik Campbell
James Acaster
James Blood
James Branch
James Campbell
James Christopher
James Corden
James Dowdeswell
James Goldsbury
James Hately
James Kirk
James Mason
James Mullinger
James Redmond
James Sherwood
Jamie Sutherland
Jan Ravens
Jane Bostock
Jane Hill
Janey Godley
Janice Phayre
Jared Hardy
Jarlath Regan
Jarred Christmas
Jason 'Entertainment' Cooke
Jason Byrne
Jason Cook
Jason Freeman
Jason John Whitehead
Jason Kavan
Jason Manford
Jason Patterson
Jason Rouse
Jason Wood
Jasper Carrott
Javier Jarquin
Jay Foreman
Jay Lafferty
Jay Ryan
Jay Sodagar
Jeff Brighton
Jeff Caldwell
Jeff Green
Jeff Innocent
Jeff Leach
Jeff Stevenson
Jefferson & Whitfield
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Jen Brister
Jennifer Saunders
Jenny Eclair
Jeremy Dyson
Jeremy Hardy
Jeremy Hotz
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Sadowitz
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Jessica Fostekew
Jethro
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Jim Campbell
Jim Davidson
Jim Gaffigan
Jim Jefferies
Jim Smallman
Jim Tavare
Jimbo
Jimeoin
Jimmy Bird
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Jimmy Cricket
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Jo Brand
Jo Caulfield
Jo Coffey
Jo Dakin
Jo Enright
Jo Romero
Jo Selby
Joan Rivers
Joanna Neary
Joanne Lau
Joe Bor
Joe Bromehead
Joe Cornish
Joe Heenan
Joe K
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Joe Rooney
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Joe Wells
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Joel Dommett
Joey Page
John Bishop
John Cleese
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John Cooper
John Flint
John Fothergill
John Gavin
John Gordillo
John Kearns
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John Lloyd
John Lynn
John Mann
John Moloney
John Oliver
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John Robins
John Ryan
John Scott
John Warburton
John-Luke Roberts
Johnny Armstrong
Johnny Candon
Johnny Vegas
JoJo Smith
Joleed Farah
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Jon Plowman
Jon Richardson
Jon Torrens
Jonathan Hearn
Jonathan Mayor
Jonathan Paylor
Jonny Sweet
Joseph Wilson
Josh Howie
Josh Widdicombe
Josie Lawrence
Josie Long
Josie Wicks
Jovanka Steele
Joy Carter
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Julia Clark
Julia Morris
Julian Clary
Julian Deane
Julie Jepson
Juliet Meyers
June Brown
Junior Simpson
Justin Brett
Justin Moorhouse
Joanna Neary
Heston's Restaurant |
More Joanna Neary videos |
| Heston's Restaurant |
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Joanna Neary studied visual and performing arts degree at Brighton University, where she wrote plays and peformed her first character-based comedy. show. When she graduated, she bcame a nanny, while continuing to write and perform 'little comedy plays’. In 2004, she made her Edinburgh debut, where she was nominated for the Perrier Best Newcomer award. She has made several appearances on TV, including the Armando Iannucci show Time Trumpet, and is probably best known as Judith in the Johnny Vegas sitcom Ideal. |
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Jo Neary: Youth Club |
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![]() You don't have to share Neary’s background to appreciate her evocative portrayal of being a teen in Camborne, Cornwall, where the only entertainment is the local youth club. However if you do happen to have also have been 15 in 1987 and grew up in a similarly boring town, you'll know that her observations in this wonderful not-quite-coming-of-age tale are spot-on. It's slightly disconcerting that Neary initially takes to the stage as herself, or at least the narrator of the piece, as we’re so used to her pretending to be someone else. In previous shows this has been anything from a repressed Forties housewife to a bemused deer. But she introduces the tale as her endearing, slightly gauche self to announce that ‘any resemblance to living persons is fair enough, as I've not bothered to change the names’. This year the costumes are basic to say the least – a hankie and a blanket are pretty much all she needs. Instead she relies on her considerable performance skills to bring to life the world of the youth club disco - one of warm orange and pineapple squash, ping pong and kids who try to be cool by changing the spelling of their names. Our protagonist is Diana Budd, a young woman more at home in the 19th century who has huge crush on pastel jumper-wearing Gavin. Her friends are socially inept nerds of the kind that turn out to be loyal friends for life: Andrew the Dungeons and Dragons spod, Tamsin and her collection of novelty erasers and Lisa who has a ‘borderline sexual relationship with her cat’ (at this point you really are hoping that she's changed the names, at least that of the cat...) The story is quirkily told and beautifully written. Tamsin is described as having ‘permed her fringe – but other than that she was trustworthy’ and Diana in a purple bat-wing cardigan is described by a teacher as ‘dressed as everyone's favourite sweet.’ Neary mines those teenage years for the ultimate embarrassment. A song the lovestruck Diana composes in the her head while walking to the youth club is sung out loud complete with ‘sexy moves’. Neary adopts a series of daft voices and facial expressions to differentiate between the characters - as most speak with a Cornish accent it's not an easy feat – and there are only a couple of times where you're not sure who’s who. As it's set in the Eighties, music plays a huge part in setting scenes, and is an excuse for some silly dancing – always a joy in a Neary show. To the youth club kids the B52s’ Rock Lobster hints at something more interesting away from the rubbish novelty number ones like The Firm's Star Trekkin'. A jazz number at the end evokes the cheeky innocence of the rude rhymes all kids recited in the playground alongside a musical portrait of the top deck of the bus at 3.30pm every day, in every town. There's a quality to Neary that makes her inherently funny, even her scripted water break gets a laugh. Youth Club is a departure from previous works but still holds all those treasured Neary hallmarks.
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| Date of live review: Sunday 28th Aug, '11 | |
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Review by Marissa Burgess |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2008 - | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2007 - Tuesday 0th Aug, '07- | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2005 - Sunday 0th Aug, '05- | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2004 - Saturday 0th Aug, '04- | |
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Great! I saw one of her shows in Edinburgh and loved it! dave yollen, September 2011 |

Joanna Neary Is Not Feeling Herself
Edinburgh Fringe 2005
Joanna Neary is Pan's Person
Edinburgh Fringe 2007
Joanna Neary's Little Moments
Edinburgh Fringe 2008
Joanna Neary's Magic Hole
Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Joanna Neary: Youth Club


