'Her sketches are like tiny documentaries'

Ellie Ross's comedy favourites

Ellie Ross is at the Edinburgh Fringe with Mrs Gary Breath, a theatrical comedy show about wedding culture and the pressure to get married. Here she picks her Perfect Playlist of comedy favourites….

A friend’s Best Man speech

I thought it would be nice to kick off with something wedding-related given the theme of my show, so my first pick is from a friend’s best man speech. The groom was another friend of ours – sturdy fella! – and the best man said: ‘He is now a geography teacher at one of the best schools in the country – an incredible feat for someone who used to think the Earth’s Crust was an option at Dominoes’.

This was 10 years ago and I still say it to myself sometimes because it’s such a perfect and funny joke.

Eilise Patton

Any time I think ‘right, time to delete social media’ I can’t do it, because how else would I watch Eilise Patton? She is so, so funny but she’s also so good at acting, her sketches are like tiny documentaries. An incredible mix of characters and observation.

She’s the queen of variety, you never know what’s going to appear on your timeline next – could be a guy who won’t admit he’s too hot outside, could be a drunk driver girlie who turns out to be a demonic ghost, could just be Eilise dancing in her living room when she’s paid off her parking fines.

This is also quite niche but she sometimes does this bit where she’s about to cry at the end of a sketch and I love it.

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Dear Joan and Jericha

Dear Joan & Jericha got me through lockdown – if the world was going to end, I wanted to go down listening to this podcast. Julia Davis and Vicki Pepperdine play agony aunts giving horrible advice and I love how there’s no straightwoman, just two sexist, judgmental ‘relationship experts’ shooting the breeze.

I think most of it’s unscripted and like everything Julia Davis does, they commit 100 per cent to the premise. This makes their misjudged advice weirdly persuasive. They’ll talk about, say, having a threesome with your son and his best friend like they’re discussing a Boots meal deal, so you almost (almost) forget how dark it gets.

I re-listen to it all the time. My favourite episode is series 3, episode 1, and I still snort-laugh at the intro even though all they’re really saying is good morning.

Mum

One of my favourite TV shows in which everything and nothing happens. It’s about grief, but no one discusses death, and it’s about love, but no one expresses theirs (until they do!! In series 3). In one episode they clear out the garage.

The snail’s pace could be unbearable except it’s not because of Stefan Golaszewski’s writing and a cast so good sometimes I can’t even laugh cos I’m too busy watching in awe. Dorothy Atkinson as snobby, passive-aggressive Pauline is *mwah* chef’s kiss.

Robin Hood Men in Tights

Everyone has a childhood film they were obsessed with and this was mine. I mean this with no shade to Mel Brooks but it’s the ultimate movie for an eight-year-old! Silly enough to be funny and fun, but with enough wink-wink adult jokes that go over your head and make you feel a bit cheeky and risqué watching it.

I was so obsessed I once took the VHS box to bed with me. What’s weird is that it’s a parody of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves which I actually haven’t seen, but I think Men in Tights stands alone. It’s everything you want in a movie (unless you don’t want slapstick, innuendo, toilet humour, men or tights).

I’ve just Googled it and it’s got 42 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, but hey, even Van Gogh wasn’t appreciated in his own lifetime…

Tommy Bowe laughing at ‘10 siblings’

I don’t think there’s a person in my phone I haven’t sent this clip of Ireland AM presenter Tommy Bowe to. His giggle, her reveal, his ‘oof’. It’s the perfect sketch, except it’s real.