Don’t Believe Everything Rosie Jones Tells You!

So, She Who Books Things and I were back at Belfast’s Black Box last week. Normally, we’re there to see bands, but on this occasion, we were out for a bit of a laugh.

Rosie Jones was on the bill. You don’t know who Rosie Jones is? If you’re not from the UK, you get a free pass on that — she’s not an international act yet.

If you are from the UK, then what’s your problem? Are you one of those oddbods who doesn’t own a television set?

‘I don’t have time to watch TV. I’m much too busy reading Proust and making ornamental pandas from bottle tops.’

Spokesperson

Rosie’s been a familiar face on UK television for the past five or six years. She’s a comedian who happens to be a gay woman with cerebral palsy. She also claims to be a bit of a prick, but we only have her word for that.

Recently, she’s raised her profile above and beyond the comedy circuit by appearing on chat shows and panel discussions.

She’s become something of an unofficial spokesperson for disabled people, regardless of whether she wanted the role or not.

Trolls

Her raised profile comes at a cost. Google Rosie Jones and you’ll find articles in which she discusses the online abuse she receives every time she appears on television.

I wasn’t aware of that. It’s probably not something you notice unless you’re Rosie Jones or someone close to her.

Or someone else with cerebral palsy, perhaps. You might be more aware of it then.

All performers get their fair share of trolling, but some comments directed at her under the guise of reviews are vitriolic.

It’s unlikely that any of the ‘reviewers’ have actually been to a Rosie Jones gig. Almost exclusively, their comments are based on what they see on television. Sometimes her appearance on a discussion panel is enough to fire them up, so it’s not just her comedy that’s the issue.

What seems to trigger them is her disability and her sexual orientation.

‘She’s only on the telly because she ticks a few diversity boxes! What else could it be, when we can’t understand a word she says?’

Tuning into Rosie Jones

Rosie mentions her speech at the top of her show. She acknowledges that we, the audience, may need a minute or two to tune into her distinctive speaking voice which is shaped by her cerebral palsy. And her strong Yorkshire accent.

She’s right. It does take a minute or so to tune in, but once that happens, it’s genuinely not an issue.

Also, humour isn’t just about speech, important though this is. Comedy also relies on the timing of the lines, the gestures, the facial expressions, and the relationship the comedian builds with the audience.

Ultimately, all comedians are judged on only one thing, namely, their ability to make you laugh. Rosie Jones is no exception.

So, is she funny?

Short Answer

As funny as fuck, is the short answer to that question. Apologies if the F-word offends, but that’s the sort of language Rosie uses so it feels appropriate. She also drops the C-word a number of times, but who’s counting? Apart from the comedian herself, that is.

She told us at the start she would use the C-word three times during her set. Three, seriously?

Great comedian. Awful mathematician…

Beautifully Crafted

Rosie’s collection of stories and anecdotes are beautifully crafted. They frequently contain references to previous remarks thereby creating running jokes and themes. She also builds anticipation by revealing the number of jokes she will tell — it’s a surprisingly low figure! — and ticking these off as she passes them.

Her life as a gay woman with cerebral palsy provides the bulk of her material. Not all of it, however; the bits about her dad touch upon the father-daughter relationship and could have been delivered by any young female comic.

In addition to being very funny, Rosie Jones comes across as extremely likeable — not at all the prick she claims to be.

Ignore the trolls. Get out and see this woman if she passes your way.

Support Act

A word about the support act, Dane Buckley. He’s a young man of Irish and Indian extraction who has been doing the UK club circuit for a couple of years. His material centres on his dual heritage along with his identity as a gay man.

His stories about his Irish mammy and aunties and his Indian granny reveal that the accents and languages of his youth are still an essential part of his psyche.

He’s a funny fella who dovetails nicely with the headline act.