#taskmaster alumni

[fofi42]

Merry Christmas from beautiful Greg

[rawrenjoyer]

lovely to see another taskmaster alumni on our flag means death :>

[taskmastersource]

Taskmaster Live Experience Opening Day featuring Taskmaster Alumni

[notwiselybuttoowell]

‘I don’t have any family connections in comedy or television, my leg up was that I went to a posh university that had this relationship with Edinburgh,” says Nish Kumar, who joined sketch group the Durham Revue while he was a student and got his first taste of the Edinburgh festival fringe – and his future career – as part of the troupe. “The Revue going to the fringe created so many opportunities for me. There is nothing anywhere in the world like it. For all of its problems, I still see that it has this ability to change people’s lives and teach people the job of being a comedian.”

Now, as the cost of taking shows to the fringe continues to rise, current members of the Durham Revue and other student sketch groups say they are being priced out of the performing arts festival.

“We’re looking at the fact that this could be our last year,” says Alannah O’Hare, co-president of the Durham Revue, which as well as Kumar, counts Ambika Mod, Ed Gamble, Bafta-nominated TV writer Tom Neenan and Taskmaster’s Stevie Martin as alumni. The group has gone to the fringe almost every year since the mid-70s. “There’s a huge legacy there,” says O’Hare. “But it’s becoming increasingly impossible.”

Durham isn’t the only university with a legacy of developing comedy talent. As well as the Cambridge Footlights and Oxford Revue, there is the Bristol Revunions, rekindled in 2008 by Charlie Perkins (now Channel 4’s head of comedy), which counts Jamie Demetriou, Ellie White and Charlotte Ritchie as former members. In the north-west there are the Manchester Revue and the Leeds Tealights, which boasts comedians Annie McGrath and Jack Barry, producer Phoebe Bourke and comedy agent Chris Quaile among its alumni.

Kumar first experienced the fringe’s transformative effects in 2006. Every year, Revue members write sketches and put on shows in Durham, with the goal of creating an hour of comedy gold for the festival. “That was the whole purpose, because we wanted to be professional comedians and there isn’t an obvious route,” Kumar says. Performing every day for a month improved his writing, plus, he says: “You get a certain comfort that means you’re not having a full-blown physiological panic attack every time you stand on stage. That confidence never leaves you.”

Students also get the chance to watch other shows, which ���teaches you a lot about what you can do in comedy” and helped Kumar understand that not every interesting comedian is a TV star, but there’s a pipeline to it. “I got to see Russell Howard in a room with 100 people and then six months later he appeared on TV,” Kumar says.

Crucially, students get to experience this without racking up substantial debt. “The opportunity to go as students where you’re not putting huge amounts of personal finances at risk, it’s a really fleeting opportunity,” says O’Hare. If students must fund the experience themselves, “you’ll lose working-class voices, you’ll lose lower-middle-class voices,” says Kumar. “But we won’t lose art from posh people because they have independent wealth.”

Durham Revue and other troupes fund fringe runs from profits of the previous year, with extra money raised by staging shows throughout the year and, if they’re lucky, grants from their university. These are not guaranteed and becoming harder to secure as university finances are squeezed, say O’Hare and Evie Cowen from the Leeds Tealights.

The biggest hurdles are venue and accommodation costs, says O’Hare. This year, the Revue will spend about £9,000 on accommodation – 60% of its overall costs – “and that’s students sharing beds, it’s not luxurious living”. Cowen says the Tealights have found accommodation for £6,500, a huge increase on the £4,000 spent in 2023.

To cover the increases, Durham Revue has started its first crowdfunder, to which Kumar and other alumni have contributed. Yet this “does not offer a long-term solution”, O’Hare says. Leeds Tealights turns 20 this year and hopes money raised from an anniversary show will cover festival costs. Both groups worry about how they will bridge the gap in 2026.

“It feels like the inaccessibility of it has accelerated over the past few years, and it’s impacting young people and students and people starting out,” O’Hare says.

Is there a solution? Kumar says lack of university investment is “shortsighted”. “I’d definitely like to see more bursaries coming in to help,” Kumar says. “They’re talking about placing taxes on streaming services to reinvest into UK television – I’d like to see more of that invested into grassroots arts programmes. We need to look at how arts funding has been slowly chipped away for the past 15 years.”

If students from all financial backgrounds can no longer attend the fringe, “you’re losing a really valuable training ground,” Kumar says. “Comedy is one of the things we still do well in this country. Not providing funding for it is insane.”

[prawns-are-cannibals]

Ticking off another Taskmaster alumni on my 'seen live' list tonight

[adreamthatsworthkeeping]

7 Days is just Taskmaster NZ alumni.

[pcificoceanblue]

finally doing this after you reminding (and berating) me irl AND over text yes

last song: west end girls by pet shop boys

favourite colour: blue. important facet of my personality.

last book: strong female character by fern brady. INCREDIBLE i'm buying my own copy asap

last movie: withnail & i (halfway through). paul mcgann the man that you are

last show: taskmaster (series 13) i love ardal o'hanlon

sweet/savoury/spicy: savoury always

relationship status: i don't know it could be said situationship but also not really i dispel the concept of a situationship

last thing i looked up: notable cambridge alumni and also the this must be the place bass tab

current obsession: many. right now doctor who (4, 8 and 12) and the thick of it

looking forward to: next month (ivo graham gig and merlin sheldrake event)

cheers for tagging me my lovely ex gf x

tagged by @falseapplication ! thank you ^_^ <3

last song: sugar in the sacrament by thursday. yeahhg

favorite color: black! but i also love anything with a multichrome effect..

last book: revisiting my college's literary publication magazine from my graduation year if that counts #✨️nostalgia✨️

last movie: i went with my siblings to see ghost cat anzu in the theater! it was interesting and visually very cool!

last show: what we do in the shadows!!

sweet/savory/spicy: sweet ^_^ 🩷

relationship status: single

last thing i searched up: a phone number that called me twice and didn't leave a voicemail 😭

current obsession: unusual fragrances, highlighter sticks, old thursday images, watching my cat eat licky treats

looking forward to: 🗣 WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL!!!!

tagging @bronzetomatoes @pikslasrce @tomorrowillbeyou @geoffthonynation @frozenmagz no pressure! ^_^

[all-else-hippy-pip]

Mike’s story about meeting Asim Chaudry stuck on a flume in Paignton is one of the cutest stories I’ve ever heard in my life.

[daddymymouthisfullofstars]

Taskmaster Alumni at Ed Gamble’s Wedding

[nostarsfornaughtyboys]

Watching Outsiders, AKA Taskmaster Alumni Go Camping.

Ed: I might take my top off.

Lou *immediately*: YES TAKE YOUR TOP OFF

[lenny-shambles]

1- it’s so hard to narrow it down and tomorrow it could be something different but series 5 sits so close to my heart. Idk why but it was the first the really gripped me and every episode is magical

2- Greg. Don’t get me wrong Alex is great too but outside of the show Greg seems a little more down to earth and how he can continue to simply talk about comedians doing random things and it still be that funny astounds me

3- I’ve seen every episode of Taskmaster UK at least 10 times. It’s a combination of adhd and being too scared to do much else but hey, never gets old

4- “The bastard’s crying innit”. Tragically sublime and perfectly timed. Although I don’t know what officially qualifies as a ‘book of taskmaster quote’ there are many others I love and I could have a different favourite if I could think of one

5- A song for a stranger had to be my favourite task. It tied off and summed up series 5 perfectly. The diverse stripes genuinely made a great song and when it played as the credits rolled I was genuinely in tiers

6- a real hard question because there are so many to choose from but perhaps the musical task in series 7 where they have to compose a minute of music with the help of that band. It’s a creative task with no restrictions. It looks on the surface to be fun and freeing for someone so musically inept

7- Fuck It! I want to see Mike Wozniak complete every task in taskmaster history until he either finishes them all like a good boy or passes out from exhaustion!

8- although I was late to the party and dipped out a bit, I follow Taskmaster New Zealand quite closely. Always been a fan of nz comedy and most things New Zealand

9- no. There’s not much to say here. I watched hometasking on YouTube but not regularly and didn’t ever really think of doing it myself

10- it’s not really a special but I have a dream line up of past contestants. It consists of James Acaster, Mike Wozniak, Rose Matafeo, Paul Chowdhry and Victoria Coren Mitchel. All chosen because how different each of their energies are

11- Ben Willbond, Cariad Lloyd, Dian Morgan, Karl Pilkington and Richard Ayoade. All absolute characters and a chaotic energy. It’s a line up that sticks to the demographic and dynamic that the show uses most while still having the odd wild card in there

12- I normally only listen to episodes of the TM podcast if it has my favourite contestants on it. In terms of adjacent pods then I suppose I listen to a number of podcasts by taskmaster alumni with my favourite being Three Bean Salad with, you guessed it, Mr Wozniak

13- The fields and inland beaches visited in series 5 always appealed to me. I remember finding out they’re not far from London and planning a day trip there so yeah

14- the living room. Damn that house has seen some crazy shit but when you compare the different living room designs between series 1 and a newer series, you can’t help but be wowed with how all-out they go in it now

15- Sean Gibson Is my unpopular opinion. I’m sure she’s a lovely person and It’s a shame but she just kept annoying me. Something about her just continuing to do the tasks even after losing I guess. I know it’s petty but I just found her to be too squeaky at times

16- it’s probably obvious but MIKE! Every second of his existence inexplicably brings joy to my heart. I want to eat his moustache. Having said that I also love Wumar (mark and nish together) and Rose Matafeo

17- series 12 is my least favourite but still had delightful contestants and the wow monster nearly killed me with how hard I laughed. What can I say, I know it’s a cop out but series 5 should have been longer! I really can’t think of anything else bad about it

18- the 60s/70s hippie aesthetic of series 15 was absolutely glorious. Also the M.C Escher portrait of Greg from series 6 is very cool

19- I remember seeing an episode of series 2 when it was first on and liking it. I went to watch the next episode but being a dum dum I thought it was a like a normal panel show where the contestants are different each episode but no. Because of this I though I kept accidentally putting the same episode of series 2 on and it took me until series 4 to regularly watch it

20- Mike Wozniak jumping the fence was my bi-enlightening and I refuse to elaborate

Taskmaster Ask Game!

Favourite series?

Greg or Alex?

Have you seen every episode?

Favourite quote in the Taskmaster Book of Quotes™?

Favourite task(s)?

What task would you want to attempt yourself?

What task would you love to see another series attempt?

Do you follow any international versions?

Did you participate in home tasking?

If you could pick any 5 old contestants to come back for a special, who would they be?

Dream contestants for the future?

Do you listen to the official Taskmaster podcast? What about any adjacent podcasts?

What has been your favourite location apart from the house?

What is your favorite part about the Taskmaster house?

Any unpopular opinions?

Favourite contestant(s)?

Critique your favourite series and compliment your least favourite!

Favourite Greg painting/set theme?

When did you discover the show?

Tell me about a TM moment that lives in your head rent-free.

[fofi42]

Zumba on Cats Countdown, August 2015

Part 1: Zumba training

[itslittlealexhorne]

hello ! i am back with another podcast recommendation for mike wozniak fans (lol are we surprised ?) -- this is mr gameshow !!

mike wozniak is mr gameshow, host of a podcast quiz show. he is both aided and hindered by his glamorous (and in many ways, terrifying) assistant diane morgan. 

sadly, this series only lasted for 6 ~30 min episodes, but it’s 100% worth a listen.

it boasts some great guests, including taskmaster alumni lou sanders and phil wang !

be prepared for some wonderful jingles that are a tad bit too long (for some), sung by mr gameshow himself, and an extremely loose and irrelevant point system. it’s hilarious, and really easy to get into.

happy listening ! x

[taskmastersource]

Have you heard that Mawaan Rizwan will be on Doctor Who on Friday in connection with Children In Need?

i did not 👀👀 thanks for letting me know, i love to see taskmaster alumni on doctor who and vice versa

[swanlake1998]

Article: Lydia Abarca Mitchell, Arthur Mitchell's First Ballerina, Builds On Her Mentor's Legacy in Atlanta

Date: January 13, 2021

By: Cynthia Bond Perry For Dance Teacher

It is the urgency of going in a week or two before opening night that Lydia Abarca Mitchell loves most about coaching. But in her role as Ballethnic Dance Company's rehearsal director, she's not just getting the troupe ready for the stage. Abarca Mitchell—no relation to Arthur Mitchell—was Mitchell's first prima ballerina when he founded Dance Theatre of Harlem with Karel Shook; through her coaching, Abarca Mitchell works to pass her mentor's legacy to the next generation.

"She has the same sensibility" as Arthur Mitchell, says Ballethnic co-artistic director Nena Gilreath. "She's very direct, all about the mission and the excellence, but very caring."

Ballethnic is based in East Point, a suburban city bordering Atlanta. In a metropolitan area with a history of racism and where funding is hard-won, it is crucial for the Black-led ballet company to present polished, professional productions. "Ms. Lydia" provides the "hard last eye" before the curtain opens in front of an audience.

For more than 25 years, coaching at Ballethnic has been a lifeline back to Abarca Mitchell's days with DTH. She had a stellar career, both with the company and beyond, but left the stage at age 30 after an injury sustained performing in Dancin' on Broadway. Her husband's job transferred them to Atlanta, where she transitioned to a full-time job as a medical transcriptionist while raising a family. Now retired from her second career, Abarca Mitchell continues to forward Arthur Mitchell's legacy, not only through coaching but also by building community among DTH alumni and writing her memoirs—a fairy-tale story of a child who came from the Harlem public-housing projects and became a trailblazing Black ballerina.

Abarca Mitchell grew up during the 1950s and '60s, the oldest of seven in a tight-knit family. She always danced, taking cues from Hollywood figures until a fourth-grade teacher saw her talent and encouraged her to seek formal training. The family couldn't afford ballet lessons, but Abarca Mitchell earned a scholarship to attend The Juilliard School's Saturday youth program, and later the Harkness Ballet's professional training program. But for all of those ballet classes, Abarca Mitchell never had the opportunity to see or perform in a ballet production. She didn't understand the purpose behind ballet's tedious class exercises.

When the fast-growing Harkness Ballet moved its scholarship students to the June Taylor Studio on Broadway, Abarca Mitchell remembers hearing live drumming, clapping and laughter coming from the studio across the hall. It was a jazz class taught by Jaime Rogers, who'd played Loco in the West Side Story movie. Abarca Mitchell started sneaking into Rogers' classes.

When Harkness informed her that her scholarship was exclusively for ballet, Abarca Mitchell left the program. She saw no future for herself in the white-dominated ballet world, and focused on academics during her last two years of high school.

At 17, Abarca Mitchell met Arthur Mitchell. He had made history as the first Black principal dancer with New York City Ballet, which he had joined in 1955, and had just begun to shape what would become Dance Theatre of Harlem when he hired Abarca Mitchell in 1968. Within a month, she was back on pointe. Within two months, she was performing in Arthur Mitchell's Tones. "I didn't even know what ballet was until I was onstage," Abarca Mitchell says. "All of a sudden, it was my heart and soul."

Arthur Mitchell made sure his dancers saw NYCB perform, and subsequently brought Balanchine's Agon, Concerto Barocco and other NYCB works into the DTH repertoire. "Physically and emotionally, I felt the connection of jazz in Balanchine's choreography," Abarca Mitchell says. "His neoclassical style was just funky to me. I could totally relate."

For the first time, Abarca Mitchell danced with people who looked like her and shared the same aspirations, she says, with a leader who "saw us through his eyes of love and achievement."

In Abarca Mitchell's 30s, after a performing career that took her from DTH to the film version of The Wiz to Bob Fosse's Dancin' and beyond, her husband's job took their family to Atlanta. She soon connected with Gilreath and Waverly Lucas. The couple, also DTH alumni, were influenced by Arthur Mitchell's model when they founded Ballethnic, seeking to create access for dancers of all backgrounds to develop as classical dancers and perform a repertoire that represents the company's culturally diverse home city. Over time, Abarca Mitchell became a trusted advisor.

Abarca Mitchell goes in at least twice a year to coach Ballethnic's productions—such as Urban Nutcracker, set in Atlanta's historically Black Sweet Auburn neighborhood, and The Leopard Tale, which features the company's signature blend of classical pointe work with polyrhythmic dance forms of the African diaspora. These final rehearsals give Abarca Mitchell a way to fast-track the transfer of her mentor's values.

She recalls that Arthur Mitchell taught his dancers to present themselves at their finest—to enter a room with their heads held high and shoulders back—and to dress, speak and walk with dignity and self-respect. He reminded them that they were pioneers and ambassadors for Blacks in ballet. As the company gained international stature—Abarca Mitchell was the first Black female ballerina to appear on the cover of Dance Magazine, in 1975—he insisted the dancers remain humble and in service to the greater mission. But he was also a taskmaster. "No nonsense, no excuses," Abarca Mitchell says. "There was no slack. If he was rehearsing something that you're not in, you'd better be on the side learning it."

"He didn't throw compliments around at all. You had to really kill yourself to get a smile from him." After a run-through, she says, "you didn't want to be singled out."

Abarca Mitchell takes a slightly different approach, though she doesn't compromise on the values her mentor instilled. When coaching large casts of all ages and different levels for Ballethnic, she has found ways to inspire people without tearing them down. She calls it a "tough love" approach.

"I've got to make them want to do it. I don't want to beat them into doing it," Abarca Mitchell says. "I tell them, 'You're here because you want to be, and because you auditioned and were accepted. Now, show me why I should keep you here.'"

"I tell them, 'I'm here to make sure you'll look good—you know: 'That looks fake. Let's make it look real. Think about what you're doing, so that it's not just a gesture.'"

Arthur Mitchell instilled this level of emotional honesty in his dancers, and it was key to the company's quick success. "We were bringing a thought forward," says Abarca Mitchell. "We were bringing a feeling forward, so that the audience could connect with us."

In addition to her position as rehearsal director for Ballethnic, Abarca Mitchell is today part of 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy, a group of DTH alumni who seek to give voice to people responsible for the company's success in its early years. "It's incredible," she says, "how many people took something from DTH and applied it to their lives."

As Ballethnic prepares to co-host the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference and Festival in January 2022, Abarca Mitchell hopes to help strengthen the network of dance companies associated with Ballethnic, such as Memphis' Collage Dance Collective. "The dream is for all of us to collaborate with each other," she says, "so that it becomes more normal to see a Black ballerina, so it's not just a token appearance."

Today's young dancers face different challenges from what Abarca Mitchell faced. She finds that they're more easily distracted, and sometimes act entitled, because they don't know or appreciate how hard earlier Black ballerinas like herself worked to clear a path for them. But what she's passing on will benefit them, whether they choose to pursue dance careers or become doctors, lawyers, professors or something else entirely. "The principles are the same," she says. "Work for what you want, and you will achieve it."

[prawns-are-cannibals]

Seeing Romesh Ranganathan in two days time. One more Taskmaster Alumni being ticked off