My chat with Phil Ellis is pretty much the most fun a person can have had talking to a bloke in a sad leather jacket. Apart from one awkward moment when I called him a ‘Mancunian’
“How fucking dare you? I’m a Prestonian.” Oh dear. “I think I’m more Manc though as I’ve lived here most of my adult life. I love Manchester so much and I do think the Manc/Lancastrian sense of humour runs through my veins.”
So that’s alright.
I looked him up on Wikipedia, I say, and he has what they call ‘a stub’ rather than a full page.
“I often lengthen my stub by turning on my laptop and getting down to business but it’s only ever a temporary measure sadly. Some jobsworth usually jumps in with the typical ‘citation needed’ and I’m back down to a basic stub. I prefer that though to be honest. You know where you are with a few inches. Much easier to manage.
“Oh wait… I just realised that last paragraph makes me look I was talking about my wikipedia page when I was actually talking about my penis. Hahaha. How embarrassing.”
Are we all remembering why we love Phil Ellis? I certainly am.
He has no particular personal struggles to hang his show on – but he has a plan. “I’m really going to lean into my mild OCD, having hyper-mobile limbs and the onset of varicose veins this year. That’ll shift some tickets.”
And, if that doesn’t have you rushing out to buy a ticket – there will be silliness.
“I have more silliness than you can wave another TV project rejection letter at”, says the man who looks like someone put Lewis Collins through a toffee pulling machine. “I have a really fun and silly bit about my Auntie who was murdered. It’s dead funny and before anyone says ‘that’s a bit tasteless Phil’, I think this is what she would’ve wanted. Well, this and about 30 more years probably. My true murdered Auntie story is only about three minutes long though and apparently most comedians would stretch that out for their entire hour? Sounds a bit bleak to me, plus I couldn’t keep up that high energy dance routine that I do during the story for a whole hour.”
Ellis has been giving his pelvic floor a severe workout in shows since 2014 in Edinburgh and I wonder whether it is not stressful to keep coming back and being THAT funny (can you tell I am a fan?). What if it all starts to go downhill ?
“Oh I’ve been going downhill for years.” he says. “The trick is to go downhill slowly AND backwards. At a glance it can create the illusion that you’re still ascending the hill. Plus, apparently I have to prove to people that I can do it again… I personally think I’ve been doing it for almost 11 years now (if you discount 2017 and 2022. We all have our moments)”
Of course, when you start your Fringe career with Funz and Gamez, it is hard to improve. Other that BRINGING IT BACK ON ITS 10th ANNIVERSARY!,
“I just thought that Funz and Gamez was such a lightning in a bottle moment that people still talk about, recalling their favourite lines and moments.” says Phil. “I’d like to introduce it to a new generation whilst reminding the older generation of how unique and genuinely anarchic and funz it wasz.” Bring. It. On.
Phil Ellis: Come on and Take the Rest of Me. 12.45, Monkey Barrel, July 31 – August 25
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/phil-ellis-come-on-and-take-the-rest-of-me
Funz and Gamez Returnz, 14.30 Just the Tonic Nucleus, August 13 and 15
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/funz-and-gamez-returnz
