I do stand-up, comedy writing and - when there's nothing else for it - temping. I'd been intrigued & obsessed with the structures and mechanisms of jokes for a while, then in 2004 I began writing and performing.
Over the last year and a half or so I've won Channel 4's 2005 New Comedy Writing Initiative (with my best friend & writing partner Miriam Underhill), also I was a finalist in the Babycham Funny Women Competition (2005) and the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year Competition (2006). Last year I regularly wrote and performed on BBC Radio 1's late-night experimental comedy show 'The Milk Run'. Recent (small-ish) writing credits for Miriam and me include the Channel 4 Comedy Lab 'Dog Almighty', plus BBC Radio 4's 'The Now Show' and 'Sketchzilla' (pilot episode). We also did some work for the last series of 'The Friday Night Project' (C4). The Commissioning Editor for Comedy at Channel 4 has just agreed to develop our sitcom - at the script stage for now - and we'll start work with a production company shortly. Fortunately I'm doing less temping and more comedy these days (although I'm still a good bet if you want an explanation of the new post sizing regulations). That's it for now really...
Website
helenkeen.com
Helen Keen's Interests
General
Comedy, books, making things, the 1930s generally (but especially comic novels and science fiction written then), junk shops, running, Topshop, Art Deco, wolves, my collection of small things made out of early plastics, knitting, overusing ampersands (& brackets).
Music
..
Television
The Daily Show, Peep Show, The Day Today, Lost, Time Team, Father Ted, any documentary at all, The Adventure Game, The Box of Delights.
Books
'Great Expectations', 'The Mill on the Floss', 'Middlemarch', 'Notes from the Underground', 'Chrome Yellow', 'Cold Comfort Fam', 'Wuthering Heights','His Monkey Wife (or, Married to a Chimp)', 'Decline & Fall', (these last two novels are hilarious apart from the odd dodgy bit), 'Jane Eyre', Noel Coward, Oscar Wilde, anything by or about the Mitfords (esp. Jessica's 'Hons and Rebels' and Nancy's biogs of Mme de Pompadour, etc.), victorian poety (some), Angela Carter, Dorothy Parker, the Greek myths, all Flaubert (except the Saint Anthony thing - what on earth was that about!?), 'The Waves', 'A room of one's own', 'If the Impressionists had been dentists', Quentin Crisp (should be under Heroes really)
W H Auden, 'Treasure Island', 'The girls of slender means', Philip Larkin, Medieval bestiaries and dream vision poetry, Byron, 'Barchester Towers', 'The House of Mirth', anything with nice illustrations by eg Aubrey Beardsley or Jan Pienkowski, Elle magazine (because I like to flirt with pure evil), Shakespeare's sonnets, Grimm's Tales, 1930's craft books, etc.
Heroes
Elizabeth I, The Pankhursts, Stella Gibbons, Dennis Skinner MP, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Malcolm Gladwell, Thabitha Khumalo
About me: I like to use the word 'rum' in a non-beverage related way.
Who I'd like to meet: Great aviatrices of the nineteen twenties and 'thirties. Fellow fans of antiquated slang (late 19th Century - 1940s). People who'd let me walk their dogs. Or anyone at all, really.
Hey Got in at 3am. Up at 8am and am now sat at my desk fresh as a daisy. It is so obviously the calm before the massive slump ;) Was really nice to see you. Yourself and Kettle made a mundane trip home positively fun! xx
Hi Helen Good luck with the rockets and stargazing! I thought your show was really funny. BTW, have you seen this? http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7240000/newsid_7244100/7244127.stm?bw=nb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1 lxx
Hi Helen, Awesome stuff at Laughing At Something Serious on Sunday, it was a pleasure to have you! Looking forward to seeing you again soon, thanks again for making our first night one to remember :) Lots of love Amy and Sadie xxx
Hi Helen! How are you?? Hope the Christmas card reached you safely?? Did you have a nice Christmas and New Year?? Hope to come to a show sometime soon!! Take care. x
On Tuesday November 20th, The Funny Folk Cafe brings another wonderful night of comedy, cakes and music to Goldsmiths Students Union, New Cross. And boy oh boy have we got a cracking line up.
Hi Helen! How are things?? I was hoping to get down to the show in Southampton tomorrow - but unfortunately - I don't think I can afford a ticket!! :-( Hope it goes well anyway!! Tell Trev I said Hello!! :-) Take care. x
Hey Nice seeing you t'other day. Shame it wasn't for long... Hopefully I'll see you again soon, preferably in a situation where I won't have to tell you my work anecdotes through the medium of stand-up comedy. Cx
