Jonathan Clarkson and Rob Crouch

Clarkson and Crouch

Jonathan Clarkson and Rob Crouch first worked together at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival when they were cast as the titular leads in a black comedy about grave robbers Burke and Hare.  The summer of 2003 was the hottest that anyone could remember and Clarkson and Crouch quickly bonded over a liking of booze and an aversion to daylight. Burke & Hare won a Fringe Highlight award from Hairline.

'The quality of this pair is apparent from the off ... can only be described as superb, ... incredibly funny, which makes the more grisly bits worse to watch, it is rare to see this level of violence being portrayed so well without being grossly graphic.'
Hairline - Burke & Hare (Fringe Highlight Winners)

Following Edinburgh, Burke & Hare was revived by Brute Farce at the Brockley Jack theatre and the pair followed this with a production of John Godber’s Bouncers and a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol by another longtime collaborator, Katy Slater.  The following summer they returned to Edinburgh with Ubu Disco (also produced by Brute Farce, along with Skullduggery, the company that started them off together in Burke and Hare).

Following this burst of activity, they both worked on The Paranormalists, (‘Britain’s first comedy drama podcast’ – BBC, Critics Choice, The Independent).  But it was Not Barking But Howling, Jonathan’s sitcom about the taxi-driving werewolf brothers Mig and Prentis Hatchett that sowed the seeds of the sketch show double act.  A pitch trailer and two self-contained web series were shot and put on YouTube, garnering an enthusiastic following. This was followed by an online radio pilot and romp through the renaissance, The Nostradamus Show.

'Fantastic stuff. the series and this short are bloody brilliant. Dark, gritty, slick and hilarious.' Viewer comment, YouTube - Not Barking But Howling

While touring a production of Moll Flanders (which they both co-adapted) Rob and Jonathan performed their first sketch together (as Pearl and Shelly, the housewives troubled by pirates) at a scratch night co-produced by Erica Fee.  A conversation with Erica after the show led to her producing Away With The Fairies, 'a collection of twisted urban fairytales' in Edinburgh 2008.  After a year off working on other projects, Clarkson and Crouch are returning to Edinburgh with further supernatural snapshots of Broken Britain™ in Neighbourhood Watch.

'There is finely-crafted and executed invention in every scene. The script exudes wit and contemporary gags and although it’s cheeky and bawdy there are, thankfully, fewer tired corset-ripping clichés than there are morals.' What's on Stage - Moll Flanders

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