Josie Long – Trying is Good DVD

I’ve bought a few comedy DVDs lately so I thought I should write about them.  Strangely, I feel like I did when I first starting writing about live stand up: totally unable to do it.  Why this should be, when it’s essentially the same thing, I have no idea.  Anyway,  I’ll give it a bash.

First up is Josie Long’s Trying is Good, which I bought after seeing her at the Darwin thing, earlier this month.  It’s a recording of her second Edinburgh show, and it’s, err, funny.  I really don’t know why I am finding this so difficult.

As much as I enjoyed the show, I know that it’s not for everybody.  If you like lots of quick-fire gags and an aggressive tone,  then stay away.  If you like quirky ideas and whimsy, then it will probably float your boat.  I actually find it very refreshing to watch comedians who don’t just go for cock jokes (even if they are ‘ironic’) and her set has a home-made, DIY quality to it that really draws you in.

There are two additional features on the disc, the first being a commentary, where, unusually, she actually commentates on the show rather than just using it as an excuse to talk randomly about stuff.  I’m not entirely sure whether that’s a good or a bad thing, but then I’m probably one of the few people who listens to director’s commentaries, anyway.

There is also a recording of Josie’s first Edinburgh show, Kindness and Exuberance.  The video and sound quality are a little bit sketchy (which is acknowledged on-screen), but they won’t stop your enjoyment of the set.  It stands up really well to the main feature and so represents good value to get two shows for the price of one.

That draws my rather poor excuse for a review to an end.  My recommendation is that you should buy it.  If you don’t enjoy it then it’s your fault and not the DVD’s.