Three-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and cult optimist is back on the road with her most personal show to date about love, family and being as outdoorsy as a bear.
In her seventh nationwide tour and with a new niece in the picture, Josie reflects on her own childhood and the resilience of an older sister. She had never really truly known heartbreak until now, and she is using this experience to change her ways; to be more patient, to work out what she really wants and to become a better person. This is truly her most heartfelt, honest and revealing material, but don’t fret – Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg still get a mention…
In her last Fringe appearance in 2012, Josie received her third Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination, and at this year’s festival she collected more stars than a small solar system and was officially cited the best reviewed comedy show. Throwing aside the whimsical reputation that she had become known for, a new, more politically aware and socially conscious comedian had emerged and captivated the comedy industry in a totally different way. Josie is renowned for writing about what she cares about and, although there has more recently been a political underlying to her material, she always has the ability to make her shows friendly and silly. As many reviewers point out, you cannot help but come away from her shows hoping to become her best friend.
In addition to her numerous DVD releases, TV appearances, sell-out tours, charity benefits and a co-host slot on BBC Radio 6 Music, Josie started an ongoing project in 2011 called the Alternative Reality Tour; an anti-cuts, pro-youth, no-profit performance in a bid to fight for social justice and support public art. They even bring blankets in case it’s cold. She runs a monthly club night in London, The Lost Treasures of the Black Heart, which celebrates the world’s unsung heroes and has since been turned into a podcast. She was recently nominated for a Radio Academy Award for her adventurous short documentaries Short Cuts on Radio 4, earned a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award nomination for her two short feature films, Let’s Go Swimming and Romance and Adventure, and is co-founder of the Arts Emergency Service, a charity which aims to support students from underprivileged backgrounds who wish to study arts degrees. Her showcase for adventurous documentaries, Short Cuts, can currently be heard on Radio 4 on Tuesdays at 3pm.
www.josielong.com / www.showandtelluk.com / TWITTER: @JosieLong
PRESS ON ‘’CARA JOSEPHINE’: Edinburgh 2014
★★★★★ “By turns raucously silly and profoundly moving, Long is a top class performer at the top of her game” EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS
★★★★★ “An absolute gem of a show” ONE4REVIEW.COM
★★★★★ “A sincere, wonderful, hilarious, life-affirming triumph” THREEWEEKS
★★★★★ “She’s the consummate comedian. A wonderful talent” BROADWAYBABY
★★★★★ “Long has crafted a show nothing short of joyous” GIGGLEBEATS
★★★★★ “Josie Long is a truly fantastic comedian, and Cara Josephine is a masterpiece” FRESH AIR
★★★★★ “A one hour master class in storytelling” THE MUMBLE
★★★★ “Authentic, revealing and generous of spirit… this is a lovely show” THE GUARDIAN
★★★★ “Delightful and more widely digestible… brilliantly evocative… original and unflagging” THE TIMES
★★★★ “Effortlessly engaging” METRO
★★★★ “Irresistibly charming and upbeat… an absolute delight” TIME OUT
★★★★ “An infectiously enthusiastic performer… Long’s development as a comic continues apace and the appeal of her shows only intensifies” THE SCOTSMAN
★★★★ “Unequivocally delightful… a flawless hour” THE LIST
★★★★ “Long’s chatty, super-enthusiastic manner is as infectious as always” CHORTLE
★★★★ “A beautifully crafted hour… hilarious and touching” WHATS ON STAGE
★★★★ “She tells her story with beguiling charm and a great sense of fun” THE ARTS DESK
★★★★ “Heartfelt and sometimes alarming honest…the most bracingly personal show she’s written in years is perhaps her funniest too” FEST
★★★★ “A perfect example of the whimsically entertaining material that’s built her reputation as a Fringe favourite” ED FEST MAG
★★★★ “On inspiring, brilliant form once again… reminding us how consistently wonderful she is” BEYOND THE JOKE
★★★★ “Hilarious… she’s determined to draw you into her world” THE STUDENT
★★★★ “She will make you laugh, restore your faith in romantic and familial love, and probably make you want to rush up and hug her for all her bubbly loveliness” EDINBURGH REPORTER
“One of the most heartfelt and intelligent comedians on the circuit” PUBLIC REVIEWS
