Ted Milligan on his comedy partner: ‘You do have a brilliant ass’
Sketch comedy was once flavour of the month every August but the Burger And A Pint pair are aiming to get it firmly back on the Fringe menu. Rachel Morrell talks to them about their dynamic as a duo and how they came up with that name
Hungry for sketch comedy? A new show by James Trickey and Ted Milligan, whose bantering as Burger And A Pint sits somewhere between Fresh Meat and Mitchell And Webb, should help satisfy your cravings. But who is Burger and which one is Pint? ‘We ask people and they always get it right. Everyone somehow manages to identify Ted as Pint and me as Burger,’ says Trickey. Milligan responds: ‘I’m not trying to objectify James, but you do have a brilliant ass. Those buns very much make it the burger.’
Trickey explains how this distinctive duo first came into being, suggesting they haven’t always been in satirical sync. ‘We met at the University Of Bristol nearly ten years ago when we were cast in the same sketch show. My first impression of Ted was pretty poor. I was quite upset when I saw him on the cast list but then we got to know each other. We kept doing sketches and a bit of improv together. We went our separate ways but were still mates. Then Ted entered the Leicester Square Theatre Sketch Off! competition and we thought, “let’s just get the band back together”.’
‘We then won that and we couldn’t believe it,’ adds Milligan. Unphased by Trickey’s initial disdain, Milligan talks about their history with a disposition as light as the foamy head on a lager: ‘We’d both done comedy solo and on a bit of a whim… even the name was on a whim. We thought, “Ted And James sounds boring: let’s call it Burger And A Pint”. And we’re here now, doing a debut show at the Fringe.’
Citing Harry Hill as an inspiration, the duo have the same chaotic energy baked into their process. ‘Ted will vomit loads of really funny stuff and I will say, “we can’t say that”,’ notes Trickey. ‘Then we sit down and try to make each other laugh. Sometimes the session can just be a check-in on how we are doing. We’re just trying to showcase that we’re friends, even if it seems like we aren’t. It’s that dynamic when you’re really good mates so you jab them at every opportunity. And if we can replace actual burgers and pints in people’s consciousness that would be great.’
Burger And A Pint: Treats For The Soul, Pleasance Courtyard, 5–30 August, 4.15pm.