The Sweary - new from the Socks

As work continues on the Scottish Falsetto Socks' new show Minging Detectives, I'm delighted to report we've written a good few things so good they won't be appearing on Youtube, but instead be saved up until they're unveiled on stage. This piece (click to play) straddles the divide, and you never know it might find its way into the show. For the time being however, do please enjoy it in its studio performance. The Socks have a look at the 1970s most popular TV cop show. You slaaaaaaaag.

Chelsea Tractor - new video from the Socks

Brand new video from the Socks, with a spruced-up recording of Chelsea Tractor, commemorating the snow which is, allegedly, hitting the UK this week, but which in our case has amounted to a bit of drizzle and some wind. Enjoy.

Reservoir Dogs - new video from the Socks

Purely because Reservoir Socks is one of the most suggested guesses for what the title of our new show could be, the Socks have dug out and dusted down one of their very earliest scripts (which was on Youtube in a very ropey lo-res form once but has long since disappeared) and given it a new production. Here is their version of the entire film of Reservoir Dogs in less than 8 minutes.

You'll be doubly delighted to hear this won't be included in their new crime-related show Minging Detectives, which is coming your way later this year. Watch this space for details.

The Socks new crime show - Final rejected title

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre's brand new show, rejected title Number 10 - Shin City. (Tenuous footwear-related pun, but nifty poster, no?)

The final few guesses that came in (once we'd pointed out the title would reference our Scottishness as well as our footwearocity) included:

Ian Ellery A Dame to Kilt For, Natural Born Kilters, Kilt Bill, The Kilting,  and The Girl With The Haggis Tattoo (brilliant)

Milady ‏@macelven  The Sock with the Edinburgh Tattoo (equally brilliant), The Ochils Have Ayes

Pete Renshaw The long good Paisley, Godfather part tweed

Alan Woollcombe Loch, Sock and Two Smoking Barrels, Sock Ness, A Sockwork Orange

@BrianTeles Asockalypse Now, Silence of the Lambswool

So enough of the guessing, here's a last look at the rejected titles and fan suggestions that we've illustrated over the past week:

 

And what title have The Socks chosen? We'll make you wait no longer. It is....

Leicester Work In Progress Festival

Hooray, we're appearing at Dave's Leicester Work In Progress Festival

On Friday 13th the Socks are playing in Leicester, and you'd better move fast if you want those tickets cos we'd (genuinely) sold more than half of them, before the programme came out.

And it's great to have the programme in our hands for this year's W.I.P.Fest. What, hadn't you heard about the change of title? Yeah, it used to be the Leicester Comedy Festival, but now we comedians have decided to stop pretending that we're all giving you complete and finished shows each February, and instead we've come clean about it.

A record-breaking 64 shows have the words Work In Progress, as part of their title. Well, a few have been circumloquacious about it. So...

Nick Helm's is Masterwork In Progress
Lost Voice Guy's is Walk In Progress
Both Brennan Reece and Diane Spencer have called theirs Smirk In Progress
Getting There is Jerk In Progress
Tony Law's is Nonsense In Progress
and Erich McElroy's is Candidate In Progress

But that still leaves 56 shows with an unabashed Work In Progress as part of their listed title.

Leicester, being the first comedy festival of the year, has established itself as the perfect opportunity to begin work on the shows which will finally flourish in August in Edinburgh. We've done the same with it ourself, in particular with 2013's Socks In Space where we unveiled an hour of almost entirely new space-based stuff, most of which we'd junked six months later. Usually though we offer a mix of old and new.

This year we'll be giving them the best of last August's satire show And So Am I, none of which was written as far back as last February, and we'll be mixing in a few new pieces from the 2015 show Minging Detectives, and what's the betting most of that's history by August.

Leicester's Comedy Festival has its biggest line up ever, with over 700 shows taking place (so, in context, not even 10% of those are Work In Progress, or at least not in the titles), making it easily the biggest comedy festival in the country outside of Edinburgh. Did I mention the first ever Edinburgh Fringe programme we got, in 1984, with its single page of comedy show listings? Ah (over-repeated) memories.

Book now for Scottish Falsetto Socks 2015 (which was the work-in-progress title when we booked the show into the programme late last year). Now if you'll excuse us, we still have to write it. (Think of this rushed scribbling as a blog in process).

Socks Crime Rejected title No 9 - Get Shortie

So we're one day away from finally finding out the title of the Scottish Falsetto Socks new crime themed show, and here's Rejected title Number 9 - Get Shortie.

We've had some trememndous #scottishsockcrime suggestions, though most people have been concentrating on the footwear puns and hardly anybody's made anything of the Scottish part. One last clue for you, the finished title incorporates socks and Scottishness. Your guesses are still welcomed, here's the latest trickle:

Amanda Taylor ‏@Minnimand has someone already suggested "The Name of the Hose" or "Memento(es)" ? Knitcliffe? Murder She Wrote with Jessocka Fletcher? The Sockford Files? Ok, stopping now . . .

Milady ‏@macelven Marathon Sock. Socks on a Train. Sneakers?

‏@BrianTeles Socky

Mark Clem ‏@real_mtclements brogues church?

Simon Beckett ‏@LordSiBorg Roboclogs

Marika Tiainen Reservoir Socks?
 
Simon Shaw Mid-socker Murders?  

Sally Hinkley Sock IsShoes

Derek Guy  Un-Ironedside
  

So what title have they chosen? Stay tuned...

An Actor Prepares - new video from the Socks

A new video from the Scottish Falsetto Socks, letting you into the behind the scenes preparations as An Actor Prepares to play Hamlet. It's like the Actors Studio, trust us.

#scottishsockscrime More Great Fan Ideas

As we continue the countdown towards announcing the title of the Socks new crime-themed show, the fan suggestions keep coming in on Twitter and Facebook. Some are so good, who could resist drawing them up? So thanks to (I think) Steve Noble for Pump Fiction, and to Alan Woollcombe for Clog Day Afternoon. Keep them coming.

And as if those weren't enough, here's the latest incoming:

Tony Naggs ‏@xa329  The Thin Blue Plimsoll Line

Dave Spence Darn-ie Brasco?

Jackie Mitchell ‏@BroughtToBook what about The Big Sheep, Raymond Chandler

Steve Noble ‏@steev_nahrbl Tinker Tailor Soldier Cobbler. The Men from Ankle.

Jaytee ‏@jaytoosh The Lost Sock.

Jonathan Ball ‏@jabey  The Stocking?

Chris McColl Psocko?

Steven Richter  a sock work orange but im guessing thats been done right

Jayne Dow ‏@JayneDow  Alfred Hitchsock's Psockho? #scottishsockscrime

Catriona Hamilton Sheersock Holmes and the deadly anklet

Joanna Harte The Reservoir Socks.
 

Steve Noble ‏@steev_nahrbl  you must have done it already. Sherlock Hose.

So what title have they chosen? Stay tuned...

Ian Rankin - new video from the Socks

Click to play a brand new video by the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre, some idle work in progress nonsense as they work towards the new crime based show - Ian Rankin.

They keep going through the rejected titles for the show, here are the ones we've dismissed so far (including some stonking fan suggestions from Facebook and Twitter - yours are welcomed):

So what title have they chosen? Stay tuned...

Socks Crime Rejected title No 8 + two fan suggestions

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre's brand new show is on the subject of crime, thrillers, murder mysteries, spies and more crime. En route to choosing a title, they've rejected a few good runners up. Above you can see one of the original list of 10 Rejects, Number 8 - Angels With Dirty Socks. This is about the least likely film ever to be parodied in a Socks show. If anything this one was making up the numbers, even among rejected titles. So it's the fan suggestions that have brought the rundown to life, and some of them have been such fun we couldn't resist illustrating those too. Check these out...

I am indebted to Simon Beckett ‏@LordSiBorg for suggesting Get Garter, and to half a dozen people beginning, I believe, with Peter Crocker for this nifty excuse for a drawing:

We've also had these fresh submissions in on Facebook and Twitter.

 Mark Forrest ‏@rowiecrumbs The SockShop Redemption?

Simon Beckett ‏@LordSiBorg Heel Street Blues, Good sock bad sock, Sockth Sense

Anna Dickie ‏@wilfulblindness "The Argyle Job" "The Chuddy Sole" "The Thermal Rap" "Broadfitting" ?

‏@Littleteapig Sherlock Sock Investigates? Sockfellas? Samuel L Sock stars in Sockfiction? 

 ‏@Kendalkitten Ripping Darns, The Toe Job, The Maltoes Falcon

Tony Naggs ‏@xa329 NYPD socks? CSI: argyle socks?

patrick mccafferty ‏@mccaffepj Dixon of Sock green, The Sockford files, Shersock, Hawaii five toe, Heel St Blues, The Missing (sock)...

If you have any ideas to top this little lot, please let us have them. The real title is almost upon us.



So what title have they chosen? Stay tuned...

Socks Crime Reject bonus - and the titles so far

We've been running down the titles that the Scottish Falsetto Socks have rejected in the process of naming their new crime-based show, and as we go we've been inviting your suggestions. We've had some fantastic ideas sent in on Facebook and Twitter, and above we see one that's been suggested a few times so we couldn't resist drawing it up. Here are the titles that we've already seen:

And here are some of the latest fan suggestions to have come in.

Alan Holloway Woolfellas

Ian Ellery The Thirty Nine Insteps (see above, Ian), To Kill a Sockingbird, Odour most Foul.

Paula Cuccurullo Psocko...

Andy Muirhead ‏@andy_muirhead Socktopussy?

Scott Tucker ‏@s77tux 21h21 Anyone suggested "The Undarnables"

George Liston "The Silence of the Socks"? Mime could be tricky...!

Milady ‏@macelven 15h15  The Third Sock? (Subtitle "...and so is she?")*

*The first fan suggestion to correctly name any of the original 10 we came up with!

Milady ‏@macelven Aw I'm so proud. I was going to go with The Sock Who Knew Too Much but I thought you could have more fun with a zither.

Keep them coming folks, the real title is revealed this week.

Socks Crime Reject title(s) No 7 - Woollander and more

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre's brand new show, for the Edinburgh Fringe 2015 (and then the world) is on the subject of crime, thrillers, murder mysteries, spies and more crime. But what to call it? They have finally chosen a title, but not before they'd rejected ten good runners up. What were those you ask?

Rejected title Number 7 - Woollander.

We've already seen Brighton Sock, The 39 Insteps, Good Smellas, Lock Sock and Two Smoking Barrels, Chinatoon, The Big Slipper and Rear Windae.  Your suggestions can be found on Facebook, Twitter and summed up here on the blog. Keep guessing folks.



PS, how's about this for a bonus?

(Original) Rejected title Number 7 - The Third Sock.

This was going to be the 7th rejected title, but it's now 7a, cos frankly it's not that good a gag, or that memorable an image. Still, enjoy.

So what title have they chosen? Stay tuned...

Socks Crime Reject title 6 - Rear Windae

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre's brand new show, for the Edinburgh Fringe 2015 (and then the world) is on the subject of crime, thrillers, murder mysteries, spies and more crime. But what to call it? They have finally chosen a title, but not before they'd rejected ten good runners up. What were those you ask?

Rejected title Number 6 - Rear Windae.

We've already seen Brighton Sock, The 39 Insteps, Good Smellas, Lock Sock and Two Smoking Barrels, Chinatoon and The Big Slipper.  We've had lots of great fan suggestions on Facebook, Twitter and summed up here on the blog. Here are more of the latest incoming:

Gareth Kavanagh ‏@Garethothevworp Sockly Sockly?

Simon Beckett ‏@LordSiBorg The Sockford Files

Rosemary McIntosh ‏@goatonarope The Sock Who Came In From The Cold ?

always distracted ‏@my_grayne  Falsetto Trek II: The Search For Socks

Terry 'Saneep ‏@MrTumshie I'm assuming someone has already suggested The Usual Sockspects?

Warlord & Nice Guy ‏@SongoftheOss Crime Sock Investigators?

  Naval Criminal Intelligence Socks

Pete Stone ‏@kigelia dixon of sock green?

Littleteapig ‏@Littleteapig Sock & Bailey?

Pete Renshaw Ah it helps that we can use shoes as well...'Farewell my loafer' comes to mind.

I the Hosiery... very fond of Micky Spillane.

Or, rifing on previous Raymond Chandler 'Fairisles my lovely'

Scott Tucker ‏@s77tux Thought of another one… The Sockford Files!

 Scott Tucker ‏@s77tux Blame the late hour and my love of wordplay… Sew Darn Impact, starring Clint Eastwool?!

Alan Woollcombe 'Clog Day Afternoon.'   

So what title have they chosen? Stay tuned...