Shay Mace
You’ve never been on that website, right? It’s okay. I’m not your internet service provider, and neither are Queer sketch comedy duo Chuck ‘n’ Jeck, who we’ve pulled aside for a pixelated pint today to chat about sketch comedy, hangovers, Gen-Z attention spans and the Oscars. Not that ‘Oscars’. Maybe that ‘Oscars’?
Check our our catch-up with Chuck ‘N’ Jeck (as their real-life alter egos Charlie and Jess), in which we talk all things 123movies.com, and find out more about what audiences can expect from their eponymous show headed to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August.
Catch 123movies.com at Bothie at Gilded Balloon Patter House on August 5th – 30th (not the 19th) from 22:40 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Shay: Hi Charlie and Jess, tell us about the incredibly-titled 123movies.com, and what it’s been like to create a ‘chronically online’ sketch show.
C&J: The show is set at an Oscar’s ceremony. Charlie hosts the awards as a Famous Gay Guy™️ and Jess’s Dad is Oscar, so she’s just there to get a bit of work experience really. Authenticity means the absolute world to us and we wanted people to feel like they’re watching the real thing, so there will unfortunately be ad-breaks throughout.
We wanted to make a show that could cater to attention spans ruined by exposure to short-form content, so the show is packed with sound, visuals, lip-syncing, and video. Tech operators HATE these comedians! You don’t have to have a screen time that your family and friends are worried about to enjoy it, but it helps.
Shay: How has the creative process been of putting the show together? Give us an idea of the journey you’ve been on with it so far.
C&J: We’ve been best friends and housemates for 10 years now, but only went into the comedy business together a few years ago because we ran out of things to talk to each other about.
A classic writing day for us starts with us agreeing to NOT be hungover and that we will meet in the living room at 10am. Charlie runs down the stairs at 9:45 like it’s Christmas morning. Jess apologises for missing her alarm and is there at 11 when she likes Charlie to brush her hair and paints her toes before getting started. From there we just basically crack wise for a few hours and if we remember, we write it down as well.
Just pure rippin da piss.
Shay: What will be the first thing the audience sees, feels, and hears as they enter the space?
C&J: They will SEE: the show starts with our own animations of all the (fake) production companies who have worked on the show. We truly believe it’s so important to credit not only your cast (Charlie & Jess) but also the crew behind the production as well (Charlie & Jess) – we couldn’t do it without you guys.
They will HEAR: filthy bangers. Our show is at 10:40pm so we’re bringing the party vibes and cranking up the volume so that people don’t say embarrassing drunk stuff to each other that they regret. If you hear a song from your favourite dance challenge of the last few years, perform it at your own risk (this is not covered by our public liability insurance).
They will FEEL: seen <3 xx
Shay: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
C&J: Okay, wow, thanks for this question. So, there are a few messages we earnestly really care about that we’d want an audience to feel and to think about after. To start with, I guess ‘these guys are HOT’ is an important one for us. It’s something we’ve thought about a lot about how to communicate to a larger audience, and we’re hoping that really resonates with people who see the show.
A second one is ‘sketch comedy is cool’. We want people to leave with their prejudices challenged, and go into the world with a new perspective on the whole thing. With the advent of shows like SNL UK bravely platforming sketch comedy by people with Haircuts and Outfits, we’re hoping we can be part of turning the tide.
Shay: What journey has the show been on to find itself at EdFringe 2026?
C&J: We did our first ever gig at the Queer Comedy Club in 2024, and won their Gag Race competition that night so we got really cocky really quickly and signed up to do an hour long show run at Brighton Fringe with a few months until the festival. This was before we had a name and had only written 5 minutes of material ever.
Our second gig was later that week, the night before Charlie’s top surgery. We then had to wait 6 weeks before he was well enough to get back on stage or do our classic ‘lifting our arms above our shoulders’ sketch. That we managed to put that show together for Brighton alongside our day jobs was insane but we really had the best time ever. I guess we fell in love with having no spare time outside our day jobs, and it spurred us on to write this show, that we are so proud of (in much more reasonable timeframes).
Shay: With EdFringe now just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
C&J: We’re just so excited to spend all our money that’s been burning such huge holes in our pockets. We’re basically just sick of carrying it around!
But REALLY it’s our first time going up there so we are just going to see every show at the festival no problem and meet everyone else who is there. Probably make friends for life knowing us. We’re hoping to meet the kinds of girls who would make good bridesmaids and the last Good Guys on earth if you catch our drift. The kind of guys who help you bury a dead body. It’s honestly going to be so, so sick to just be around lots of people doing comedy shows up there instead of all our existing lifelong friends who do other stuff :/
Shay: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
C&J: If we were a beverage we would be 100 beers. They’ll need to be gluten free because of some intolerances in our group: Charlie can’t tolerate gluten and Jess can’t tolerate being really boring.
A reminder, you can catch 123movies.com at Bothie at Gilded Balloon Patter House on August 5th – 30th (not the 19th) from 22:40 (60mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
