The Comedy Influences That Shaped the Bonkers World of Florence Noble

Comedy connoisseur and ex Saatchi & Saatchi pen thief Florence Noble is a comedy sponge who spent most of her childhood soaking up British comedies, when she wasn’t busy causing havoc stealing pens… obviously. It was clear from the start that Florence had an instinctive flair for the absurd and delightfully silly and her love of comedy would eventually lead to studying film and television. From that point on Florence would start getting production roles, ran a hit comedy club night, wrote for various magazines and was fired from multiple cafes…and the rest as they say is history.

In this article Florence discusses her creative process and influences from not just British television but from across the pond and her time living in New Zealand. We explore what makes comedy tick so well in commercials and their connection to sketch comedy and longer forms of storytelling.

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Q> If you’d be so kind as to take us down memory lane, what were some of the first programmes you remember watching as a child that made you laugh?

Florence> Definitely ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Fawlty Towers’, ‘A bit of Fry and Lawry’. Then later ‘Big Train’, ‘Brass Eye’, ‘Alan Partridge’, ‘The League of Gentlemen’.

Q> How much influence did your parents have on your taste in comedy?

Florence> My mum and I watched things like ‘Blackadder’ and ‘Ab Fab’. My dad introduced me to ‘The Princess Bride’. They weren’t as into the weirder stuff.

Q> Why do you think comedy works so well in advertising?

Florence> I think it’s the same principle as meeting someone at a party who makes you laugh—you’re more likely to like them, assume they’re trustworthy, definitely more likely to remember them. People are much more likely to remember a funny ad and trust a brand that makes them laugh.

Q> What comedy influences from the USA have inspired your work?

Florence> I’d like to think ‘The Princess Bride’, ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, ‘Key and Peel’, ‘Succession’. More recently, ‘I Think You Should Leave’.

Q> What would you say are the major differences between creating comedy in the US vs the UK?

Florence> There’s a lot of cross pollination nowadays, but ‘The Office’ UK vs US is a good example. Broadly speaking, British comedy is more socially awkward, more self-deprecating. American comedy tends to be faster-paced, louder, and more optimistic.

Q> How has your time spent living in New Zealand influenced your approach to making comedy?

Florence> Humour-wise there’s a bit of overlap with the UK. Both are deadpan, dry, ironic. Kiwi humour is perhaps slightly more laid-back, where British humour is perhaps a touch sharper.

Q> Amongst your many talents you also act and perform in front of the camera, has this influenced how you direct actors?

Florence> Definitely. Simply knowing how it feels to be on camera is invaluable. It makes you respect actors and their process. It also means I’ve experienced being directed by a wide range of directing styles. You get to learn what helps you as an actor, and what really doesn’t!

Q> Do you think comedy in commercials shares anything in common with sketch comedy?

Florence> Absolutely. There’s always a setup—you need to get the audience on side, create a believable world with believable characters. Then there’s the build, the structure, the rhythm that leads you to the gag or the rug-pull. It’s a bit like a piece of classical music. Each beat builds towards a crescendo. The longer the lead-up, the better the payoff has to be. Take the classics ‘Skittles - Pinata’ or ‘Starburst - Berry’s and Cream’. They’re formulated like a sketch, the pay off is just based around the product.

Q> What’s the first thing you personally lookout for when you get a brief come your way?

Florence> Where the humanity and heart of the story is—and if it’s funny where the humour comes from. If it’s not immediately there, I’m looking for how to find it, without being too crude or wussy or super weird. For me it’s always about making something as charming, funny and memorable as possible.

For more information about directors at the The Corner Shop, please contact
​tanya@thecornershop.tv or heather@thecornershop.tv​

Watch Florence’s reel here.