April 2011 The Fez of Etymology on Youtube at last. Some time ago, Tom and I made two short motion pictures featuring Fez of Etymology characters (though relatively obscure ones). They're now available on my Youtube channel, and are embedded here for your viewing pleasure.
Das Security Bathroom (2006) - my Biblical submarine epic, featuring Tom as Manfred, Tom Cassady (of Darius Cantor fame) as another character called Martuche, and myself as Herman Sweitz. I wrote this for a 'Writing and the Environment' module for my final year at university. I also aim the camera until I enter the scene, at which point I swiftly murder Will Fortune so that he can hold it for the remainder of the shoot. Contains some disturbing images.
Escape to Society (2007) - A short movie about the resignation of a wannabe gypsy. We made this for the birthday of Tom Hollingworth (a regular Fez non-contributor. He features in our first series, and almost in our first play, but is chiefly notable for being present without being audible in our various productions). This film was largely improvised, and senor Hagley's editing made it what it is.
A New Adventure for Christmas Eve 2009 From beyond the grave, The Fez of Etymology present a brand new audio adventure for your listening pleasure. Yes, though we parted company in 2008, we thought it only tidy, as the sun sets on the twenty-noughties, to complete for you a story we devised some eighteen months ago. We finally came together this week, to record our stand-alone chiller, The Masonic Zombie Brides.
Thus, a title for which we'd been seeking a story since our very second episode in 2003 finally reaches your waiting ears. Though October-ridden, it has the flavour of a Christmas ghost story, so we hope you'll enjoy it either as a festive fez this week, or an evergreen escapade, the year round. Listen to, or download it, here, please.
The Fez of Etymology, as a generally two-man comedy collective, ran for almost five years from from Fall 2003 to Summer 2008. They produced three audio-adventure series, The Fez of Etymology, a SUBMARINE trip to Atlantis, The Mundane Egg, a supernatural murder mystery in a sleepy seaside village, and Darius Cantor Must Die, wherein comedy was set aside for grand narrative, and epic adventure.
From their humble beginnings at Bretton Hall, where Tom Hagley, Ben Swithen and Dan Bloor came together to shout at a computer, to their humble conclusions, more than ten miles further North, the Fez produced more than seven hours of audio comedy (it doesn't look impressive on the page, but if you tried to listen to it, it might sound longer), and wrote and performed several plays* and short dramatic readings. In their time, they were honoured to work alongside such luminaries as Tom Hollingworth, Goosey, Garry Lyons, and the Bretton Mixed-Ability Choir.
A fairly amicable split leaves Tom directing and producing motion pictures, and Ben attempting to carve out a solo writing career. The site remains here as a small monument to what's gone before, and an opportunity for us to finally put up a 'happy new year' announcement on New Year's Day - something I, as webmaster, have tried (and failed) to do for four years now. We may not be working together at present, but, I tell you, we'll wish you a happy new 2010 on January First, when it rolls around, if it's the last thing we do!
The Original Fez of Etymology Team. 2003-2008