Why did you get into comedy?
I’ve at all times cherished making individuals chortle. I used to be raised on a eating regimen of sketch exhibits (French and Saunders, Mitchell and Webb, Monty Python) and took any alternative I might to be foolish for an viewers. I’ve a vivid reminiscence of a really elaborate efficiency of We Three Kings for the Yr 5 expertise present (“sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, DYING!”) – I received. I’m drawn to huge, playful characters – wigs, costumes, foolish voices. At uni I began doing sketch comedy and by no means actually stopped.
How would you describe what you do?
Light absurdity. It’s a foolish good-natured sending up of recognisable issues. In my final present, I dropped at life a collection of inanimate objects – together with an annoying Californian paper straw, a pathetic electrical scooter determined to be unlocked, and an extremely anxious, delicate smoke alarm. My new hour merges this type of absurd character comedy with drag. I’m pretending to be a middle-aged biking man, full with Lycra bulges, devastating divorce, outrageous revenue and nil emotional intelligence.
What impressed the present?
I used to cycle to work via central London, sporting denims like a traditional particular person, and I’d be overtaken by these guys all kitted out within the gear and I might simply assume to myself … certainly, certainly they can’t be biking a lot additional than me. The place are they going? From their central London flat to their barely extra central London workplace? Why received’t they put their toes down on the site visitors lights? Are they OK?
Round the same time, I grew to become conscious of drag kings as an artwork type (like drag queens, however performing heightened masculinity as a substitute). I used to be so energised, impressed and amazed watching the long-lasting drag king collective Pecs and the Man Up! competitors. It’s such an thrilling, diverse, DIY, punky artwork type and I began to marvel if I had a drag king character in me. The 2 concepts mixed, and The Biking Man was born …
What’s been one in all your all-time favorite gigs?
Generally the bizarre gigs are probably the most unexpectedly enjoyable. Final summer season I did a spot at a small pageant. I used to be with some good comedians (Rosalie Minnitt, Lorna Rose Treen and Emily Bampton). We turned up and the particular person on the stage earlier than us was giving a really earnest presentation about his analysis into arctic foxes. Stepping into drag within the chilly backstage space of the tent listening to the lecture I assumed, ah – they is probably not within the temper for absurd character comedy after this. How flawed I used to be! The viewers have been great, and all of the extra great for defying our expectations. That’s a professional and con of the job – you by no means know fairly what you’re going to get till you flip up for a present.
Are you able to recall a gig so unhealthy, it’s now humorous?
After I was doing a present with my comedy accomplice Derek Mitchell, we booked a spot at one of many phases on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. It’s the primary flyering thoroughfare through the fringe and there’s an open-air stage for acts to carry out a snippet of their present. Beautiful, in concept. Besides what does nicely on that stage is juggling and a cappella singing, not different sketch comedy. I carried out a solo piece – a wordy parody track. It was raining. The small crowd shortly dispersed. Derek laughed his head off as the sunshine left my eyes whereas I continued to carry out. There have been two different individuals watching underneath an umbrella – my dad and mom.
Any bugbears from the world of comedy?
There’s nonetheless a whole lot of unpaid and poorly paid gigs, a lot of which you journey for and, whereas the Edinburgh fringe itself continues to be seen as a ceremony of passage, it’s turning into prohibitively costly. Many working-class comedians can’t do it. Plenty of comedy areas are inaccessible in different methods – male dominated, all white, in basements or upstairs in previous pubs. It places comedians in marginalised teams at an enormous drawback in an trade that’s already arduous work.
Worst recommendation you’ve ever been given?
A potential agent as soon as stated to me that you probably have a day job you want, you’re a “hobbyist”. Really, artistic work doesn’t must be torture, and I feel the concept that artistic brilliance is born of hardship and that you need to quit the whole lot to pursue your desires is definitely fairly poisonous. That particular person didn’t change into my agent!
What’s an essential lesson you’ve discovered from being a standup?
To attempt to fail! The one means you get higher at comedy is by saying a joke out loud, in entrance of individuals, and seeing what occurs. When you’ve bombed a good variety of instances, you be taught that dying doesn’t truly imply dying.