Interview: Paul Sinha

Acclaimed stand-up Paul Sinha brought his show Postcards from the Z List to last year’s Edinburgh Fringe after a four-year break from the festival.

“Looking back, life as a travelling single gaysian delivering lefty, liberal jokes was quite straightforward. Now he has to juggle the responsibilities of being an uncle, being in an actual relationship for the first time in 20 years, and being that bloke, from that quiz, in that poorly-fitting white suit. It’s not easy.”

Paul’s bringing Postcards… to the Tobacco Factory Theatres later this month.

You’ve returned to the Edinburgh Fringe after a four-year break… has your stand-up changed in that time, do you think?
I had been a near permanent fixture at Edinburgh, 2006-2011, and then decided to give the Fringe a miss in 2012 in order to stay in London for the Olympics. I enjoyed myself so much, I thought, ‘I could get used to this.’ But in that four-year break I’ve still been a hard-working, full-time stand-up comedian. The appetite has never gone away. Stand-up comedy is my supreme passion, but I have certainly become a less political comedian, mainly through the self-doubt of realising that you may not be right about everything – and that standing on stage as though you are can come across as patronising.

How much do you think your a) race b) sexuality and c) past career play into your stand-up?
My past career gives me a valuable sense of perspective. Being a comedian is not the most difficult job that I have ever done. Race and sexuality are key components of my stand-up, and I imagine that they will continue to be, but my main priority is to tell jokes and stories that are funny. They just happen to be from a slight outsider’s perspective.

You’ve always been interested in national identity, Britishness and the like. Does the current show address the Brexit business at all?
I think the arguments for and against Brexit are nuanced and complicated and go way beyond labelling people as left-wing or right-wing. Dating a passionate Eurosceptic has meant that I have been thoroughly exposed to all the arguments, and although I am instinctively pro staying in the EU, my opinions are not strongly held. I would like to save my political comedy for those issues where I have a strong opinion. 

Tell us a bit about the premise of the current show.
Postcards from the Z List tells the story of what has happened to me since January 2011, when I first heard about a job opportunity on an ITV daytime quiz show called The Chase. It is an honest look at what it is like to be a Z-list celebrity, and how my life has changed in terms of relationships and family as a result. You don’t need to have watched the show: the themes are universal, honest, and – in my opinion – very funny.

How did it all start for you – who were your comic influences and inspirations?
I was that teenager thoroughly inspired by Ben Elton’s early TV work and the thrill of taking a microphone and being able to talk about anything you like. My inspirations were the live comedians of the early 90s who are now filed under ‘national treasure’ – Harry Hill, Bill Bailey, Alan Davies, Phill Jupitus.

Medicine to stand-up: tell us the thinking, and the gains and losses, behind that career change.
In 2007 I realised that I had enough gigs in the diary for 2008 to take a financial risk and finish my medical career to start a full-time one in stand-up. I have had no regrets yet. The plus side is that I do a job that I love and think that I am good at. I am yet to discover a minus side.

Paul Sinha: Postcards from the Z List Sun March 20, Tobacco Factory Theatre. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/paul-sinha-postcards-from-the-z-list