Comedy / Interviews
Interview: Stephen K. Amos
Fresh from touring the UK, Europe, Australia and yet another Edinburgh Fringe run, maestro of feelgood comedy Stephen K. Amos is back on tour with his new show The Laughter Master.
Is it all just doom and gloom in the headlines? Not, it seems, for Stephen, who promises more tales of finding laughter in this crazy world we inhabit.
So what’s on your mind – and in your set – at the moment?
I can’t reveal all my secrets to you here, but my new show’s definitely inspired by what we’re reading in the newspapers at the moment and our reactions to it. There’s loads of new gags and anecdotes gleaned from a year’s worth of touring the world. Suffice it to say I take a look at current events and solve most of the world’s problems in about an hour and half (two hours if you include the interval).
is needed now More than ever
Well, is it all just doom and gloom in the headlines?
Forget about the doom and gloom in the headlines! You can find the funny in almost everything. Okay, not everything is funny. Ebola isn’t funny. The idea that everyone on a returning flight from west Africa should be monitored and tracked if they have a cough is verging on hysteria.
Onstage, you seem one of life’s optimists. True? Or an onstage persona?
I don’t really have an onstage persona as such. It’s really an extension of my inner self. I’m not an actor doing a play, so I need to be in the moment and think quick. The real-world me is perhaps a more cynical, angry and less talkative soul. I’m quite a quiet man, happy in my own company.
You’ve recently toured Europe and Australia. What humour goes down well where?
Australia and the UK both have great, comedy-savvy audiences with a similar sense of humour. This is obviously from the historical links, most of which were abominable and I don’t just mean the 1970s TV shows we shared. Europeans tend to be smart and attentive, hanging onto every word and nuance. They make you really examine your gags, cutting out any slang and relying on good old English.
I recently played a gig in Amsterdam and their tolerance for dark material is way, way higher than everywhere else. Normally after a gig I like to have a drink at the bar and get to know my audience. After the Amsterdam gig I went straight back to my hotel room, watched an episode of Bake Off and slept with the light on.
If you weren’t doing stand-up, what might you be doing?
I trained as a lawyer, so I would probably be doing that. And my mum would finally be proud of me.
Stephen K Amos plays the Factory Theatre on Sunday, November 15. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/stephen-k-amos-the-laughter-master
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