Locked in the Wardrobe

Comedian, writer, actor, radio host and one half of the smash hit food podcast Off Menu, which he hosts with James Acaster, Ed Gamble is an incredibly busy man.

Over three consecutive nights he is also performing at The Wardrobe Theatre, working out some new material ahead of a UK tour of his brand new show, Electric, in 2022.

He takes some time out from dinner option paralysis to tell Bristol 24/7 why he chose the city for this special series of work-in-progress shows.

Hello Ed, how are you doing?

I’m doing very well thank you. I’ve just arrived in Bristol, and it is probably my favourite UK city to perform comedy in so I’m very excited.

What are your current preoccupations?

Well as per, it’s where to eat dinner, and also do I eat dinner before the show, because I’ve got to be at the venue at 7pm? Or do I wait and have a late dinner after the show? It’s always bad, because I’ll eat way more after the show, and then I’ll feel all ill and I won’t sleep properly. But I’ll probably go after the show to be honest.

Where do you eat when you come here?

Well I don’t know! I am normally in and out, I don’t like eating too much before the show which is depressing, because I know Bristol is a really good food city. Though actually, last time I was here I had a really fancy meal at a restaurant called Casamia, which I wouldn’t recommend for everyday dining because it was about 25 courses. It was in a very dark restaurant with very loud music but it was very cool and I loved it – so if you’re looking for a special occasion or you’re an ultimate foodie, I’d go to Casamia.

I’ve also seen there’s a Lebanese restaurant called Beirut Mezze which I might go to; it seems to be open late. Maybe I’ll go for a beer, or have a kebab, but it’s going to cause absolute havoc with my gastros.

https://twitter.com/EdGambleComedy/status/1450510867993399300

Has your preoccupation with local dinner options made it into the work in progress?

I’m on my way to do the show; maybe I’ll talk about it at the top. It’s a very loose show at the moment. There’s a lot of stuff about food in there though. I tend to have one routine about food in every show, and there is a big old boy in this one.

Are there any areas of your life that you feel wouldn’t be suited to your style of comedy?

I mine any area of my life for comedy; I don’t think there’s anything that I wouldn’t talk about. My comedy is my life, really. I don’t tend to branch out too much into topical because, you know what – people are afraid to say it thesedays – I don’t have an opinion on most things.

Photo: Avalon

Where are you in the lifecycle of this new show?

I’m currently doing the exciting bit of tinkering with it and talking through it on stage, messing around and finding new avenues, which is definitely the most thrilling part of it. And then in the next couple of months that will all get solidified into a show, but I try not to varnish over it too much because I still like to have fun on stage. I don’t want to get half way through the tour and think ‘oh no, I have to go and trot out the script again’. So it tends to have an element of horsing around in it right up until the end of the tour. But it will be good.

What do you learn from a three night limited run like this?

It’s all about finding new bits, really. I’ll chat to people, I’ll tell them at the beginning that some of the bits I’m going to do I’m really going to test the elastic limit of. I’ll repeat things over and over again to see if that’s funny, I’ll throw out things that may not be funny and then burst out laughing halfway through realising that they’re about to bomb. Hopefully I’ll get a few new jokes. If I find a new joke and it gets a laugh, I’ll be very excited and then I’ll walk away and probably immediately forget it.

Would audiences see different material if they were to come each night?

No, but they would see different ways of delivering that material and maybe some new tags. And possibly I’ll say something hugely offensive.

Do you have any particular expectations or experiences of Bristol audiences?

I love Bristol audiences. There are loads of amazing venues in Bristol, and you get to perform to very comedy-literate audiences, which is not necessarily to do with age. There’s just something about the city that has an accepting artistic vibe, especially doing work-in-progress; people enjoy seeing the process, and they like to come along for the ride with you. My favourite previews for the Edinburgh Festival are always in Bristol, and hopefully the Wardrobe run this time will be similar.

What is it about the Wardrobe that works so well for standup?

I absolutely love the Wardrobe. I love the shape of the room; it feels intimate, the audience are on top of you, and it’s always a very cool crowd in the know. I’m looking forward to it. Quite often I leave the Wardrobe and think ‘I’ve got the show, it’s nailed, I’m the funniest comedian in the world’ and then you realise it’s actually the audience doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Ed Gamble is at The Wardrobe Theatre, The Old Market Assembly, 25 West St, Bristol, BS2 0DF for three consecutive nights, from Tuesday, November 2-4, at 8pm. Go to chucklebusters.com for further info and tickets.

Main photo: Avalon

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