Nick Helm shares his love letter to his audience

The award-winning writer, broadcaster, actor and comedian Nick Helm built his reputation as a one-man rock god of a stand-up, known and loved for his showmanship, swagger, swearing and songs.

But that life took its toll. Though he has always loved performing, the enforced break from live work due to the pandemic provided the necessary breathing room from what he describes as “a bad few years of mental health problems”.

“I was so anxious, stressed, depressed, tired and overwhelmed by stand up before the pandemic,” he recalls.

“If I had a gig I would worry about it all day and drag myself on stage under incredible mental stress; I just didn’t want to do it like that any more.”

He also accepts that for some people, he was – at least in the old days – an acquired taste. “I appreciate I can be a challenging act. I’m abrasive, loud and I can go to some dark places sometimes.”

Nevertheless, he loves his audience, and he is passionate not only about making them laugh, but leaving them in a good place at the end of it all.

Coming back to comedy, he has decided to strip things right back to a man and mic aesthetic, focusing instead on being “a more authentic version” of himself. And so far, it’s been transformative.

Fresh from a successful Edinburgh Fringe run in which he documented “a mental transformation of how I saw myself” in daily ‘smile selfies’ on Instagram, Helm is palpably buoyant – fuelled by the positivity of finding new and more honest connections with his audience.

He is now touring his latest show What Have We Become?, coming to Komedia, Bath on October 12 and then Bristol’s Redgrave Theatre on October 14.

Not only in terms of content and style, but in the creation of this latest material, it represents a real departure for Helm. “It’s a sustainable way to make shows in the future, too,” he explains.

“The foundation onto which the show was built is completely different and exciting, and as a result I’ve just enjoyed the entire process this time.”

Helm thinks of every show he writes as a personal time capsule; a deeply personal distillation of what he is dealing with at the time of writing. This time, the catharsis of confronting the emergence from the pandemic has been more about sharing, and healing from, a collective trauma.

“It’s an intimate show about reassurance, acceptance and taking the positives from life,” he says. “It’s a love letter to my audience. It’s a political rally. It’s a band aid being ripped off. And I’ve personally found it liberating, redemptive, educational and exciting.”

That’s not to say that his next move won’t be a return to the bells and whistles that we all associate with the Helm oeuvre. “I can’t wait to put my sparkly hot pants back on,” he admits.

“But for now, any material that connects, whether it be a huge spectacular song and dance number or me talking quietly into a microphone about my niece, is where I am at my happiest.”

Nick Helm, artwork for What Have We Become?

Nick Helm: What Have We Become? is at Komedia, Bath on October 12 and The Redgrave Theatre on October 14, both at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from www.komedia.co.uk and www.redgravetheatre.com respectively.

All photos: Ed Moore

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