Robin Morgan on the comedy of fatherhood, marriage, masculinity and self-care

Welsh writer, actor and stand-up Robin Morgan, based in Cardiff, has been clocking up multiple TV and radio appearances lately, including Mock The Week (BBC Two), This England (Sky Atlantic) and The Now Show (BBC Radio 4).

Having gigged extensively in Bristol over the years, and recently provided UK national tour support for Iain Stirling, Rachel Parris and Ellie Taylor, Morgan is now on tour with his own latest show, Snip Snip, B*tch, which comes to the Alma Tavern & Theatre for two separate appearances on February 24.

Having mined his father and son for comedy, this follow-up is chiefly inspired by his mother and daughter, as well as being a show about fatherhood, marriage, masculinity, home towns, and the vasectomy that underpins the title.

Robin Morgan – photo: Karla Gowlett

To what extent has becoming a parent changed you as a comic?

“When my wife was six months pregnant with our first, I remember Katherine Ryan (CLANG) telling me a story about Romesh Ranganathan (CLANG) that when he had kids, he realised he had no time to waste anymore. There weren’t enough hours in the day, so he had to make them count. I remember listening to that story going “okay sure, that sounds like an over-simplification.’ But it’s VERY TRUE.

“Since having kids, I work so much harder, around the times of the school run, I’ll 99 per cent of the time drive back post-show so I can be around in the mornings, and it’s also connected me with a huge group of audience members who can relate to the jokes I’ve got about having kids. It also puts things in perspective – having a bad gig, or not getting a job I wanted to, doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.”

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Which elements of this show do you currently most enjoy performing? Has it changed as the tour goes on?

“I have a very silly routine about going to the Scouts when I was a child. I’ll say no more than that, but it’s evolved throughout the tour, and is one of my favourite bits to do. Equally, it feels like a very fluid show – it’s less of one solid story like previous shows, so I can mess around a bit more. For example I exited the theatre on the shoulders of a man last week in Cambridge. Totally normal.”

As someone who has gigged a lot in Bristol, can you assess the state of Bristol’s comedy scene at the moment, specifically as an incubator for emerging talent?

“I adore Bristol. I’ve often been very envious of such a brilliantly supportive scene, which is a hotbed of talent. I think Mark Olver is a huge part of that – and his Belly Laughs gigs in January are joyous affairs. It’s a perfect mix of lots of little towns, smart people, and the most electric scooters per square mile.”

Robin Morgan: Snip Snip, B*tch is at The Alma Tavern & Theatre on February 24 at 6pm and  8pm. Tickets are available from www.chucklebusters.com.

Main photo: Karla Gowlett

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