A comic for 20 years, “Mock the Week” star Ed Byrne is an established touring favourite. His latest show is called “Outside, Looking In,” and it represents observational comedy at its very best. Here, in an exclusive interview with “Pulse” author Steve Rudd, Ed chews the proverbial fat...
Q. So you’re back on the road with a brand new show! What’s it about?
A. The title, Outside, Looking In, refers to the fact that, as a comic, I sometimes feel that instead of living my life the way that other people do, I’m watching how people live their lives, and talking about it on stage.
I sometimes feel like an observer, a spectator, rather than a participant.
That in mind, you can expect to see a mirror held up to society, exposing all of our weaknesses and flaws.
In fact, you can expect whatever you like, but what you’ll actually get is a bloke talking about his life and taking every laugh that he gets as tacit agreement with whatever point he’s trying to make!
I didn’t make a conscious effort to write a more personal show, but that’s what was coming out when I started writing it.
People come to see me for a laugh, and I would like to think they go away thinking that the show is quite heartwarming.
A lot of comics may talk about the same stuff, but what I’m saying is what I genuinely think on the subject.
I try to make it as funny as I can.
Q. How do you go about developing a new show? Is it something that develops quickly once you put your mind to it, or is the evolution of any given show more of a slow-burn?
A. I used to talk more about my travels around the world.
Nowadays, my material comes from more personal stuff that happens to me.
I’m more likely to get a good bit of stand-up out of a visit to my doctor than a visit to a Mexican wrestling match. I don’t think it’s possible to write off any subject. What matters is how you tackle that subject. A comic can joke about the most horrendous subject, but the joke could still have a moral centre that justifies it.
Similarly, a comic could tackle something quite lightweight, yet still manage to come across as insensitive!
Q. Do you actually sit down to write your shows out in long form, or is it a case of having a few ideas, and then improvising to see what transpires?
A. Sometimes, an idea can be kicking around my head that takes years to turn into a usable joke. I had a story in my “Crowd Pleaser” show about meeting an actor called Paul Winfield.
The incident occurred in 1998; I didn’t figure out a way to make it funny until ten years later! Similarly, there’s a story in my new show about something that happened to me in Boston back in 2004.
It can take a very long time for an idea to coalesce into a usable bit of stand-up.
Other times, you think of an idea in the afternoon, try it out that night, and BAM! Instant new bit! Inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere.
Most of the best stuff comes from obsessing over the things that I wish I’d said in arguments or confrontations with other people.
Q. When did you first develop an interest in comedy, and which comedians have inspired you over the years?
A. Probably at college. I was involved in running the Student Union, so I had to make speeches occasionally.
I’d jazz them up with the odd gag here and there. I’m a massive fan of US comic Louie CK. I find his honesty about his failings and shortcomings very refreshing.
To a certain extent, I’ve tried to bring a certain amount of that kind of honesty to my own shows.
But nobody will ever make you laugh like the people you know best, and those who know you best.
I’m lucky in that most of my closest friends also happen to be professional comedians, so that’s a bonus.
Q. Do you still enjoy touring as much as when you first started out as a comic?
A. I’ve been on the road since September, and I’m on tour until May.
Apart from the travel involved, which no comic likes, I love it, because you have people responding to something that you’ve written alone in your office, and your work comes alive in a room of people.
I like the television things I do, but nothing can beat a live comedy audience.
Q. Given that a great many comics often “use” their families as “gag fodder,” what’s dissuaded you from gallivanting down such an avenue as far as, say, Michael McIntyre and John Bishop?
A. I’m aware that my family haven’t given me permission to talk about them, and there’ll come a point when I can’t.
John Bishop, for example, has stopped talking about his (much older) children on stage, because people know who they are.
I talk about my children in pretty abstract terms, because what I’m discussing is the act of parenting, and you can’t talk about that without mentioning your own children.
There isn’t anything in this show that would make them, at a later date, say: “I don’t like this.”
Q. Finally, for any aspiring comedians out there who are reading this, what advice would you give them?
A. It’s nice if you can make the audience think. It’s great if you can make the audience cheer. But neither of those things mean anything unless you can make the audience laugh.
l Copies of Steve’s first book, “Pulse,” can be ordered for £10 by sending a cheque (made payable to Mr. S. Rudd) to 110 The Mount, Driffield, YO25 5JN.
Visit www.steverudd.co.uk or www.valleypressuk.com/authors/steverudd for more information.