Stephen K Amos Interview

We chat to the maestro of feel-good comedy, Stephen K Amos, as he prepares to return to Australia for a string of live shows.

Hi Stephen, how’s life treating you?
I’m travelling all over the UK on tour – thanks for asking! I leave at noon and get back at 3 in the morning with two pit stops for a meat pie on the way. The first one I eat, the second one I make. You can read that two ways.

You’ve been touring for over 10 years, when did you first know that you could make a crowd laugh?
I took my first steps, did my first burp and was scared by the sound of my own fart and my family laughed. They were my first crowd. When you come from a large family you’ve got to do anything to get noticed. At school the other kids laughed as well. It could have been my unkempt afro, it could have been my hand-me-down school uniform, but I definitely made them laugh. Who would have known that those incidents could be later used in a comedy club to make a room full of strangers laugh?

How do you prepare for a gig? Do you still get nerves?
I don’t get too nervous anymore, but the body does strange things when you’re on-stage. It’s all the adrenaline rushing around. To prepare for the gig, I generally listen to loud music in my headphones and pace up and down by the fire exit round the back of the theatre, reading the signs and talking to my imaginary new friends Pushbar To-Open and General Waste.

You’re returning to Australia yet again for the 2016 Comedy Festivals. What does The Laughter Master have in store for ticket holders?
I can’t wait to bring my new show to Australia. It’s full of carefully honed, crafted material, with a soupcon of ironic flair, and a cheeky nod to the works of Alan Bennett. Nah, I just go up on stage with a microphone and whatever happens, happens. Sometimes I just read my shopping list or play I Spy. Ticket holders can expect to laugh! It’s not the ballet!

You’re currently touring the show in the UK, how is it going down with audiences back home?
So far nobody’s walked out yet.

Is it the type of show that you can take anywhere, or will you have to tweak it for audiences in Oz?
The great thing about coming to Australia is getting to write material about Australia – because you’re so funny. I mean look at your politics. You’ve had four leadership coups since England won The Ashes. That’s more than Egypt and they’ve had two revolutions. But I’m glad you got rid of the Abbott guy. I think if you’re prime minister you shouldn’t be photographed in Speedos. And if Putin’s reading this, put your shirt back on! That was just a message for Putin. If you’re not Vladimir Putin you can ignore that.

Storytelling is a huge part of your comedy style; what subjects will you be touching on and what do you draw influence from?
Comedy storytelling is all about keeping your eyes open and getting into ridiculous situations. Literally a clown in a shark tank could come up with a good comedy story. Subjects come from life. If you think about it we’ve all got a story to tell, I’ve just found a way of expressing it.

What is it about Australia that keeps you coming back? Do you like to take advantage of the travel-like things to do and laidback lifestyle?
If I’m being sincere, I love Australia. The people, the weather, the food, the culture, the history. Oh, scratch the history part. You’re so cute with your big building dating all the way back to 1950. I think my first car was older than the whole of Chapel Street in Melbourne. I don’t really have time to take full advantage of the travel-like things to do; that said I did get a helicopter to the Great Barrier Reef once. What I would like to do is to get more immersed in the rich cultural tapestry of the indigenous people.

What about any favourite places or hangouts?
I get to travel to some of the major cities in Australia and I have my favourite hangouts in all the places. I love Sydney for the beach (inside your biggest city – you have no idea how good that is!). Melbourne’s all about coffee and shopping and Adelaide is about wandering around the streets with no shoes, dreadlocks and a peculiar smell emanating from your cigarette.

What else do you have planned for 2016? Are you working on any new TV series or shows?
Plenty! And they will all be revealed in a timely fashion! If you subscribe to my Facebook page or Twitter then you’ll know. How did people exchange information before social media? I’ve already forgotten how to post a letter.

What’s the worst joke you’ve ever heard?
This is NOT my joke. I heard it somewhere. And it’s really weird. To start with, you need to adopt a lisp. They you need to find someone who’s called Thor for it to work – so first you have to go to Sweden. Then find someone called Thor. Then ask them their name. They say, ‘Hello! I’m Thor.’ Then you say with a lisp, ‘You’re thor!? You’re thor!? I’m tho thor I can hardly pithth!’. And that’s the worst joke I’ve ever heard.

Stephen K Amos Australia Tour Dates

Adelaide Fringe
19th February – 13th March

Canberra Comedy Festival
18th & 19th March

Melbourne International Comedy Festival
24th March – 10th April

Perth Comedy Festival
28th April – 1st May

Sydney Comedy Festival
6th May