All stories by Interview By Liam Pape on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Suzi Ruffell: ‘If a story is good enough for the pub, I’ll give it a go on stage’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on her first gig, why she pretended to be a stage manager for The Lion King and the best service station in the country How did you get into comedy?Initially I wanted to be a com…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:31AM
Monday, October 21, 2024

Babatunde Aléshé: ‘Dipsy from the Teletubbies got me into comedy’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comic talks heroes, his best-ever gig and why he blows raspberries for 20 minutes before going on stage Who’s your comedy hero?Eddie Murphy. How can it not be? Eddie Murphy is the grea…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:06AM
Monday, September 23, 2024

Daniel Foxx: ‘Every comedian has a notes app with joke ideas – if mine got wiped, my career would be over’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on his new book about stuck-up children, earnest hecklers and why he gets annoyed about being called a ‘TikTok comedian’ How did you get into comedy?I’d always secretly wan…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:32PM
Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Louise Atkinson: ‘Billy Connolly could tell me a story about a mayonnaise jar for two hours’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comic on starting the career her ex was planning, how Jaffa Cakes help you judge people and why standups need Tupperware How did you get into comedy? I was dating a comedy nerd who want…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:19AM
Tuesday, July 16, 2024

Hannah Platt: ‘I’m a crotchety old man trapped in the body of a little girl’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comic on her standup heroes, using depression as an inspiration for laughter and stereotypes about northerners How did you get into comedy?I’d always wanted to do it but was way too se…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:12AM
Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Standup and TikToker Abi Clarke: ‘Why did I get into comedy? Attention!’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The social media star on performing to silent audiences, turning spite into success and still having to prove herself as a ‘proper’ comedian Can you recall a gig so bad, it’s now funny…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:42AM
Monday, May 20, 2024

Stevie Martin: I auditioned for Ed Gamble and Nish Kumar in a haze of fear by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on strange encounters with fans, performing to a room full of silence and the state of sketch comedy How did you get into comedy?I auditioned for Durham University’s sketch gr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:24AM
Monday, April 29, 2024

Nish Kumar: ‘It would be very cool if I was named the next James Bond’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on being a vibe killer, studying Richard Pryor and why comedy isn’t for good-looking people Who is your comedy hero?I grew up idolising a lot of standups: Chris Rock, Maria Bam…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:36AM
Monday, March 18, 2024

Lorna Rose Treen: ‘Someone shouted along to one of my jokes, like I was a band’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The character comic on gigging with chickens, harnessing the power of embarrassment and her spoof Radio 4 current affairs show What first drew you to character comedy?As a kid I loved televi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:36AM
Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Mary O’Connell: ‘My whole shtick was complaining about money. Then I won £100,000’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on delusional confidence, her heroes and bugbears – and why she hasn’t bought a gold-plated toilet with her OnlyFans contest winnings Why did you get into standup?I always li…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:12AM
Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Tim Key: ‘I like writing in the pub, but then the poems tend to be about the pub’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on his strangest fan encounter, preshow rituals and his new film with Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan How did you get into comedy?I joined a sketch group, went to the Edinburgh fr…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:32AM
Monday, January 22, 2024

Ed Byrne: ‘The better the audience, the more emotional I get’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on finding a good preshow pint, getting heckled and reflecting on the death of his brother in Tragedy Plus Time Can you recall a gig so bad, it’s now funny?A corporate gig for …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:48AM
Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Comedian Jeff Innocent: ‘Social media has liberated this old bloke’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on the best advice he’s ever been given, performing on the London Eye and becoming a viral sensation How did you get into comedy?I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh and I…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:12AM
Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Sukh Ojla: ‘When I was on the dating apps, I never told men that I did comedy’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The actor, comedian and novelist on being a positive aunty role model and taking unsolicited advice on how to be funny Why did you start standup?It was by accident. My background is in actin…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:42AM
Monday, November 20, 2023

Iliza Shlesinger: ‘I’m thinking what many women are thinking – but saying it out loud’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The American comic on performing to a stripper party, the best heckle she’s had and why honest emotions are funny How did you get into comedy?I was always into watching funny shows – wha…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:06AM
Monday, October 23, 2023

Laura Smyth: ‘I did my comedy show to silence – it was humbling and hilarious’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The Funny Women award-winner on her witty family, why she loves being mocked and the best heckle she’s had How did you get into comedy?My husband bought me a day’s writing course with Lo…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:13AM
Monday, September 18, 2023

Esther Manito: ‘I still stand backstage thinking I should have worked in John Lewis’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on her comedy heroes, preshow jitters and the parenting double standards for male and female comedians How did you get into comedy?I was on maternity leave from teaching, at home…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:04AM
Friday, August 11, 2023

Mervyn Stutter: ‘If landlords stay greedy, they will kill the Edinburgh festival’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian, songwriter and actor on how Scotland’s annual arts jamboree has evolved, loathing corporate gigs and his Pick of the Fringe turning 30 How did you get into performing?In the …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:07AM
Monday, July 24, 2023

Dane Baptiste: ‘My body likes to cleanse itself before telling dirty jokes’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on getting old, festival toilets and British standups’ failure to talk about inequality How did you get into standup?I always loved comedy, but because I didn’t know the who…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:19AM
Monday, July 17, 2023

Susie McCabe: ‘The worst advice I’ve had? Don’t be too gay in your material – men won’t like it’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The Glasgow comic on why she has to shower before a gig, taking a show about womanhood to the Edinburgh fringe and the need for more working-class voices on TV Is it true you first performed…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:37AM
Monday, July 10, 2023

Ivo Graham: ‘My best heckle? Can you get money back from Eton?!’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on his hateful first gig, battling with comedian DJs and whether he was right to pick A Fish Called Wanda as his funniest film Who inspired you when you were first starting out?T…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:04AM
Monday, July 3, 2023

Darren Harriott: ‘Here’s a tip – when you do audience interaction, don’t touch them’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The standup on dressing funny, stealing material from his nan and how a seven-minute set from Omid Djalili led to an obsession with comedy How would you describe your style of comedy?Honest.…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:55AM
Thursday, June 15, 2023

Alison Spittle: ‘Think of the most shameful thing you have done, then imagine your mum watching!’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The Irish comedian on good gigs, bad gigs, her standup heroes and what makes a good soup How did you get your start in standup?I did work experience at a radio station when I was in college.…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:13AM
Monday, May 22, 2023

Pierre Novellie: ‘A heckler diagnosed my Asperger’s so fair play to him’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on his worst gig, preshow rituals and receiving an ASD diagnosis after an audience intervention Why did you start doing standup?I always wondered if I was funny. Or rather if my…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:18AM
Monday, April 17, 2023

Standup and immigration lawyer Sikisa: ‘I’m the hardest working act on the circuit’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on online trolls, her worst gig and breaking into the comedy industry from a working-class background How did you get into comedy and cabaret?I used to work behind the bar at th…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:42AM
Monday, March 20, 2023

Rachel Parris: ‘Standup would have terrified me – the piano was a good comfort blanket’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comic on hecklers, pre-show rituals, Jane Austen puns and her childhood heroes Why did you get into musical comedy?I did musical comedy first because that was all I could do! I’d writt…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:00AM
Thursday, March 2, 2023

Miranda Hart: ‘My preshow rituals? A banana and a poo’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on getting permission to be silly from Eric Morecambe, meeting the Spice Girls and how Comic Relief brings people together What made you get into comedy?It seems like a scripted…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:28AM
Sunday, February 19, 2023

Ignacio Lopez: ‘I’m trying to figure out how to most effectively wind up the English’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The Spanish-Welsh comedian on cut-throat critics, dying on stage in the dark and why telling thousands of people to shut up was a career high What drew you to standup comedy?In my family’s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:01PM
Wednesday, February 1, 2023

Tig Notaro: ‘Can I recall a bad gig? The first two years of my career’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The US comedian on heckling, why she gravitates towards silly people and the best and worst advice she’s ever been given Who did you look up to when you started out?In the open mic comedy …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:00AM
Monday, January 23, 2023

Jack Dee: ‘I’m a positive energy kind of guy’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on doing standup in prison, his first open mic with Paul Merton and taking I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue on tour How did you get into standup?I went to the Comedy Store in Leic…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:00AM
Monday, January 16, 2023

Jon Richardson: ‘My personal decline is much funnier than that of the country’ by Interview By Liam Pape

The comedian on supermarket petrol stations, working with his wife Lucy Beaumont and the comedy heroes he fell in love with in the 90s How did you get into standup?Sadly, by leaving the town…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:13AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic