Dane Buckley - Rapid progress in Comedy, Backpacking Ireland, Protestant Shaming, and Supporting Tom Allen

 Dane Buckley, the the world’s only Irish, Indian, gay comedian…possibly. He's an  award-winning comic & writer, he draws upon his unique heritage with a cheeky charm & effortless mischief. Dane has done tour support for Tom Allen and Rosie Jones.  
Dane spoke with Reece Kidd about his experiences with comedy, writing, and life in general. Buckley has a strong connection with Ireland, which he attributes to his mother's Irish heritage and his summers spent there as a child. He learned the Irish language at a summer school in the Irish-speaking regions of Donegal. Dane's comedy is heavily influenced by his Irish roots and his experiences with his mother and aunts.

Buckley worked for the London Irish Center for ten years, which also had a significant impact on his life. He currently runs a day center for Irish pensioners in London and uses their stories and characters in his comedy set. He is working on a sitcom about a gay man running a day center with pensioners in a nursing home, which takes a humorous approach to the asylum system.

During the interview, Buckley also shares his writing process, which involves creating individual documents for different subjects and slowly linking them together to form a narrative. He also talks about his approach to new material, trying out new jokes during gigs and refining them based on audience reactions. However, he also shares a horror story of performing at a gig where the audience was drinking excessively.

Buckley also discusses his experience starting stand-up comedy during lockdown and his approach to writing, preferring to build up a lot of material and then edit down to the best bits. He also shares a joke he developed during a comedy course about wearing Asian bangles on his hand.

In addition to discussing his comedy career, Buckley also touches on personal topics such as therapy, resilience, and protecting himself before a performance. He follows a shielding exercise to protect himself and draws on happy moments in his life, visualizes his ancestors cheering him on, and goes to his happy place at Dun Aengus on Inishmore.

Throughout the interview, Buckley's humor and unique perspective shine through, making for an enjoyable and insightful conversation.

Shownotes

Gaeltacht
Glencolmcille  (Irish speaking school)
Aran Islands
Barmbrack
Gavin and Stacey
King Gong
Larry Dean on the worst heckle he's had

Books
Camping by Julia Davis
No shame by Tom Allen
Michael Mcantyre's books
Alan Carr books
Joe Lycetts books

Follow Kidding on social media for clips, live event info and behind the scenes
Kidding Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddingpodcast/
Kidding Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kiddingpodcast
Kidding Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU49TsZVIbI7vak-EKOBSbA

Follow Reece:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reecek1dd/
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@reecekidd

Transcript

0:07

- Today I'm here with the fantastic Dane Buckley. Dane is the world's only Irish Indian gay comedian, possibly. He's a support actor for one of the top UK comedians Tom Allen. You can find Dane online @Danecomedian. How are you, Dane?(speaking Irish)- Oh, Dane, don't put me to shame already, speaking Irish.- Turn me grand. I look, I saw the fear in your eyes there. I'm very good. I'm really well, yeah.- Yeah. What did you say in Irish 'cause-- I said I'm very good. I'm fantastic, in fact.(speaks Irish) Yeah.- Yeah, well we've established for everyone that I am, in fact, a fake Irish man. I've identified as Irish, but it is not true. So Dane, we met at an Irish networking event.- Yeah.- And it was magical. It was very nicely-run event. You seem very in touch with your Irish roots.- Yeah.- What part has Ireland played in your life?- Yeah, so I was just raised by my mom, obviously, and she's Irish, she's from County Cavan, and growing up she'd send me home to Ireland every summer 'cause aunties are cheaper than babysitters basically. So I would do the tour, and I just completely fell in love with it. And then some summers I went to the Gaeltacht, the Irish speaking regions, and I love Irish music, so it's always been kind of there. And also like in social work and therapy, they talk about resilience, and I think Ireland was one of my resiliencies. Just if I think back, like to the music, to the language, to the culture, to the carry on, the humor, definitely. Like a lot of my comedy comes from my mum and just aunties and the craic that's had. So, and then I worked for the London Irish Center for 10 years, the world's biggest Irish community center. So it's had a massive, massive impact. So, it really is in my veins, I think.- How did you actually learn Irish? Was it from someone?- From the Gaeltacht. So you go to like a summer school, you do dancing and singing and cooking and walking, and you are just, you have teachers. So I went to Donegal Gleann Cholm Cille, and I absolutely loved it. And of course if I speak Irish, it's not in an English accent, so I could be like, it's (speaking Irish) and at some stage we're gonna speak English, like ah, have to let them know I'm English now. Oh God. But, and you know, I wasn't raised in Ireland. I'm sure if I was forced to speak at school I might not love it but 'cause I come to it organically through songs and just conversations or if me and my mum were out and about and wanted to talk about someone, you know, she'd be like (speaking Irish), like look at the boy over there, you know?- Wow.- So I come to it naturally, which is probably why I like it.- I didn't even know. I've been saying (speaking Irish) and I'm not even saying that correctly. I'm like, "Gil talk."- No you are. Sure, there's lots of different accents but yeah.- Yeah, that's the nicest way I've ever heard it. Embrace your culture, Reece. Embrace your culture.- In another podcast, you mentioned you did a three-month backpacking trip, around Ireland. Like what were some of the highlights and lowlights of that?- Yeah, so basically when I came out, my mum said to me, which isn't the traditional way to do it, my mum said, "Go to Ireland for three months and backpack"around the West coast." And I was like, is it safe?"Of course it is. Hitchhike!" And I was like, oh is this bitch trying to get rid of me? And I went to Ireland, and I did hitchhike, and I had an amazing time. I love folk music and 2 million Americans tour around Ireland in the summer, so there are lots of cool people. I had an amazing time. I met my best mate, who I'm still best mates with now all this time later. And lots and lots of adventures. Spent nights locked out of hostels on beaches, singing songs and, yeah, boat trips stranded on the Aran Islands for a while. In terms of what you have to do if you go to Ireland, I personally think like Donegal, all the way down that coast, Sligo, Connemara, Cork, Kerry, all the coast is the best for me. And that's also where the Vikings and the English didn't get to. So I do kind of feel like they hold the culture more. I mean the Aran Islands, made famous more recently'cause "The Banshees of Inisherin" was filmed there, are just gorgeous. And the thing is, they're sleepy and sweet and gorgeous, and like a 5,000 year old Celtic ruin, all of that. Lovely. But they don't have any police. So at the same time, you've also got a hundred Dublin girls on a hen do, so it's also quite wild and fun, you know. I've definitely been drunk in a field, passed out, and just slept under the stars. Woken up in the morning by like a wild goat, you know.- People are still telling stories of the mysterious Dane. You get the Englishman (indistinct).- Yes. Remember the year that the gay was here? Yeah. You just popped up in the field one day.(laughing)- Do you have any specific, like the go-to story from that trip? Like when you have to tell either a horror story, or just a coming of age?- I do actually, which is quite interesting. Like I remember at the time there weren't many gay clubs in Galway, so everyone just went to the main one, and you had little, if people were in the corner dancing particularly well, you were like, oh, there's the gays. And I was so green, I was 19, and I wasn't ever shy, but I was a bit green, you know. I wasn't a big drinker, and I remember this girl saying,"Do you want some ecstasy?" And I said, "My mum said it's not good for you." And she said, "Do do you everything your mother says?" And I was like, "Yeah, absolutely." And I remember going to the toilet at the cubicle saying a Hail Mary. This is how green I was'cause I really wanted a boyfriend. And then coming out and this lad said to me,"Can I buy you a drink?" And I was like, I was so green, I was like, "I have one actually." And he was like, "No, no, I literally mean,"Can I buy you a drink?"The act of buying a drink." And I was like, I had no idea. So essentially I went along with it, and then that was my first date. So it really was, my mum was right. It really was about getting comfortable speaking about who I am, just meeting different people. And I think being into the music is another way in, in Ireland, you know. They'd be, they were accepting of me in small little towns because I could knock out(speaks Irish) or a ballad or something, so-- That is impressive anywhere to be fair. Like yeah, again.- I'm very orally gifted.(laughing)- Well.- But it was special, and now I'm so glad that I was a attention-seeking person that kept a journal obviously.- Oh, you still have the journal?- I still have the, and it's so cute. I mean it's so, I'm trying desperate to be prolific in it, you know, and you can't be that prolific at 19, but it's so cute to read and I, it traces the, it maps me being more comfortable with who I am and meeting my best friend, and just singing sessions, and of course it's Ireland, so I bump into people that randomly I worked out I was related to, and suddenly I'm spending four nights at Mrs. Brown's house helping with the dinner. I'm her second nephew twice removed, she says, you know?- Full story arc over the time, side characters and everything,- But also hitchhiking, I mean I don't think it happens so much now, but that was, I got picked up by the Cadbury man, and he said we can like, have as much chocolate as we want. Guinness factory guy picked us up. We had, like, Guinness from the tankers. It was so good. Mother of four just picking us up in the back with the kids complaining we smell of garlic.- So I completely misunderstood. I thought you were just like going from place to place on a bus or something, but no, you were-- Hitchhiking. Wow.- Just yes, thumb up.- Thumb up on the road and hoping.- [Reece] Hoping.- Yeah, and I was like, I was six foot two. I was six foot two dark man with an English accent and oily skin, but they were stopping, and so I loved it.- And this was you and your best friend, you'd found her by then?- Sometimes I was doing it on my own. Somedays I was doing it with my, another friend I'd met, a Danish girl who's six foot and blonde, which helped, to be fair. But some days, yeah, it was just, I remember gonna see Fungie the dolphin in Dingle, and it was just me and like a sweet granny stopping, and it lovely.- [Reece] Lovely.- I mean great stories were exchanged, and yeah it, that is a time I always look back to that was special'cause I don't think it could happen today, you know. It wouldn't. You'd be getting an Uber, wouldn't you?- Yeah.- And TikTok-ing some beautiful monument that you were looking at.- Yeah, not enjoying it at all.- It's not the same, so...- Tick.- Yeah.- Yeah. Tourist board Ireland.- I've actually had some discovery in Northern Ireland now where it's popping up in the cinema recently, and that looks like a great place.- Oh yeah. I haven't even been to the Giants Causeway yet, so I need to go myself. So before, so obviously you've been having a lot of success in comedy, but before comedy, do you have like a favorite failure?- I do, and it is the dance. So I do sing. I never wanted to be an actor, although I think I could lend myself to it, and people tell me like, when I do impressions of my nan and stuff, they think I'm a good actor and stuff like that. But when I was really young, I really was just obsessed with dance. And although I am a larger lady, I am gifted in having like strong Cavan thighs, and I did some Irish dancing when I was young and like pop dancing in the playground and stuff like that. But I honestly wanted to be like, Madonna's backing dancer. That was my dream. It didn't happen.- Yet.- But, yet exactly. I can still hold my own in the club. I can!- I could really do with some help. So please.- I'm not a miracle worker.- Oh God.- No need for that Dane I can do a Russian dance, believe it or not.- Can you?- Yeah, it's my own. It's very inappropriate in almost every situation. People have asked me to stop many times, but I can't.- I love that that's your party piece. Like, I could do a Russian dance, but.- Yeah, it's not even a party piece, it's the only go-to regardless of the hype of the room.- Reese, you're in Nando's, what are you doing? Like...- Have you sort of incorporated any Danece into your comedy yet?- Yeah, there's a little, there's a high kick I do when I make a joke about being a triple threat, and I make references 'cause this is true. I was at Pineapple Studios once, I didn't know it was like a famous pop dance studios where Madonna and Kylie rehearse. I thought it was like a community center, and they had like a wellbeing activity. So I went along not knowing it's, like, professional. Them bitches were on the bars with their leg warmers stretching up their legs around their things. And here's me at the back looking like the figure eight, do you know what I mean? And they had a, it was a mixed level class and they had a mirror, and I just remember being so different from everyone else in the break. I run the fuck out of there. I was so absolutely mortified, and people come up to me, were like, did you mean to come here today, or...? And I was like, no I didn't, I didn't have a clue what this was, so.- Did you leave with like, I'm too good for you people? Like obviously, I've-- No, I stole the towel and the head. I got my money's worth.- Well, I'm sorry to hear about the dance studio. I'm sure there's, it's coming in the future for sure. So can you just give the listeners some sort of context for the comedy? I'll obviously, I'll give you your, I mean as an introduction mentioning Tom Allen, but how long have you been doing it and that sort of thing?- Yeah, I've been doing it 15 months. Yeah, I wanted to do it. You know when you have a dream and you keep putting it to bed, you're like, no, that's silly, that's silly. That's scary; that's scary. And then, I thought, no, do you know what? I'm gonna do it. And I signed up to a comedy course at the Comedy Store, and then Covid happened. And so I kind of was at the gate there ready to run, but Covid happened, and lockdown happened, and so that was, I felt I was really ready, but I couldn't. So then I started writing, and what I would do was, I would have an A4 page for every subject, like being half-Indian, being half-Irish, being from a council state, being gay, Catholic school, my nan being fat, working in social work, everyday, miscellaneous, openers, closers, talking about a venue, dealing with a heckler. I would have all these subjects and each one, any, the minute I got an idea, all of my friends for years, every time I said something funny they said,"Write that down! Write that down!" And I would write it down then over lockdown, and suddenly, they were growing, and they started to form like a natural narrative. I'm sure we'll talk about it in a minute, but my master's was in writing, and actually if you look at my five minutes it goes, where I come from, who my parents are, who I am, where I grew up, Catholic school, work, dating, how to get hold of me, goodbye. Which is a very linear narrative. It's very story form. And that's how I started my first five minutes. Now obviously, if you are John from Watford and you're white British all the way, that's less interesting. It might not be, you might be able to bring it to me by, but I've got, I'm lucky that I can tap into a few different identities.- So let's just go back a bit and nerd out a little bit. So when you say you wrote everything down, were you like handwriting it on paper or Word?- Yeah, Apple, yeah.- Oh, Apple, nice.- I'm gay.- He has to be associated with Apple. But so it was individual documents in Apple.- Yeah. Pages. Yeah it was, documents, yes.- And was there any sort of link between them, or was it just like-- That came later on, once it got more and more,'cause obviously, like, Catholic school would also be linked to my Irish roots and me being gay. So I would do, I would copy and paste them into several then, and then I would have a separate document named, it's called My Five Minutes, and I'd start to, so that when I, when it comes to making a five minutes or later on a 10 minutes or whatever, I would look through my documents and see what I'd pull from like, boards, you know?- Are they all plastered over the room like conspiracy theories?- No, they're all on the computer?- No, no still like a nice tidy room.- Why would be chaos?- You might have company. They'd be like, what the fuck is this?- That's very funny.- So yeah, they're just online and like even now, like on my phone there'll be notes, and when I get home I will move those notes to the relevant file, so yeah.- And you said your friends were telling you before, like, "Write that down." So had you told your friends before the comedy was a goal of yours?- No, but I've done, I've done impressions of family members since I was, I remember being five, thinking my nan. I'd love to do a drag act of my nan'cause she's such a very dramatic old Indian lady. Sassy. So I've always done, I used to do my impressions of her to her, which she loved. She used to be like, "Again one more time, but not the hand."I don't do the hand like this." I'm like, hon, have you seen yourself? So I also did impression. My mom would get me to do impressions of my cousins in Ireland and stuff, like all my priests. And so there was always that, you know, very, I think it's quite Irish behavior, the craic, the carry on, bold, you know, we always were one for that kind of thing.- How would you explain craic to people that don't understand it?- I think if I have to explain it then you don't have it. I would say like innate, organic DNA quality for mischief and shenanigans.- That was the best description I've ever heard. You had that preloaded?- I didn't actually, but it's in our genes though, isn't it? Like, we know what it is as Irish people to have that. I think it's a currency that we have.- Yeah and it's very, I find very-- You're not bringing it today, are you?- No, not at all. Ever really and ever. I'm just defeated at all times. Well I mean, if you're gonna pull out poetry when I ask you for a definition and it's not preloaded, what do you want from me? Unbelievable roasted. Yan over there is about to cry. So you went in a into like how you developed your first five. It was notes and stuff like that, but there must have been an inclination before.- Yeah, I had friend, that friend I met in Ireland when we had to sleep the night on the beach, I would do little shows for her and like impressions. That sounds dodgy, doesn't it? I would do little shows for her.- She would pay me.- She would pay me.- I'd do like comedy shows and impressions of people we'd met along the way, or she'd dare me to speak to someone in a accent. Like, we got locked out of the early till late shop, which shut half past seven in the evening, and I had beef with the manager about that. And we would do dares, like she was meeting her mother's old boyfriend from the seventies, and I said, please go up to him and say like, she's American,"Were you my mother's boyfriend 20 years ago?" So like implying that you're the daughter. And she did it and the man's face went white, and she's like, "Dad?" And he literally went, I thought he was gonna have a stroke! She went, "I'm fucking with you, I'm teasing you."You're not my dad." So we would do these little joke, but I remember her saying to me, "You should try stand up." And I kind of put it to bed, and I think I wanted to be a bit more serious. I was like, no, I'm gonna be a writer actually. But it kept coming back to comedy. It's the thing I can do the most naturally, the most easy because when I, when I would do other things like write, it was work, I'd be like, oh I have to do that. That's where comedy, I would drop everything to do it. So I just come to the reasoning that this is what I really want to do, and it's time, and I'm glad it's now because I feel like I've got all the skillset for it. I've got the stories, I've got so many stories. When people say stuff like, "I wonder what"I'm gonna write about?" I'm like, my thoughts are queuing up. You know what I mean? I've had to buy support for my thoughts. There's a support act for my thoughts, you know what I mean?- Yeah, you mentioned the London, the London Irish, that's the center for the Pensioners or-- Yes, for all types of Irish people. I run the day center, so 200 Irish pensioners on our books. You can imagine the carry on. And I do a lot of that on my set and I am working on a sitcom about a gay man running a day center with his pensioners in nursing home that I'm currently working on now because there's just so many stories about that. So I mean, brought them on holidays and day trips. You can imagine.- It's unbelievable because chaos.- Yeah, absolutely, yeah.- Yeah, so-- I mean the things they would say as well, like,"Dear, I don't care who you love, man, woman, bi, Thai,"just don't bring home a Protestant."- Do you know they would honestly say these things to me.- And are you quoting them? Do you know like the comedy sets?- I've embellished them a little bit, but it's the kind of, I can more like, go into their character and imagine what they would've said. I mean, I have a line where I say,"Dane is Homo Sapian and proud." Now they didn't say that, but they did say, "He's part of the BLT community." So, you know, so I take that character, Mary Murphy, I always embody 'cause the stuff that she would say and then I, I kind of run with what that must be like.- But that is such an advantage to have that backlog of.- Yeah, yeah, absolutely.- Life experience. But when you said you wanted to be a writer, what was the sort of, who were you sort of envisioning Dane would be like? Academic, novelist?- Just award-winning, really. No, I loved Tolkien books, and I loved historical fiction, and then I got more into like kind of gay literary fiction. So yeah, like, like Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and like Small Island by Andrea Levy. Just I found, I started going towards books about children of immigration. Because when you are, when you're from people, when you are from here, but your people are from somewhere else, you always hear about,"Back home we did this," and back home becomes an amazing place that is fun and scary and good and bad. Apples back home are this, but the regime back home was this, and it becomes on high and it really informs how you live your life, and you kind of a little bit lost about who you are here today then. But it really, I think having to be a people that have left home is sad and bitter and funny and connects you. So I just, there's so much in there for characters that I wanted to write around like immigrant stories, like over generations in London,'cause that's what London is. It's a gorgeous melting pot. When I go to other places I'm like, this is dry.- Yeah, no diversity whatsoever.- You've got one place that does peri peri chicken, but I mean come on.- That's cool. I can't wait for the Lord of the Rings in London to eventually come around. Read by dead. So then you were doing your writing, and then we, did we say lockdown kicked in when you started?- For comedy writing?- Yeah.- Yeah, yeah. So I just kept writing, and then I'd signed up to a comedy store course, and they said Look, the course will happen once we can go back. And then in September 21, October 21, the course opened again, and I started that course. It was a six-week course just focused on doing five minutes. But week one, you had to get up and do two minutes, and that was terrifying'cause I thought my stories were funny. My friends in my kitchen did, under the influence of my cocktails. But going up and doing it to other people, and when they laughed, I was like, oh my god, thank God, Holy Mary, mother of god, thank God they've laughed, you know?- And when, like, lockdown ended, were you straight onto the course? Was there like-- Yeah.- You were-- I was, I signed up straight away. I was there an hour early. I was like, hi guys, here! Very much house ready.- And did you have all the documents printed off from like the-- No, no I wasn't, I'm like I'm not complete geek, I'm more bookish, which is like a geek with a tan.- We're here for the nerds, Dane.- I had some things on my phone and I, I thought about intros and opening lines, and the thing is, there's two houses of writing, especially with fiction. One is that you build up loads and loads and loads, and then you have to chip away. You have to chip away that massive lump to get the goods. That is one way. The other way is that you build slowly upwards. So you add a little bit more; you add a little bit more. I'm the first one, which I much prefer because editing down is so much easier. If I have to edit five into two minutes, that's much easier than finding a new five. And I'll give you example. My (indistinct) done the course, but my joke now as it stands is I wear these bangles for my Asian heritage. The sound they make when they move always remind me of my nan. And I really wish I thought that through'cause that's my wanking hand, right? That's the joke. Now the first version of that was an essay. This talk represents my Irish heritage. These stacking bangles, which you normally represent dowry, they reminded of buh buh buh buh buh. It went on for so long, and Mike was able to just be like, hi, hello, I have to retire in a couple of years. Cut her down. And so that's easy to do though. It's easy to cut down some other people on the course had the opposite issue, which is harder 'cause how do you run away and quickly find a minute, you, know?- Yeah, I did an English degree for one year, and the only thing I took away from the whole thing was, the guy was like, "Please just write far too much,"- Yeah.- "and cut it down." So I think that's that's very helpful.- Exactly. Yeah.- Yeah. And then from there, did you do the showcase of the show?- Yeah, so it was six weeks and did the showcase, but it woke something in me. I was like, I didn't realize how much I wanted it till I started to do it. And I started to be like, I said to the other people on the course, let's meet outside of this, let's go and do like a dry run somewhere. Let's go and see live comedy. And I was so excited, loads of people dropped out cause they were so nervous. It woke something in me. Honestly I feel like, I feel like the Matrix, the plug was taken out, you know, and I was like bing, I was there. And so yeah, I did the showcase, and they, we were meant to do five minutes, but Mike let me do eight'cause I had a lot to say, and I got a big mouth. They let me close it, and I did eight minutes, and I absolutely loved it. It was at the Comedy Store. So you're like, this is my first gig officially. I had done another little one the day before just to practice.- And you're like, all the gigs are like this, Mike? Yeah. Comedy Store like this.- Yes. Like what a great way to start! Little did I know, the next week I'd be in a bar in Balham with two and a half people, one of which I forced to bring with me.- Unbelievable. So did you go from the showcase just to gigging straight away?- I was really lucky. I went to Comedy Virgins, did a gig, and they said can we, I won the little cup and they said,"Can we hire you privately?" I said, "Yes, you can. Oh for comedy, you mean?" And I did. They said to me,"Can you come and do a gig?"It'll be 300 people. It'll be in a rugby club in Surrey."Lovely little gig." Oh really? Nice. Got there. Football club in Croydon. That was very different. I could smell it before I went in. I was like, updating my will on my phone. I leave my Madonna CDs to my cousin. But I loved it and they were lovely. And funnily enough, like the people I'm more popular with are like those, those kind of lads.- Why do you think that is?- It's, I think it's cause I'm so beautiful.- Yeah, sorry, just-- I don't, I think they love-- They audioed in, you know, it's tougher for those people.- I think they love a carry on and that kind of lad love if you can give it back. And I absolutely can, I love that too. They love that to-and-from, usually like a lad and their girlfriend, they're the people that will come up to me afterwards. And I am from like a council state originally, and I do a lot about that. And I think they like that kind of, if you can hold your own, I think they respect it.- And where do you think you've got this ability to hold your own from? From the council state?- I've been dealing with hecklers since I was seven. Honestly, I really have, like obviously, not particularly manly on a council state. Wasn't Indian enough for the Indian kids. Wasn't Irish enough for Irish kids, but wasn't white enough for everyone else. Wasn't manly enough for the in lads. Wasn't quiet enough for the priests or the teachers in school. I would tell them about themselves and their book, actually. So I was taking on everyone and was dealing with hecklers, and I can't fight everyone, but what I can do is give a little piece back. So you are not gonna get away with saying that, have that, and then I might have to run, do you know what I mean? If they'd be like, faggot, I'm like I am,'cause with your mum last night and she turned me. Then obviously, then I had to run down the muse 'cause 10 lads are coming for me."Don't say that about our mum!"- Quiet in tears. You've awakened something.- So I think, and it's quite queer energy, I think gay men in particular, gay men 'cause they're often with kind of, straight men who get annoyed by them. Gay men in particular are good at this belittling back or using intelligence or humor to fight back'cause you can't fight everyone. So, and gay men of my generation I think in particular are good.- You keep saying everyone as if there's like, you'll fight some people, you know, there's some number of people where it's like it will be physical alterations, so have we got a number for that bit or?- I mean I would've been up for that if it was one-on-one. I made the mistake of once telling my mum about these boys forgetting she was Irish for a minute. Well, she went up the station with a wooden spoon in her dressing gown to take them on,"Show me them, where are they?"That lanky limey prick over there?" I was like, mum please, that is not gonna help my popularity, my Irish mum fighting my battles. But yeah, "That's him, Mum, get him quick, the ginger one."- So you went from comedy showcase success doing eight minutes, and then you got, you did one gig, and they were like, can you do a professional gig first? And it's not a very common experience.- No it's not. And they paid me 50 quid, and I bought this with it. I thought, I'm gonna buy something special, and I loved and it woke something in me, and I thought, do you know what? I'd saved a little bit of money on the side, and in my head unofficially, that was comedy money 'cause you know, sometimes so I can go to other gigs. I can so far, and I won't be at a loss, and you know, I don't need to worry about making a profit right now. It's just about getting out. And I realized how much I love comedy. I did gigs for like a month, and then there was another lockdown that Christmas, and so I didn't gig for a month, and I couldn't believe how much I missed it. It was like, even though I'd only been going five weeks, it was like an arm had been cut away. I was like, this? What, just life? And to go back to this now, what's to become of me? You know, I'm single, I don't have kids, I have a couple of house plants, that's it. But I was like, I was just at home and be like, I'm just gonna have dinner, speak to a friend. Is that-- Do they not know who I am? Yeah.- It felt empty. And so when the doors opened again in that January, which would've been January 22, I was like a horse at the bolt. I went for it, and in my first year, I did 200 gigs.- Wow.- So, and then I entered competitions, I entered gong shows. I didn't even really know what gong-- Can you describe what a gong show is for me?- Yeah. It's a battle whereby, so yeah, gong show is where you go. Three people are given a card, some you get a grace period of two minutes, some you don't. You go up there, and you have to be funny. The minute you're not funny, they will hand up three cards, and you are gonged off. But they are very brutal, and they usually come with lots of heckles and they're notoriously mean. Yeah, but I loved them. So I did my first one here in Vauxhall in the January, and I won it, and I was so excited. And then my friend told me about one called King Gong, which I'd never heard of. And I thought that'd be a nice cute little, another one. And I went there and it was 400 people. And honestly the heckles that they were, they dragged someone off stage. They heckled the MC, they did not give a shit. So if you look at my clip, I just go up there, and I insult them for five minutes. I threaten to analyze every lad in there. The things I say, I just go for it. I absolutely go for it. But I, I won it, and I didn't really know till afterwards what it was, King Gong, and the doors it can open. And then I did the Blackout one, and then I did the Top Secret one, and they opened up a lot of doors, and they raise your profile. Then I did some competitions, and all relatively, like that was in the first six months.- But was that strategic of you? Like did you see these?- No, I didn't plan to do that. I wanted to do competitions.'Cause I'd read some books by comedians, and I definitely wanted to do some of the bigger national competitions, but I hadn't thought of a gong thing. I hadn't thought of that. But then I was there. And also, this sounds silly, but a little bit of this is therapeutic, this is, they now can get your asses back for school and for my, since I was seven, they now can give it back to the man, and actually it's quite therapeutic 'cause it's kind.- Of (indistinct) and all lose you. Are you seeing just the bullies faces in the audience, you're like, I'm coming for you?- Yeah, I mean, I mean some of them still hot, though. I've reached out to some of my bullies, and if they want to really make it up with me, there's certain things they can do when their wife is out of town. But there is something in there, like the queer hurt child parenting and getting some closure on that.- That's really cool. You mentioned comedian's books. What's sort of, can you remember, what were your sort of favorite books?- Well, I swear to God, I'm not just saying it, but one of the first ones I read was Tom Allen's. And I was like, I was using it as a Bibles, like Tom Allen, he says, you should drive. I booked my driving lesson. Tom Allen applied for these competitions.- Oh, sorry you didn't drive at all?- I didn't drive. I come from London.- Then our Lord and Savior Tom Allen spoke through the, through the Bible.- She did, she said to me, I was like, I'm gonna have to get a car, then maybe perhaps-ly. And so I booked lessons, and I entered the same competitions, and just to navigate it, like, he speaks beautifully about his first gig and what's that like, and how you got that gig and stuff like that. And then I read Michael McIntyre's, I read all of Alan Carr's, and I read Joe Lycett's, and then I tried to read the books of some comedians I didn't necessarily know so much, like Sara Pascoe and some of the others like that. And took from all of them. But this certain themes started come, they all spoke about, for example, particular agents. So when I then met those agents next to famous comedians, instead of being starstruck by the comedian, I was like, hello, lovely to meet. Oh my god, it's the agent! And I knew their names and hugged them even if they didn't wanna be hugged. So, but I really did use them. And then I remember with my friend booking tickets for Tom Allen, me and her, because he was coming to play on this tour, my hometown. And she said, wouldn't it be amazing if comedy takes off and you can't come to the gig because you are supporting him and we have to give your ticket to my boyfriend? And I was like, oh my God, it would be so amazing. Also, he's not getting that ticket for free, like... And that's exactly what happened. When he comes to Chatham at end of March, I'll be supporting him. I'll give my ticket to my friend's boyfriend, and I'm gonna be, that's a real kind of manifestation, or I dunno what it is, but serendipitous or what, the god's just giving. But it really absolutely bows me over and moves me that that happened because I was studying that book being like, I'm gonna drive, yeah, I'm going to try my hand at this, and now I'm gonna be like opening with 20.- Unbelievable.- Which is gonna be lovely. I mean, I need to think about, I've probably slept with half the audience in that one, but I ain't gonna say anything to their wives. It's fine!- So what other lessons can you remember from the book?'Cause that's super helpful. So you said the car is a big one, and why is that?- Because it opens up, like gigs outside of London are so different. Like I did some gigs in Bristol recently, and it's like, gosh, they're not all bringers, and they're hungry for comedy, and like, I'm not playing to a room with 12 people and their 12 best friends. Not that I am in London. There's lots of lovely options in London, but there are so many nights, and so many of them are bringer nights and which is, if people that don't know, is like when a comedian has to bring a friend, and essentially that's the audience, and you're playing to comedians and their friends, but also just the first for humor. And well, for example, like Rosie Jones, I'd be doing tour support in March. I'd be driving her. So you had to have a car for that gig. So it opens up loads of, kind of, options. Also, when I, I headlined at a gig in Bristol, and I was able to drive home afterwards. The trains wouldn't have run at that time. So also whilst you're driving, you can go over your set and stuff like that. So I'm really enjoying it now. There's no going back. Literally I'm going to my local Sainsbury's in the car. Fuck the planet!- Love the idea of you and the driving instructor being there and you're just like, what do you think of this? You're just like, what's going on? I need to drive right now, by the way. Can't I go? I have the gig in mind.- Yeah. Yeah. Here's a joke about gear sticks. What do you think, Nigel?- But is 200 gigs common in the first year?- I don't think so, no. I, but you know, I didn't really worry about what other people were doing. Like I've got really high energy levels. I'm a night owl, so I can, I can come home from a gig and write for two hours, and get up on four hours' sleep, go to work, and then go to another gig. So I don't worry about any of that, and I, it's not my business what other people are doing. And I set myself to do as much as I can in this year and work, work, you know. And there was a time where I was doing a gig, and they said, "Oh, the lineup's changed."Russell Howard is gonna be on just after you."You're comfortable with 10, aren't you?" And I'd been going two months, and I had five minutes. I went mm gosh, so comfortable. So, so comfortable with that 10 mm gosh, too comfortable, some have said, well I put down that phone, and I ran out, and I did 28 gigs in 10 days. Honestly, I was just on high. I was doing gigs everywhere, trying out new material left, right, and center, just so that I could scrape together a bare 10 minutes that was possible. Do you know what I mean? I mean, I thought it was great at the time, but I listened back now I'm like, mm gosh.- And regarding your new material, like, do you have like an approach to get a new material, or you writing it down word for word? Are you ad libbing or what, what's your sort of methodology?- Have you heard about, like, talking head technique?- No.- Like, so in Talking Heads, like Alan Bennett does it with monologues. It's when you write via speaking, so you might sit at your desk. Well, I walk around my kitchen, and I say it aloud. I'm pretending that there's an audience there. I'll try out a joke aloud. And it really influences your writing, I think, rather than kind of typing or writing.- And get even nerdier, are you recording this with like a voice app? Is there like-- No, I'll go over it again and again and again. And then I'll record it once it's final. So like, I've got a new song I'm doing at the moment, and I literally did that in my kitchen at 2:00 AM. I went over it like for an hour, and then once I was was happy-ish with it, I recorded it, and then that's ready to go out and workshop in some gigs.- And when you say workshop or gigs, what does that mean? Just trying it out?- Yeah, so that-- Do you put it in between good material, bad material, or what do you do? Yeah, so basically if you paying me, then I will give the hits. If you're not paying me, I'm gonna bring in some new stuff and do some workshop stuff, is my rule. Unless it's like a fundraiser for, like, Christian orphan trees or something. But as a rule, I'm gonna like bring in new bits to try. Like you gotta make it work for you. But if sometimes I sandwich it in between bits, that generally work. So that's a good way to do it. But yeah, then you workshop it. Like I tried that song on Friday at Backyard, realized it went down well, realized it was far too long. This isn't my MTV Unplugged. I can lose one of the choruses. Then tried it again on Sunday, lost the first verse, and then I tried again last night, and now it's too short. So tonight, I'll be doing the most up-to-date version in time for a big gig on Friday. I mean like Vauxhall, Backyard, Top Secret, Comedy Store, Tour Support, where they're paying money, like if they're big gigs, you gotta bring the goods, obviously. But like I said, and I have done loads of these, when you're doing two and a half people in a pub in Borstal, one of which walks out halfway through, the other which, the other person says,"What is that on stage?" Do you know what I mean? When you're doing those, fuck it.- You're just all day.- Yeah.- Just spoken word. I've done spoken word, it's all-- Beat poetry.- Yeah. So is that the worst?'Cause all we've heard so far is success, and obviously, you've had a lot, but is there like a horror story? With my accent, horror, horror story?- Yes, yes, there are. It happened in Strood, and I said, from the minute I arrived at the gig, I said,"These people are drinking far too much. Like, I remember a girl going, "Oh my God,"I got two just for me." And she had two bottles of Prosecco. And I was like, it's seven o'clock, like I'm on at nine, what's this gonna be like? By the time it got to me, the front row were gagging. They were like (vomit sound), and I was like, I was doing joke.(vomit sound) "Stacy, get the bin!" I was like, this is all played out. And I kept stopping being like, can you help your friend? I think you need to help your friend. And I was trying to make it funny. I was like, she's famous for swallowing, but I don't think she's gonna do that today. I think today, she needs your help. And the friends were like, no, leave her alone. She's fine. Are you fine? And they were really loud, and in the end she, I mean she got sick, and they were like, we're embarrassed! I was like, and yet you're screaming at the top of your voice. I had to definitely help them out, it just completely, if you set something up, you just completely can't. 'Cause I'd be like, and then my nan said to me (vomit sound) I was like, oh God, I've ruined that whole joke now, hasn't it? I mean, I'm quick on my feet, but I mean I had to listen to her for an hour after the show."I'm so sorry, Dean, Jean. I'm so sorry."I love, I loved your set about being Jamaican and Welsh." It's like, oh my god, goddess is testing me today. Do not take my earrings off and strike her.- I was gonna ask, is there any moment where you've like questioned, like comedy is what you wanna do? Or is it just no, even with those nights, you're like-- No, no, 'cause that was on her, like.- Yeah.- Of course some jokes don't always land, or you don't deliver it the right way. I don't like when audience, when comedians blame the audience'cause like it's gonna be a bit on you as well, like your delivery and some things you just don't do the right way, or we might need to tweak. But you can always salvage it. It's between other stuff that works well, or I've seen some great comedians make fun of the fact. Well, that was the new bit anyway. And that's a great technique to do. So, and as you do longer sets as well, there's a natural lull. And I didn't realize that, but like from twenties on, there should be a lull,'cause they can't be that attentive the whole time. And the heckling and laughing-- People's stomachs are(indistinct) or just-- Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Physically, it's just for their own good. I incorporate a lull just for their safety, really, Reece.- Finally, finally we get a break.- But yeah, there have been, they've definitely been, I did like a private gig at a golf club. Very posh, paid really well, but very posh, stern Saxon faces just staring at me. And then afterwards, a woman come up to me and said,"Partly Asian, you're partly Indian."Who knew? I didn't." And then she said, "You were funny in parts," and then walked away. And I was like, I was like, pardon? I was like, absolute icon. The other part thought, maybe I can tackle the bitch. But I was like, oh my god, imagine coming up to someone and saying, "Asian, who knew?"I didn't." Like I hadn't updated the newsletter and told Miriam from Richmond. But I kind of, I giggle when I get nervous, and I quite like those awkward situations'cause I'm a confident person. It will shock you to say. But like job interviews, they're lucky if I turn up, you know, so I don't get nervous. I usually change the time to make them suit my need.- I have some questions for you. (crosstalk)- Thank you, I think if John has an apple... Singing a song in a pub, you name it, like that. I'm not really nervous. However, the thought of doing comedy made me nervous, and that, I really liked that. I was like, gosh, that means it's dangerous. That means there's something at stake. It's important. I wanna get onto that. So I think these things should be dangerous, like when you have a relationship, you should feel scared and anxious sometimes. If you're just like, eh, then that's a sign, isn't it?- And what's making you scared and anxious at the moment?- Well, not just scared and anxious, but you just get a little stump feeling in your stomach where you think, I want it to go well. I want this to land. You know, that's the kind of feeling.- The scale you've went at is like from, even from literally, the Comedy Store's already a massive gig, for people who don't know, it's huge, and then you're doing comedy versions, which straight to pro gig is like, that's, you're just right on there.- Yeah. You know I've been really, really lucky.- No, no, no. Not lucky at all. You've worked really hard, but I mean, did the scale affect you?- No, I wanna say lucky, so I seem grounded.- No, you worked very hard.- This should be the pose for grounded. No, I have no, I mean, okay. I do think I've been lucky. Just people took to me, and also what I've been dealt with is lucky. Like I am, I'm Irish, I am Indian, and I am gay, and also I'm light, so even racists in Essex like me. Tell me, I'm winning all the demographics, and I've worked in the fields that I've worked for so long. I have so many stories and things I can tap into. I've literally had other comedians be like, I wish I could do those things in those accents, but I'm not allowed. I'm like, well raise it with God, darling. Like, that's not on me. So I think some is, some is luck, some is the luck I've been drawn, like the who I am. But I have also worked hard. I definitely have worked hard like, like for a year my friends, I was like, I had my friends I haven't dated and to my friends was like, hun you have to, I'm sorry I'm gonna be shit this year because I've got three and a half gigs tonight. Do you know what I mean? After work, you know.- And is it tough to book those gigs? Like what's the sort of admin you're doing for this now? Like where are you at with that?- I think a lot of people watch King Gong online. I didn't realize that. So, the one I did, like two and a half thousand watched it. I'm still getting gigs off the back of that, which is lovely. I think if people see you do well at certain things, or you're in a competition, you get things, and there's not always logic. Like, I was in the final for LGBT comedian of the year in June. I didn't win it. I didn't even come top three, so obviously, there was something in the water.- Rigged. I heard it was rigged.- I heard it was. Too beautiful to win, some said. I didn't come top three. But I tell you, on the back of that and the video clips of that, the gigs I got, that June, I did corporate gigs. I did 10 corporate gigs, and they were £300 a time for doing 15 minutes. And I don't know why, I don't know why they didn't ask the winners. I don't know why. And I know sometimes they didn't 'cause I asked them, I don't know why they saw that and be like, this lad that didn't win, let's book him. I, that's not my business. I don't know why. Maybe it's criteria. Well, he's part, he's part ethnic. I don't know. Maybe 'cause of my personality. I know I'm, I would bring loudness to any space I go.- For everyone, well obviously, you're not just standing there, but you are. Yeah. It was amazing. It was nice seeing you at the Irish event, and myself and another man were like, I really like this, what is going on? What is happening? We were, everyone was just bitter, confused. We're like, is this an option? I didn't know people could laugh like this. I think someone fell over. I think you got a standing ovation.- I've had people wet themselves a couple times.- Yeah, I was really close. I don't want to admit it, but I was close. Yeah. My girlfriend was there with me, and she was like, oh wow, is that comedy? I was like, yeah, okay, that's fine, that's fine. But yes.- Although I should say for the flip side of that, the first gig of that I did was four and a half people in a pub where I was competing against the football that they were showing live, so.- I feel like you're still gonna win.- Do you know what? I can sing higher and louder than that television. So I made sure that by the end, the eyes were on me.- Has there ever been a gig where there's been silence, like to your performance? Like people are just not on board. I really can't imagine that might may be an instance here. I feel like you're gonna get someone so on board regardless.- No, there hasn't been. I've been at gigs where that's happened, and it's god awful. What I did have once though, which was crippling 'cause it's hard to come back from, is someone went, aww. I was like, oh my God, what do you do for that? I was making a fat joke. I said, I'm so fat that from the other side of the street, people have confused me for a happy lesbian couple. And usually that gets a laugh. And she went, aww, don't.- I get these awws my day-to-day life, oh yeah, just constantly, just trying stuff like it.- You're fine.- Can I have a latte? Aww.- And I literally had to be like, Susan, I know I'm fine. I'm up here. This is a joke. But that was a little bit like in the moment, aww, you can never read the room. But I kind of like that thrill, and it keeps you on your toes. Like, it really does. Like, I think it's really important not to have, I mean I'm teasing when I'm saying some of this stuff, but it's important not to have an ego.'Cause I've definitely known comedians that come offstage like, I smashed that. I was fucking amazing, and I'm always like, oh gosh! That's, it's the Catholic guilt in me. I just no way could come off stage and say that. I come off stage and I'm like, okay, I'm happy with that. That's a seven. I could do this, and I could do that, but it's enough to be nice to myself. I'm like, it's enough. You did what you did well. Here's two areas, 'cause you always gotta look to do to be better. And I think that's the healthier approach. And also you seem less like a leviathan.- Yeah, absolutely.- Yeah.- I never really linked the Catholic guilt to the ego thing. That's really cool actually.- Yeah, yeah. I think (indistinct).- No, well I'm probably just a massive egotist.- As we found out earlier, you're only half-Catholic.- That's what it is, yes, sorry. Full disclosure. Dane just outed me through the-- I can tell that by the devil's tail.- I've hated my Protestant father for all of these years, but no, thank you, Dane.- It was there in your dance moves.- It was there in my heart. I don't know if they speak Gaelic, everything. But with all of these gigs, how do you prevent, have you burnt out, or how do you prevent burnout?- No, I don't really recognize that as a phenomenon.- That's very good.- I've got really high energy levels. I'm fine on six hours sleep. I've had six hours of sleep now. I've always been like that. And also when I come home, I turn on at night. Like, my head is busy when I get home from a gig.

Say it might be 1: 43:32

00 AM. I often write then, or I call a, like my parents live in Thailand. My sister lives in Australia. My bestie lives in America, so there's always someone to wake somewhere and we chat. Yeah. And I just, I don't really get burnt out, I think, 'cause I'm really, really ready. I feel like everything up until my first gig was prep. And my friends say that be like, the songs used to write for fun. The impressions you would do, the impressions of your nan, they're literally in my sets now, and I feel like the different accents I've always done. And then people would commission things. They'd be like, can you do this at my birthday party? That's funny. I feel like I've been prepping so I'm really, really ready.- So you have this, the iceberg thing, just where it's, there's so much.- Yeah. And also I will say like I was, I'm not saying it's good or bad, but I was so shocked to meet comedians who aren't funny offstage.- Yeah.- And I meet so many, I relate more to the ones who I think are more like me, which they love humor in their everyday life. Like I've been out with mates and they're like, mate, you can turn off now. I'm like, hun, I ain't performing. This is part of me. Like, do you know what I mean? I love humor. I love watching humor. And I mean, I think I have such a good time on stage. Like if I laugh at my jokes, then I'm happy.- Yeah.- You know?- And did you have to cultivate having a good time or you just genuinely have one?- No, I'm having so much fun.- Yeah.- So much carry on. I dunno what someone's gonna say. And I get excited. Like when I did Top Secret Gong, I walked out and I went, Hi! So I'm a gay. And the lad put his card up straight away, and I said, darling, don't be homophobic. Your dad wasn't last night. And he absolutely, the crowd went absolutely wild. And we had a to and from, do you know what I mean? There's been loads of good, and I love that challenge. I had another thing with a dad and a lad and he went, my dad's dead. I said, "I know we were on the Ouija board all night." And he was giving it back, and afterwards he ran up to me, and gave me a hug. And he loved that kind of carry on. So I love that excitement'cause you never know what it's gonna be.- Yeah. I've heard you've actually got like, specific rules for dealing with hecklers'cause I think a lot of people's fear in life, regardless of they do comedy or not, is someone shouting at them in a room with people, and they have to come up with something on the spot. So like, what are you thinking when someone heckles?- Well, I love a heckler. I've always like, (gasps) challenge accepted. You know, I hear the Kill Bill music in my head. I'm like, darling, you're dancing with a gay now. And sometimes I can see people that they don't know not to dance with a gay. They're gonna get it. Yeah. Most often or not, I think I've not been flummoxed yet. It could happen. And I would never start with a fellow gay.'Cause that's the ultimate battle. And we haven't got the time. So you have to just try and shut them down. I'd be like, mm, this could get ugly. I don't want no rainbow warfare here. But if it's a generic lad just saying something like,"Oh, show me your tits." Do you know what I mean? Then I'm like, well, excuse me, give me for a minute. And I'll be like, darling, if you wanna see my tits, they're really low at the moment. They're currently in my socks. But if you wanna see them at their best, ask your wife to show you the picture. She bought me mine.- And then, but you must get excited at like a competition when, you know, like,'cause that's such a superpower, I guess, for anyone to be able to respond, to be so comfortable on stage that you must be so excited. Then when someone heckles, you're like, thank you.- I'd much prefer a heckle than a really polite audience that are, do we laugh at the semi-ethnic? I don't know, do we? That I hate. If you're heckling, they're up for it, and they're not really trying to bring you down. They're seeing if you can meet the challenge, and everything about me hints that I can, you know, a sassy gay man, they're gonna be like, oh he, he wants to play. Let's play. And I love that. And those lads always come up to me afterwards, wanna buy a drink, wanna hug me. And I hold them for far too long. Well they do. We have that-- They hold you back, like what's happened?- Just their wife saying, can we go, Gary? Not yet, Susan!- I feel safe.- One more minute actually. Absorbed all his powers.- Have you ever crossed the line, do you think, with a heckler, or are you very conscious of what you did?- No, I haven't. I mean, no I haven't.'Cause it's always about something that speaks out. Or I might just, if someone's chatting in the distance, I just might be like, I did this at Frog in the Buck. I was like, shh, shh, shh, shh. There's a gay on stage now. Come on.- That's so good.- You know, that kind of thing. I did see a clip though, and I was speaking to him about him when I met him at Comedy Store. Name drop! Larry Dean, have you seen the heckler he got? And he dealt with it amazingly. And even I would struggle. The heckler kicks off saying she's not enjoying her time.- I have seen this, yeah.- But her dad's dying, and she came out for a good night. And the issue there is the sympathy is on the heckler because it's such a tragic situation. It's not a man trying to be a dick to belittle someone.'Cause that empowers me already. But that situation, I watched that and I said to him when I met him, I'm like, oh my God, you dealt with it like a gentleman. I just think I would've, my bowel would've fallen out and I would've cried. Do you know what I mean?- Yeah, he did amazingly. But what, what do you think, why do you think he did so well in that situation?- I think he thought of the bigger thing. Like, it is a human here. Let's not think about entertainment or how I look on stage. Let's just, he was really polite, said, "I'm sorry that's happened to you. I'm sorry, mate." And she said, "I'm gonna go." And he maybe you should. He was a gentleman about it. And I think that was really good. I think I'm far too damaged to have been that much of a gentleman about it. I'd want a little bit of sass, you know what I mean? Even to confront her in the women's toilets afterwards. Do you know what I mean? But I watched that and thought, oh God, that's petrifying. But you can also ignore something because when you're going up, you think everyone sees it, but, or hears it, they don't. I did this thing at 21Soho. Loads of agents were there. Loads of acts that I really, really look up to and respect. It was Dan Fox and friends. It was his night. On my way to the stage, I fell.- Complete.- Oh, complete sack of spuds face down. In the video, I just disappear, and then I pop up again. Suddenly smiling, overly smiling. I went up on stage, and Dan smiles, you know, he was smiling. He was said to me like, it's fine, it's fine. I went up on stage, I could feel the blood trickling down my leg. And when I looked down, I could see that my jeans had turned purple. And all I thought was, I've gotta do a high kick in these jeans in a minute. It may be my last. But when I got on stage, I went typical Catholic on her knees and half of the room laughed, and I realized this half of the room didn't even know I'd fallen over. Do you know what I mean? So you expect the worst, but it's not always the case.- Well, very well heartened, the unbelievable line.- Thank you. 7.99 it cost to get me jeans fixed.- But I don't think, I think it's fair to say, for the standard stereotype of comedians is that they're not the healthiest people, so what is your sort of, what is your daily routine?- Yes. Very much. Yes. I cannot believe the men, I work in wellbeing. I cannot believe the mental health state of comedians, of the children, mothers say. Honestly I cannot, like.- What do you see that they're doing wrong?- Some of the stories for Edinburgh last year as well. I was like, guys, this is not Ayia Napa.

You're out clubbing to 4: 50:09

00 AM and then having a breakdown on stage the next day. Like, this is not Love Island. Like, like the detox years. Like I cannot believe it. And I've had really strict ground rules. Like I went to therapy when I was young for four years, and I, it means so much to me, and I feel like it's equipped me with loads of stuff, but also just like common sense. Like I'm not here to make friends. If I make a friend, and I have made great friends, it's lovely, but I'm not here. I'm not coming to Shoreditch to club to 4:00 AM'cause I did 28 gigs in 10 days, guys. I can't do that on top of my full-time job and survive and live. Like it's lovely if I can go to some things and throw the hair back and gossip in the chat, but that's not why I'm here. I'm here for comedy. And that's always been the focus. And with that, and you know, I don't really drink at gigs. I don't need to drink to be fun. But I don't really drink. I make sure kind of, I have some time away from gigs. I'm really good at old-fashioned doing nothing. I'm talking mouth breathing, staring at a space, scratching myself, and then losing an hour. You know, like, huh? You can't even remember to even swallow, like um, what's going on? You know? And the switching off for hours watching telly, but also being kind to yourself. Like, this is a hard thing. I've got a friend who's a Broadway actress, and she's like, god, I couldn't do standup. It's a really hard thing. It's, you are your writer, you are your director, you are your producer, you are the performer, you're putting your heart on the line every night. And so now I always say to myself, did I do well enough? Enough is the word I use. I do good enough? Because you don't wanna get into, I wasn't amazing every time 'cause you can't be and neither should you be, you know? So I really try and look after my health and be nice and be fair. Maybe in the beginning, I was a bit too like, ugh, I only came second out of 200 people at this competition. Damn! And I was like, girl, calm yourself. Lower your dosage, get a decaf. Like that's not fair. You're doing really, really well to look back on it. And I think I'm so worried of coming across eager, like an ego or arrogant just because I don't like that in people. I find it really an ugly quality. I'm so worried that I wasn't always able to celebrate things and be like, hold on a minute, you have done really, really well. I can look back now and do that. You know, it's 15 months later and be like, oh God, you did okay. You did good. You know? But I probably worried a little bit too much in the beginning. So if I could do it again, I'd say be a bit nicer to yourself, and to the comedians out there, I'd say like, yeah, it's work. It is. You're not here to make friends. It's comedy. Treat it like a profession. And also Sikisa said it to me early on. It's a marathon, not a race. And that was, it's a simple saying, but it unlocked something in me, I was like, oh my God, absolutely. I am not dying. The sky's not falling. Just calm the fuck down. Cause I'm like, I entered a competition, buh buh buh buh. Do you know what I mean? And also, you don't have to win everything. Some of us have, but you don't like, I think just getting to a final, just getting to a semi-final, you get seen. I've been in a final, and an agent approached me, like a big agent approached me, and I didn't come top three. It wasn't the LGBT one; it was another one. And so it really and got gigs and stuff like that. It really brings it home. It's not, you can get so focused on winning for this, and really when you break it down, like, what the best new left-handed comedian of Coventry, like £50 award and a plastic trophy, really? In the scheme of things? Do you know what I mean?- It's amazing, don't (indistinct).- Oh don't get me wrong. If I had that, it'd be with me today. But I just think, yeah, I will maybe write a, I was gonna write like a blog about this for a website for comedians. But then, that particular reviewer decided he didn't like me, so now he's not gonna get my words for his website. Mention no names.- So that's really, so basically be healthy, have a healthier approach to yourself, be nicer. That sort of thing.- I think I said it much better.- You did. I don't know, that was a complete mumble. We're going to, that will remain. But I did have a stroke there. But that's fine. The accent will stay. But if you had a-- Basically doing like, be healthy and that shit.- No alcohol, that's a big revelation. That's all I took away. I was like, Jesus, I don't drink. And I was like, I can't drink. Alcohol would help. But do you structure them as like actual rules for yourself? Or are you much healthier than that? Like are you, do you have them like, I will not drink. Is that something you've said to yourself?- Oh, I see. I mean I love a drink, I love a gin, but I don't need, I never need a drink to be fun. I remember before, to be fair, me and the, the receptionist were dancing on the table during work. We had a little dance off, and my manager asked me if I was drinking, and I was like, no, I'm just an extrovert. Like, I'm not drinking. She's like, did you go drama school? No I didn't. But my point is, I've never needed a drink to be what people would call fun and stuff like that.- So you've just had this sort of professional mindset from the get-go, but you didn't need to define like, okay.- For comedy specifically?- Yeah, for comedy specifically.- No, I think it was more financial, like.- That's a good reason as well.- £7 a pint, and you're like, gosh I, if I'm doing 28 gigs in 10 days, and they're £7 a pint, then had I had people saying,"I'll buy your drink," it would be a different story. I would've been like, yeah. And there is a lot of that cheekiness like when you're up and coming on the circuit as well. Like, we invite you to come to our gig on Friday where you give 15 minutes and you'll get nothing. And also we'll charge you for a drink, and you'll be thankful for this. Bye! There's a lot of that. I mean, don't get me wrong, my first few months I was like, please can I?- Everything.- Yeah, but it is cheeky, isn't it? So no, I mean the gig I did yesterday, I squeezed on it 'cause I wasn't meant to do it, but I needed to try something new and prep for tour support. And you got one drink. Well I made sure man was a £14 cocktail, and I, demanded an umbrella. Wanted my money's worth, I caught a train to come here. So, but yeah, I don't, that's-- So we've reached diva status already then, just 100% immediately.- She was in the building before I did comedy. I remember being about, I was with like a family member, I remember, in the supermarket, and I saw star fruit and I thought, oh dunno about, this wasn't on the official list. I wanna buy some star fruit. And I asked my uncle and he said,"Dane, it's fucking far from star fruit."You were born bay, you want star fruit,"your mommy's struggling to make ends meet,"and ye want starfruit."- I remember being like, uncle, its 64 pence. Of course, I bought the star fruit. I got it, tried it, disgusting. It was like lemon. But I sat there and was like, mm, delicious. I don't need it again 'cause why add to perfection? But so absolutely disgusting. I don't think you see it in the supermarkets now, but I always had, yeah I always had that.- That's very guilty.- So do you have a typical sort of daily routine at the moment?- Yeah, I'm a night owl so I,

I get up at 9: 57:00

57 because I start work at my desk at 10 o'clock. I just do like that to the hair and just, I'll shut the mouth and wipe the spittle. Yeah, I get up about 10. I work from home. I'm still working, and yeah, I'll cook in the day. I'll also have something marinating. I'm big into cooking, and yeah, we'll finish work and then yeah, we'll go to gigs in the evening, or do something social. And then usually like in the evening, late after a gig, is when I'll do some writing. Things start flowing.- Do you think helping the job removes a lot of stress and getting a lot of stories? Like, what's the sort of benefit of having the job?- Oh no, my, the Irish Center job is my previous role.- Oh okay.- That's not where I'm at now. Now I run a support service for LGBT refugees, and there is nothing funny in the asylum system. I have looked, but it's, no, it's pretty dark. So there's nothing really for comedy. But all my training and stuff, I'd be in the wrong job if dark things got to me. I'd be in the wrong life. Do you know what I mean though? So I am very, very boundary, and that probably comes to comedy. Like I am, I remember saying to my service users in my current job, I remember them saying like, I'm here for you, anything you need in any which way, I'm here. We can talk it through Monday to Friday, nine to five. You message me at one past five, and I'd be like, who's this? Because you're dead to me until Monday again at nine o'clock. You know what I mean? And I think you have to be like that.- Yeah.- Well all these like boundaries you say are very, very helpful I think, myself.- And you have to be strict with people'cause they'll challenge them, you know?- Yeah, I'm trying to-- Like even to the extent of I say to some people. Hi, I don't talk about this subject on WhatsApp'cause WhatsApp is like my social life. Message me on on the other thing to talk about that at.'Cause then I can control when I look at it, you know, email me about that cause that I'll have more control. So I'm really strict. You have to protect yourself. Especially in the world we're in now when there's riots, fire, war, zombie, apocalyptic, do you know what I mean? And people are addicted to that.- Yeah. I love the job.- Like people be like, did you know aliens are taking over? I'm like, my question was, do you have milk? Wasn't it?- And I'm concerned about the aliens. That's all I pick. So do you have any sort of daily habits that you practice in the moment?- I cook every day. And then talk to cook.- Do you go Irish, or?- I do cook some Irish style. I love, 'cause the Irish Center I worked for so long, I love a barmbrack; I love a soda. Cavan, where my mum is from is home of boxty. Have you ever had Boxty?- No.- No.- Again, the shame, the shame that comes. I actually, I know what it is, but I haven't had it.- Yeah, potato pancake, yeah, or potato bread. So, and stews and and stuff that, but also my nan, who's Indian, taught me how to cook. To quote her words, "As a gay, you won't have Indian wife."So I'll teach you all recipes, okay?"- And I used to go for like little cooking class together and stuff like that. So I cook, but I'm from Northwest London, so I love all of my cultures, but none of them are as tasty as Caribbean food to my soul.- Yeah, that's a first.- I love Caribbean food, specifically Trinidadian food, so I cook kind of that. I do cooking courses when I go away, so when I went to New Orleans, I did a cooking course.- I think that is the best thing to do when you go.- Oh, it was so underrated.- Yeah, isn't it?- Cooking courses on holiday, oh my god.- And you meet people and it's, and-- They're always so much cooler than me, and I'm like, are you like, you gonna cook this Thai food when you come home? Like, absolutely.- Oh no, I don't have that. I'm usually the cool one.- No, but it's just a nice way to see stuff, and it's New Orleans. Everything started with a pint of butter. I was like, we won't be here for 60, but we are gonna die smiling. So I cook every day. I definitely watch some kind of comedy every day. I really love comedy obviously.- What sort of comedy you watching? YouTube clips or full specials?- No, like special. I just watched Camping by Julia Davis. Do you know Julia Davis? She did a really good sitcom called Nighty Night. Do you watch Gavin and Stacey?- I have seen Gavin and Stacey.- Right? Do you know the couple that are always fighting? They always, yeah, it's that lady there.- Oh okay.- Yeah, it's so British and it's so funny and just so passive-aggressive, and her writing is so good. I was recommended it. But yeah, so I usually watch, and then WhatsApp has been like in lockdown'cause I live on my own, just with my thoughts. WhatsApp has been a savior, like the different WhatsApp groups I'm in and like a voice note to a mate, and I love a voice note. So I think that I do a lot of those with friends, and then I'm really friends with the neighbor downstairs, and my best mate bought the flat above me. So we check in a lot, and we have dinners and stuff like that.- Really good to have 'em close, no organization of days.- Yeah. I also love dark stuff. I love something about the serial killer, end of the world, dragons, demons, Satan. I really do. I don't why, I'm really at home with that.- You're the most positive person I've ever met, and you're like, the darkness is what keeps me going.- There's something in that. I think so. Yeah.- Well, we'll lead straight into therapy then. So what practical tools have you sort of taken from therapy?- I think being nicer to yourself is one of them. Challenging yourself, your own critical thoughts. And that looks like not always assuming the script you've written in your head is true. He thinks that because of this, this, this. He didn't message me back cause of this, this, this. I don't know that. But it's really hard to challenge the super ego in your voice that will tell you that, you know, you weren't funny. They don't want you back. You're too fat. He doesn't want a second date, you know, you shouldn't be with him. He's married, he's got seven kids, and he doesn't love you anymore. But all those voices, you know what I mean? It's good to challenge and assume the opposite. I remember I was dating someone at the time, and I was like, yeah, but he doesn't like me. And the therapist was like, but what if he does? What if he's nervous and needs you to take the lead. And I thought, oh God, I didn't think of that as an option. And that's not, that doesn't feel comfortable to think like that. It's much more comfortable to think I'm the issue, you know?- Yeah. So I think thinking about things from the other perspective and seeing it, looking at things in aerial view as well. So my therapist used to get me to look at a situation, here's Dane, here's that person. I'm looking at aerial point of view to see where each individual's coming together, where they're going wrong, what's being miscommunicated. Having empathy for myself, not fooling myself. A lot of it, for me, came back to my own stuff. Challenging myself more than other people because you can only work on yourself. You can only work on what you've got to work with. I can't change how the artist formally known as my father may have been growing up. I can't really change that. Do you know what I mean? I mean luckily the gods made sure he's lost his hair, so there's some justice.- Revenge.- Revenge, yeah, yeah. But you can only kind of change yourself, so...- I think you may have persuaded me to finally take up therapy after the many, many, many people have told me.- On that, I did bring that. I don't know, you seem really well-adjusted.- Well, you're a terrible judge of character, but I very much appreciate that. No, it's just something that keeps coming up in London specifically. It wasn't really, obviously I went to an all boys' school in (indistinct), if it wasn't clear enough. But it wasn't very much discussed. But I come here and everyone's pro-therapy. Not that I'm not, that I'm like, oh I don't believe in it, but you've very much persuaded me.- Yeah, yeah, no, I think it's really, I think it should be like available, you know, the way in America, one of your subjects you can take is driving, I think. And I think here we should have an option for, like, therapy at school. That's not to say we should all just embellish our issues, but I just think for me the best therapy is about ownership. Like when you take on board and be like, it's me doing this. It's me doing that. I need to take ownership for this. Or it's me creating that pattern. Or if it's not me, I can do something that changes that pattern. You know? It does. 'Cause we have to look at the work that we can do.'Cause I'm not really in the purpose of getting into the blame game of things. Like, I was just raised by my mom who is, I would say like, I mean, everyone with an Irish mother thinks they've got the best mum in the world.- Yeah.- But I'm lucky in that I have.- That's so strange because of my mum isn't better.- But my, the artist formally known as my father, would not be from that background. But my mother literally fought out on the streets for me and was a lioness. So that is like, do you know about resilience?- Yeah.- Like, in terms of social work, resilience is, if you take two kids and say both were abused, and one had no one, and the other one has like an auntie they love, or a puppy, or a skill, or like can play the fiddle really well. For some reason those, because it has some meaning and that it, because it has some meaning, because the child has some meaning in its life, it's able to have a bit of a shield against things that happen to it. So I was a confident child. I had a parent who loved me, at least one, and who would help me with my hobbies. And I was popular to some extent in my mind because I worked in modeling and stuff like that. So I was, I would I would've been a nightmare for anyone trying, I remember like old men trying to hit on me, and I'd tell them about themselves because I had that resilience. I knew I had a parent I could go back to. I knew I had a dog that I absolutely loved. I knew people liked my personality and wanted me to do stories. As where if a child had none of those things, they are prime for being groomed and being abused if someone comes up to them. It may not look like that. It may just be they may, they're bullied in some form. But I think resilience is really important, and it can take the form of a hobby or a good relationship, or one good parent, or one good auntie, or just a feeling that you have about yourself. Like you're definitely passionate about things in your life. I can see that already. So I think that's really important. My take home from that is about resilience'cause resilience is not something you're born with. You can equip it.- I was gonna ask, so how, how does, it's a very general question.- No.- But how does someone, like, cultivate resilience in their life?- Yes, welcome caller, line four. Thank you for calling.- Particularly me, this is this guy's book.- I did used to work on switchboards. I just wanna start the conversation by saying, thank you for sharing today, Reece. It's not always difficult, it's difficult first step, but it's a valuable one. I think, well you'd need to look at, I mean, you have a relationship'cause you have a girlfriend, and your face lights up when you speak about her.- Oh, you've just thrown me under the bus there. But yes, that is true.- It did, though. Come on. That's not throwing you under the bus in terms of her.- No, not at all.- Maybe with the lads.- Yeah. The boy.- The boys. (speaking Irish) So yeah, like you could see what, what activities you have in your life that bring something to you. What hobbies you might go into, something new. So one of mine was comedy. So I was like, I want to try comedy. And now I do. It's such a resilience for me. Like it, I measure it against everything. You know, people say, oh, do you wanna date someone at the moment? It's like, I'm too busy. I've got, I'm dating a lady at the moment called comedy. She is my all.- But that also makes you more attractive. So they're like, what you don't want? Is that me being toxic? Am I being toxic?- (singing) You, girl.- No, course you're not.- When I'm here, like someone's after your dreams like, oh that's cool, I'd like to get on board. I don't know, maybe. This is why need therapy, it's gonna fall quickly clear.- Women find men, funny men, attractive. I've seen that a lot. Generally, I'm generalizing. Please, general, please don't come for me. And if you do come, come equipped.- I think it's almost a factual statement at this point.- But yeah.- Women find funny men attractive. I don't think it works so much the other way around. I don't think generally straight men find a funny woman as attractive. I think sometimes a bit frightened, if I'm looking at a room with comedians.- Oh, I'm so intimidated by it. I am like, oh, please.- And gay men do not find a funny gay man attractive, you know, I bring like fun social worker, gay uncle energy. they want distant daddy energy, you know? That's what they want on stage. And that's not what I bring. So yeah, but that's fine that-- So you're just doing this for the love of the game, then. That's what it is, just on the court every day.- Well, questioning men is different. I have had some fan interaction, my limited edition meet and greet."Meat" spelled M-E-A-T. But yeah, so I think, yeah, comedy is one of my resilience. And before I go on stage, like I do a little stretch out, and because I sometimes sing, I do a quick warmup by singing Irish rebel songs.- Of course.- I do!- Yeah, and I'll do it on the train sometimes. Look round, I'll be like, no, don't look round. Freedom for Ireland. And I also do-- Sorry for everyone listening. If they wanted to just like YouTube an Irish rebel song, what would you recommend?- Well the classic for London is "Fields of Athenry."- Very good.- Yeah, isn't it?- Did you, I thought you gonna ask me, did you know that one, Reece?- I nearly did, like, do you know what I meant? Do you know what freedom looks like, Reece?- Got me. I'm trapped here, to be fair, I don't know what to do.- But I do do this thing before I go on stage where talking about resilience, where I do a shielding exercise, so I close my eyes, and I must look absolutely batshit mental if I'm just, I did it once at a gig and opened my eyes and three lads were just staring at me being like, what's her deal? Do you know what I mean? But I close my eyes, and I send some light up my body like a a bright light, and I press it out my body, and it showers down on me, over me, protecting me layer. But all the time when I'm doing that, I think of happy moments of my life, and I think of me and my aunties laughing in the kitchen in Cavan, my mum and me having giggles with my sisters. I think of my pensioners at the Irish Center, I think of particular friends I was with where we giggled so much that their knees gave way. Different moments, and it changes the different moments. And I spin them round, and almost they rain down on me like a shield. And then from behind I think of my ancestor line, all my Irish and Indian relatives and the gifts they gave me good and bad, you know, like blood pressure is in the family, but so is a gift for storytelling, and stuff like that. Think of all the gifts they gave me, good and bad. And my ancestors and my tribe and my clan are looking on me and their version of entertainment is the people that are currently living now here today. Like I am an extension of the people I've come from. So they are cheering me on, they're calling my name, and then I just imagine my go-to happy place, which is Dun Aengus on Inishmore, the biggest Aran Islands. There's a particular fort I used to hang out at, and I'm sitting in the grass, the long grass in summer. The sky is gorgeous. It's just all on my face. And then I kind of just, I kind of meditate for a few minutes. This all lasts five minutes. It's one particular song I play on my AirPods while I do it. And then I kind of breathe that out. I'm good to go. I'm shielded. Nothing will land if any anyone comes for me. But also I've got the support of my memories, my humor, my ancestors, my happy place. Boom, let's do this.- How could you not smash a gig with all that? That's unbelievable. Was that something the therapy taught you, or was that something you read, or?- I kind of come to it naturally. I was reading books on like shamanism and Celtic druidic practices.- But you need to define Celtic druidic practices for me more than anyone else.- Oh so like, so the old long before Christianity came, the belief systems of Ireland were very much nature-based and about ancestor stuff, your connection to your ancestor, which I really love'cause even to this day, elements are here of it, like thinking of your grandparents that used to be with you or whatever. But also just bringing in their power, their gift. Like Native Americans believe it's a song line. Like you are your ancestors and you have the journey, you are part of the journey. They are here, others are here, you are part of the journey with the gifts that you've got, doing the things you're going to do. So my own, like, kind of version really, but it just seemed to work and just made me feel, gosh if tonight doesn't go well, or someone throws a glass or the roof caves in, that's okay. I've done some grounding work to protect myself'cause you're being vulnerable so, yeah. I'm gonna do 23 and Me after, and try to find out if I can qualify for my Irish passport. So also before the comedy you did, you still did a lot-- Just on that, I was gonna say, but like a version you could run with is, like taking a few minutes to yourself before you go on or before you leave the house, thinking about times people you respect have told you you're funny because that will equip you with being resilient against the rest of the stuff. You see what I mean? So that one lad said he didn't think you were funny, but your Aunt Mavis who never laughs loved that gig. That agent who wants you for a coffee, Vauxhall who booked you for a Thursday, that is your resilience against that bad stuff.- Yeah, no that's really powerful. And you can take it for different sort of realms as well. So that's really, really, really cool.- Ooh, realms, you're getting into it already.- There we go. No, so before comedy, you did a lot of writing, you still do a lot of writing? I was working on historical fiction, and it's a project called The Last Empress of Calcutta, and agents were interested, and they sent me to festivals, and I got like this writing mentorship, and one of the main Booker prizes, which is a big award. Judges were mentoring me, and I loved it. It's a lot of work though, especially historical fiction. Oh good lord. I had to go to British Library, pouring through papers. Was really into it, but the writing was never easy.

Like, I'd be up at 4: 1:13:15

00 AM and be like, do I use a semicolon there? I don't know. I don't know. Do you know what I mean? I was like at wit's end, and then on one day I just thought, do you know what? I can do writing at any age. Even when I retire I can, you know, cause writing doesn't matter. But my personality is linked to comedy, and I've got more energy now than I will have at 60. So I chose, I put writing to bed, and I chose comedy. But that background absolutely informs, like I know some of the feedback I've had from judges and stuff, they've talked about my wordsmith, and like how I put sentences together, and I think there are phrases now that people have even said,"God, I can see that on a t-shirt." Like our lady of perpetual indulgence, or hell have no fury like a gay man, mildly offender. I do love wordplay and the genetics of words. So there is that. And I am working on a sitcom at the moment. So writing will come into it, and I wouldn't want necessarily, I'd wanna be part of my writing. I wanna be in the thing I'd be in.- And what's the writing process for the sitcom? Similar to the comedy where you're speaking it out loud with someone else and then it gets documented, or how?- To some extent. I mean some of my standup will come into it'cause I talk a lot about my pensioners in the standup. But yeah, I mean you have to bring it to the base at some stage. You have to do the horrible side, you know, italics, this size, this, you know, you gotta do all that. I'm not walking around the kitchen going, font 11.- The assistant's coming. I can see them very soon and type it up, please. There's lots of talents, of course. Thank you very much.- I do that when I use the, on Apple, when I use, you know, the dictation function, I'm like comma, full stop, exclamation. But yeah, so it's a mixed approach, but I think, if you're gonna do dialogue well, and I think it's really important to do that, especially with screenwriting'cause it's mainly dialogue. I think speaking aloud brings a different natural dialogue that you don't get from sitting writing. Even things that you would say, like I wrote this piece about a Magdalene Laundry survivor, and there was people from Donegal, and there were just -isms that wouldn't come out, were you at the desk. You wouldn't be like, ah, you know, you wouldn't be like, oh come on, no way. Och, listen! That just might not, you might not actively'cause it feels a little bit contrived.- Yeah.- But saying it aloud I'm doing, like, a head voice. It does.- No, that's actually powerful as well.- For the characters.- And what really impressed me is because I struggle a lot with say, I wanna take on multiple projects at once. But you were able to say, no, I'll come back to, like, historical fiction in the future.- Yeah.- I think that's not, I don't think that's a very common thing to be able to sort of, compartmentalize or whatever.- Yeah.- So how have you, how do you think about that? Is there a great, is there a big plan or what's the...?- Yeah, what I really thought was about the business side of things. Cause the bottom line is, writing isn't sexy. It's not about the personality. Like really, generally and loads of people retire at 60, and knock out a book and stuff like that. And so you can come to that at any time. There's not really linked to time as much as where if you wanted to be a singer or model or do standup. Standup less so, but it is linked to, you gotta be of a certain age to hit the clubs. You've gotta have the energy and the willpower. And so I just thought, and now is right. Now I can come back to writing. But also the minute I started writing standup, it was comedy. It was so different from literary fiction. It was so easy. It was so easy. I feel like I was just peeling back the layer, and the writing was there. As where with, with novels and short stories, I liked the end result and people liked it, but the root there was just-- Painful.- Painful.- You're on the right way, now, so that's more sort of a circle analogy or whatever.- So I think, think about the business and the reality. That's the bottom line. Like, you know, if someone, you know, you have to look at the business, you know? But anyway Dane, thank you very much for coming. What are you gonna do for the rest of your day?- After this, I am gonna chat to some of the lovely staff here at Vauxhall 'cause I know them, and then I'm going to a flotation tank.- Wow.- Which is nice.- Please explain a flotation tank for me.- So it's gonna be like a big egg-like cocoon. They play nice music, probably Enya, it's gonna be candles, ylang, ylang. There'll be someone receptionist speaks like, hi, hi, my name's Florence Happiness. And I'm gonna be putting in a massive, like, egg-like thing, hot water full of salt, like two tons of Epsom salt. And you float, and you're in the dark, and it's just really relaxing. You can hear your heartbeat. It's meant to emulate being in your mother's stomach I think, isn't it?- Wow.- But I'd heard a lot about it. I did my first session a few weeks back, and I felt so relaxed. When I lifted my arm up out of the water, I was like, well I have to carry that now. It's ridiculous that way. I felt so relaxed. There's a relaxation room afterwards. So I got three sessions.- And what are you thinking when you're in the tank?- Well, now, to be honest, the first session I was too hype. I was too into it. I was like, oh my god, I'm like a mermaid! I'm thinking today's session will be relaxing. My first one I was just,'cause I'm six foot two, it's not often I am in a space where I can float. So I was just, like, enjoying the fun of that little mermaid aerial realness. But today I've decided, I've organized myself so that I'm gonna be relaxed.- I hope it goes really well.- I love to listen to my heartbeat though and just kind of, it was darkness, little bit space-like, but my powers didn't come in yet, so I'm gonna do that.- They will come.- They will come. And then I've got a gig in Soho tonight, so I'm gonna try out a new song, and then hopefully tweak something about that, lemme see with the audience. And then Friday, I start some tour support for Sir Tom Allen. So yeah.- Well, good luck with the gig, not that you need it at all. And good luck with the tour support as well, which is amazing. And yes, thank you for coming. Thank you for everyone that can follow Dane @danecomedian, and yeah, please reach out with any feedback and subscribe or follow please reach out with any feedback and subscribe or follow and I appreciate it.- Feedback for you.- Yes, feedback. Dane does not need any feedback whatsoever. In fact, don't talk to him he is above us all.- It's not that there'll be lists. There'll be lists.- I will take the feedback.- My mother will.- She's ready Finally we get the (indistinct).- I won't give you the satisfaction, Reece. But I find some of those angles were not friendly. He looks like a Christmas gammon. He looks like a Christmas gammon.- Thanks very much, Dane- Ah, cheers.