If you love stand-up then you’ll love to know that Stewart Francis is heading to St David’s Hall in Cardiff on the 2 May as part of the All-Star Stand-Up Tour 2017 and he’ll be joined by Justin Moorhouse, Jarred Christmas and Mike Gunn.
So before Canadian comic Stewart Francis heads to St David’s Hall he tells us about his career, his love of Cardiff and returning to St David’s Hall on Tuesday 2 May.
You’ve performed at St David’s Hall three times since 2012 to full houses. Are you looking forward to returning to Cardiff?
It’s going to sound like I say this everywhere, but Cardiff audiences are just fantastic. I usually play Cardiff on a Friday or Saturday night and it’s always packed and ramped full of so much wonderful energy and excitement. I have nothing but fond memories of St David’s Hall and Cardiff.
Tell us about the other three comedians on the bill. Are you a fan of their work?
Not really (laughs). No, they’re all brilliant – it’s an All-Star Tour! We’ve had to have a last-minute replacement as originally featured was Jim Tavaré, but he was involved in a horrific car accident in America – the things people will do to avoid doing comedy gigs! But he’s been replaced by Mike Gunn, who is also brilliant. There’s also Jarred Christmas, Justin Moorhouse and my good self, so it’s just a great night out with four very different styles of comedy and more bang for your buck.
Jim was really beaten up, but there’s talk of him being on next year’s tour, and thankfully he’s on the mend now. He recently posted (on social media) that without insurance his hospital bills would’ve been $600,000. Can you imagine?!
What was it like supporting Ricky Gervais?
It exposed me to the biggest rooms I’d ever done at the time. I did 59 dates with Ricky, so to see that aspect of show business was very gratifying. I’d heard that he and Stephen Merchant were fans of mine and we had the same agent, so it organically happened. He (Ricky) was just a silly man, always giggling, but he’s got a business side as he’s hugely successful.
How different is it performing in front of a British crowd compared to Canadian and American audiences?
Significantly different. That’s why I’ve been here for 10 years. British audiences will connect the dots, you don’t have to spell out a joke whereas in America you really have to spell it out for the most part. Canada is kind of a mix of the two. I’m well received in all three countries, but particularly in the UK. My British parents’ influence seems to have seeped into me as I have a very dry, British sense of humour.
Comedy seems a lot more accessible on TV in the last 10 years. Do you think British comedy is in a good place right now?
From my perspective it is, but it seems now there’s too much comedy on television. It happened in America in the 80s – there was a lot of stand-up comedy every night, three or four different shows and it was an over-saturation. I think we are experiencing that somewhat in the UK. That’s why it’s vital for people to get out and support stand-up at comedy clubs. We’ll never lose it because we’ll always need to laugh, but my understanding is that the circuit isn’t quite as vibrant as it once was.
In 2012, you won the award for funniest joke at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. What was it?
It was “Do you know who really gives kids a bad name?…Posh & Becks.”
I’m pretty convinced that I’ve got jokes that are stronger, but I can’t begrudge the fact that I was selected and I’m grateful for the experience.
Is that your favourite gag?
No. It’s like naming your favourite child (which for me is Trevor). You shouldn’t do it (even though I just said Trevor is my favourite child). I’ve written a joke a couple of days ago, and that’s my favourite. It’s fresh and I can’t wait to do it in front of an audience, so the one you’ve just written should be your favourite joke.
Do you find the one-liners hard to switch off in your personal life?
No, I can turn it off quite easily. I went to the beautiful country of Costa Rica recently with my lovely, young wife for two weeks and I think I came up with just one joke on the day we were leaving, so that was almost me getting back into ‘comedy mode’.
I appreciate that sometimes it can dry up a wee bit, but just live your life and the jokes will come to you. If you consciously sit down to write a joke, that’s where writer’s block kicks in. Often times that will happen if you’ve got a deadline or the tour is coming up and you haven’t got all your material together. That’s why I like to prepare so much for my tour and take so much time between them.
How does Stewart Francis the man differ to your onstage persona?
It’s a character in a sense, but it’s not as extreme as some of the other one-liner characters out there. I’m silly, but my wife thinks I’m funnier off-stage which I believe is a compliment! What you see is what you get, and material-wise you have no idea of who I am. When I leave the stage you don’t know anything about me or my views. Hopefully, all you’ll think is that I was funny.
Was comedy something you always wanted to do?
I was like anyone else telling a joke and people’s laughter is the validation that you’re funny. I was a funny kid, and I didn’t use it for anything other than to be funny. I didn’t use being funny as a buffer as some kids do to make sure they weren’t bullied. I’ve always had a good sense of humour and enjoyed making people laugh. I don’t need to, but I like to.
Who are your influences and are there bits of these acts reflected in your style?
Growing up I watched Rodney Dangerfield and British comedians like Les Dawson. I loved all their rapid-fire jokes and then the big “GOODNIGHT!” It left the audience breathless, and I hope to do the same in Cardiff.
What happens if they don’t laugh? The thought of freezing onstage must be terrifying!
Well, if that happens you just draw attention to it – “God, that didn’t go well!” That reaction in itself will release any tension from the audience’s perspective. It allows you to distance yourself from the joke and have fun with it. With so many jokes in my arsenal, I’m confident that I can go “If you didn’t like that one, this one will grab you.” You’ve always got to have the confidence that you can get them back.
Do you experience many problems with heckling?
Not really. Back in the day when doing the circuit, you would have the occasional drunk, but we don’t have that so much in Canada. Heckling over there is really frowned upon and it’s usually negative, but over here I quickly found it’s like banter. I’m not a fan of it in that the when the performer’s onstage the least you can do is give them your utmost attention. But the higher my profile gets the more the audience that comes to see me are fans of mine, and I don’t think they would want to stop that momentum I’ve created with the audience.
With your brand of quick-fire one-liners, you must find that people steal your gags?
They have indeed, and one-liner material is so easily nicked. Having said that, I’m very proud of the comedy industry in how it polices itself. If you gain a reputation for being a joke thief, you’re a pariah. People will out you, they will name and shame you so it doesn’t happen very often to my knowledge. But there could a kid in Sydney, Australia, who fancies his chances at being a comedian and over the course of an evening he can just go on the internet and come up with 10 minutes of comedy gold, and then he can go out to the local comedy club and just blow the roof off the place with people thinking he or she is just the greatest thing ever.
But that’s the world we live in and the reality of things. The internet has also enhanced my career though, and fortunately, it doesn’t happen that often.
Comedians can be criticised for not being edgy enough, but then get in trouble for causing offence. Is this something that bothers you?
If you’re doing it just to push people’s buttons then I’m not a fan of that on or off-stage. But if it’s outright funny, then I’m all over that. Some of my material is quite dark, but I texture it. After a dark joke, I’ll come in with something light because otherwise, it can become a theme. But I’m not a big fan of just shock comedy just for the sake of shocking people.
What is planned for the future?
My sitcom script is still being shopped around. I’m writing a screenplay, so you just keep writing with the hopes that one of these things takes. I also spread my acting wings whenever I can. I’m hoping to get some wonderful parts in films or television shows. Whatever comes my way of interest really, but right now I’m focusing on The All-Star Stand-Up Tour which is coming to Cardiff – book early to avoid disappointment!
Stewart Francis All-Star Stand-Up Tour
The All-Star Stand-Up Tour 2017 comes to St David’s Hall on Tuesday 2 May at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £20 (plus an additional £3.95 Ticket Service Charge per transaction and an optional £1 postage fee).
To book your seats, please visit www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk or call the Box Office on 029 2087 8444.
Recommended age limit: 15+
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
