It’s not every day a television comedian stands in front of you and tells you about their clumsy happenings and accidental naked ramblings.
But a Southsea theatre audience will undoubtedly find it hilarious as they hear all the antics that Andy Parsons gets up to when he’s not on Mock the Week or Live at the Apollo.
![Andy Parsons reveals life as a comedian during his stage performance]()
Andy Parsons reveals life as a comedian during his stage performance
The political satirist and self-confessed news junkie will reveal the on-goings of his daily life during The Kings Theatre show on Saturday (April 13) as part of his stand up tour I’ve Got A Shed.
With references to topical news and events, the comedian said the show will dip into a self-deprecating autobiographical nature and ultimately he will unveil the reasons behind the affection for his shed.
“I have a fondness for my shed,” said Andy. “There is an armchair in the shed and there is also a TV in the shed and an exercise bike. The idea is that if anyone comes down the garden path I can jump quickly from the armchair onto the exercise bike.
“The show sort of relates to having to actually get out of your shed and do something and try and combat my own laziness at the start of the show. Then I manage to widen it out to have a good look at all my other failings. And that’s pretty much the first half.
“They always say if you dish it out can you take it? So I thought I’d give myself a bit of a lashing early doors.
“If they know nothing about me, they’ll certainly know a lot more about me by the end of the two hours.”
Andy clearly takes life light-heartedly and doesn’t mind sharing a few of his “gonzo comedy” moments, including when he – in his words – rather cleverly tried to step off the back of a bus aiming to swiftly land at the stop as it continued moving.
He failed to do so. But got a few laughs from fellow bus travellers. That’s the beauty of the business, he said.
“I’m not one of those people who go out of their way and who say I think I could get five minutes out of this,” he said. “I have just had a small child, so I have lots of stories about having a small child. I didn’t have a small child so I could talk about it on stage.
“Similarly I don’t fall off a bus deliberately because I think here we go this is going to be good. But you can imagine that if people do know who you are and you’re in a hotel naked at four o’clock in the morning, then some questions will be asked.”
And yes, The Kings Theatre audience will get to hear that tale unravel!
His first television job writing scripts for Spitting Image, a puppet sketch show in the early ‘90s that satirised politics and entertainment was a kick-start to his career and the beginning of his stand-up.
Since then, the Dorset-born comedian and writer has teamed up with university friend Henry Naylor for their show Parsons and Naylor’s Pull-Out Sections, has starred on popular British panel shows and travelled world-wide to perform at comedy festivals.
All the while the 2013 tour will be sticking to his satirical roots.
“I am something of a news junkie and being thrown into the deep end with Spitting Image was a great start,” Andy said.
“When you sit down to write you think I can’t believe that’s happened, why has that happened, you get a little bit angry and then it’s not a million miles to turn that anger into comedy.
“The whole of the second half, once I’ve had a go at myself, is to have a go at everybody else and at the moment politicians are at a very low end.”
He said with a chuckle: “They’re regarded less trustworthy than even journalists.
“There will be a bit of me, a bit of politics and a bit of talking about the general public and a little bit of reality TV and celebrity culture. Certainly I can guarantee there will be jokes that wouldn’t ever make it to the television.”
Expect tales, ridicule and self-mockery and perhaps throw in an odd drunk heckler – like at Andy’s last show at the Southsea venue two years ago, where one over-indulged heckler kept appearing at different doors while being escorted from the building – and it’s bound to a belly-rumbling laugh of a show.
He added: “It’s nice to get more than the superficial thing that you get on the telly and you get a chance to chat more in depth so that is the advantage of doing two hours.
“There is the story of being naked at 4 o’clock in the morning. There will be a song and dance routine at the end, although I can’t sing and I can’t dance, so there is something to look forward to on that front.
“There will be an elongated story of a massive argument with a bank and there will be some fairly in-depth talk of some stuff that happened involving a school photography competition, which seems to be fairly memorable, and they’ll also learn how to impress their partner in bed.”
For tickets visit www.kings-southsea.com.
