Circuit Training 15: Markus Birdman

Having toyed with crucifixion on a few of his old posters, Markus Birdman is now at a proper crossroads. The London-based comic made a big splash with a couple of religion-based Edinburgh shows a few years back, Son of a Preacher Man and Sympathy for the Devil, which led to some interesting telly work. Not that he's devoted much attention to that side of things, until recently.

While a good few of his contemporaries have gone on to household-name status, Birdman has been living the purist stand-up dream, pushing the envelope by doing gigs in far-flung places - India, the Middle East, Scandinavia, South Africa. Now it's time to put down a few roots though, and if that means getting famous, so be it.

You're probably best known for those two religion-themed Edinburgh shows, in 2007 and '08 - and your big television break was even in the 'God Slot'?

That's right, I did Heaven and Earth. I'd done quite a bit of stand up on TV and some talking-head, vox-pop things, but it was the first TV where I was being me. Heaven and Earth did finish right after that, although I don't think that was my fault.

'Destroyed Heaven and Earth' would look quite impressive on the CV...

'I moved Heaven and Earth,' yeah, that's true. It's funny, I had quite a lot of negotiations with the religious department of the BBC in Manchester and one of the producers there, every time I'm in Manchester I go and have lunch with her and we're trying to formulate a good programme for me to head up. We've been bandying around ideas.

What sort of ideas have you been bandying?

Perhaps a follow-up: in '99 I went to Jerusalem to find born-again Christians awaiting the return of Jesus, and I did lots of interviews, from the crazies right through to perfectly credible people, who were waiting for the apocalypse. So I was trying to pitch an idea of going back to see how much egg on their faces some of these people had. We've been trying to crack it but as yet no-one's bitten.

A religious show might actually cross over, if someone of your ilk was presenting it.

Well this producer, this is exactly her point: you need to make religion more relevant, and Markus Birdman's your man because he's a bit younger and he's a doubter but he's not disrespectful and it would be a good thing. But as yet we haven't got anywhere.

You do a lot of foreign gigs - do those audiences always get what you're on about?

Different things work: in a routine, they'll laugh in different places, which is odd. I do a lot of stuff about being a dad these days, and that's relevant to everyone and anyone really, and I hope any age group. I've done it to students and it doesn't seem exclusive, they were that child and they will be that mum and dad eventually. But everywhere has a lot of exposure to British comedy, from Monty Python to The Office to Little Britain, it's all on the CV so they get British humour.

Is all that travel stopping you progressing in the UK though?

It feels to me now, to be a successful stand-up, you also need to be on TV. I did a tour last year with Paul Sinha and you're just playing to half an audience really, and I know why this is. So yes, it probably does stop me doing more, and this year I'm going to have a second look at it. I've been doing it for ten years now and all I ever wanted to do was be as good a stand-up as I can, so what's the next move? Whether it's a TV or radio show or something different I'm not entirely sure...

Perhaps he needs a little guidance from above.

[i]To find out more about Markus visit his website: markusbirdman.com