Bec Hill

Remember at school when your careers teacher asked what you wanted to be? Nowadays kids probably just say 'Bec Hill.' The popular Aussie is an increasingly multi-stringed stand-up with a Soho Theatre run starting next week, and a lovely line in self-drawn animations - look out for her first self-directed studio project in the near future.

She also runs a much-loved multi-comic show, Pun Run (with a big charity special at the Southbank Centre's Udderbelly coming up), is in a family-friendly double act, Bec & Tom's Awesome Laundry, also at the Udderbelly soon, and - here's the clincher - now co-hosts a chat show about superheroes, DC Fancast, on Sky. A chat show about superheroes! "It's basically my dream job," says Hill.

This weekend she's also making her fourth trip to Kilkenny's Cat Laughs Festival, "this insane weekend of shows with massively impressive line-ups in this tiny Irish town and everyone just goes mental," she says. "I'll be doing the Kitten Club shows there - which are kids shows, and not to be confused with sexy shows, which is a mistake a stag party made a few years back - as well as some other lovely gigs."

"The best thing about it is drinking with all the big-name comics in the evening. You're just hanging around with these people you've idolised since you were a teenager - it's very surreal."

Time to go back where it all began.

First gig?

Early 2005 in Adelaide. It was a heat of the Raw Comedy competition at the Rhino Room. There was maybe about 50-60 people there. My jokes were bad. Like, really lame. But I'd rehearsed them over and over again and was one of the only acts who knew their set off by heart, so I managed to make it through to the next round. The crowd were really supportive, but looking back, they must have felt so uncomfortable. I was so rubbish! Ha ha.

Favourite show, ever?

I think sometimes I enjoy the shows which go a bit chaotic more than the ones where everything goes perfectly. I filmed a DVD late last year, which should be coming out with Go Faster Stripe shortly. It was a hot mess. I forgot to invite anyone, so the audience is only about 20 people who have never seen me before. There's bits where I forget my set, and one moment where I have to go back stage to find a prop and an audience member starts telling jokes while I'm gone.

The producer asked me if I'd like to edit out the mistakes, but I actually think the show is funnier with all the mistakes in. It's a great stand-up DVD of how NOT to make a stand-up DVD and it makes me laugh more than anything else I've watched back. It's so bad, it's good.

Worst gig?

I did a half-hour set in this tiny upper-class golfing town in Scotland and the audience were all aged 60+ and they just hated me. They just sat there, staring at me. For 30 minutes. They didn't even heckle. No polite laughter. No smiles. They just waited for me to do my time. As I walked off, one of the elderly volunteer ushers patted me on the back and said, "You're very brave." I went backstage and cried.

I wish that was the end of it, but two years later, I went back, thinking I knew what I'd done wrong. Nope. 30 minutes of silence again. Sometimes, you just have to accept that some people don't like what you do.

Who's the most disagreeable person you've come across in the business?

There is a promoter in London who I will never gig for, purely because of his reputation. I'm normally a big believer in giving people a chance, but I've just heard so many horror stories about how he treats his audience and acts that I just don't think it's worth my time. Perhaps if I was just starting out, I'd give his club a go. But fortunately, I'm in a position now where I don't need to put myself in uncomfortable situations just for the stagetime.

Weirdest gig?

I was booked to do a Comic Relief charity gig in a restaurant once. Which seemed like a nice idea, until I rocked up and noticed that there was no stage, no mic, no performance area, so to speak. Just a normal restaurant.

There was also no signage anywhere to suggest that comedy was going to take place. They also didn't book an MC. So it was just a bunch of comedians taking turns to stand in the middle of the restaurant and yell jokes at confused people trying to eat their dinners. It was like reverse-heckling.

Is there one routine/gag you loved, that audiences inexplicably didn't?

Story of my life, mate! I have loads of stuff which audiences never really got into. The shortest one I think is just: "There's a word for people like you... Dopplegangers." I love that joke, but I've just never been able to get it to work when said aloud. This isn't a request for people to tweet me with their suggestions, by the way!

What's your best insider travel tip, for touring comics?

If you sign up to the Gatwick Airport wi-fi account thing, you can get a voucher for a free hot drink from Pret-A-Manger every time you're there and you don't need to buy anything.

The most memorable review, heckle or post-gig reaction?

Obviously, I WANT to tell you about the good ones! But the most recent memorable one was a kid who threw a piece of popcorn at me within the first minute of my set at a Comedy Club 4 Kids gig. I picked it up, ran over to him, and force-fed it to him. I know what you're thinking and, yes, I AM available for birthday parties.

How do you feel about where your career is at, right now?

Well, this year I learnt the term, "Imposter Syndrome". I feel like it's going too well. I've had so many cool opportunities this year and I just keep thinking it's some sort of trick. I keep waiting for all the people to be like, "Haaaaahhh! Just kidding! You're terrible and no one likes you!"

Bec is at Kilkenny's Cat Laughs festival this weekend: thecatlaughs.com

And has two shows coming up at Udderbelly at the South Bank Centre: udderbelly.co.uk