Sammy Dobson

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Friday 8th April 2022

To Newcastle, where a select band of the North-East's best comics are doing a benefit for Red Cross Ukraine, at The Stand on Monday night.

That show features Gavin Webster, Lee Kyle, Matt Reed, Catherine Young, Rahul Kohli, and today's First Gig guest, Sammy Dobson. Why does that name sound familiar, unsuspecting southerners may ask? Well, the actor-turned-comic has a couple of highbrow new projects... hang on, no: a couple of eyebrow-raising new projects.

"It's incredible how often I try and tell myself I'm not just a sex-obsessed grotbag and try and write material on anything else in the world," muses Dobson. "And yet..."

There's a work-in-progress solo show, What Would The Jazz Gimp Do?, which though "centred around my visit to a Berlin sex club is actually way more about life and death and embracing your quirks and peccadilloes (be they sexual or otherwise!)"

And there's also a podcast, Free Pass, that she probably didn't pitch to Radio 4, first.

"The podcast - which I really wanted to call Desert Island Dicks but sadly that has been taken - takes the format of, you've guessed it, Desert Island Discs, but instead of songs you choose the eight celebrities you'd like to have sex with. On a desert island. Oh the chaffing..."

Gritty. More urgently, though, there's Monday's Ukraine benefit, which just shows that anyone can do their bit.

"I think everyone wants to help in any way they can no matter how big or small that is, so I'm glad I'm able to do a job where I can donate time as well as money and things," says Dobson. "I mean, none of it seems enough. But it's surely better everyone does what they can, than no-one bothering at all.

"The gig itself is going to be lovely! All local acts in the region's biggest comedy club, the audience and acts can feel good for doing something to help, and have a laugh to boot!"

They all Stand together. But when did stand-up start for Dobson?

First gig?

I was pretty lucky as my first gig was arranged by BBC Newcastle for Red Nose Day - an event called Stand Up If You Dare back in 2013. The idea was 10 people who had never done stand-up before doing their first ever gigs for charity.

So I got to do something I'd always wanted to do but been too terrified to try but for a good cause. Win-win! If it turns out you're desperately unfunny but you've raised a few hundred quid for charity you won't feel like so much of a failure.

About 300 people were there and, as they knew it was everyone's first gig, the audience were generous and lovely. Of course, it actually turned out that most of the other acts had been gigging about a year. Sadly, you couldn't tell.

Unfortunately I booked loads of open spots after this, expecting them to all be as lovely and have rarely found myself more wrong. The second gig I did, the audience were encouraged to throw shoes at the acts they didn't enjoy.

Favourite show, ever?

Luckily, it happened only a few weeks ago. It would be a sorry state of affairs if it was from years ago I suppose.

Felt Nowt, a comedy cooperative for the comedians (and comedy fans) of the North East held a gig at The Tyne Theatre - beautiful old theatre in the middle of Newcastle - on International Women's Day and had every female comedian in the North East perform with all the money going to Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland.

The audience were gorgeous, a lot of the acts had never played to so many people or in such a stunning venue so they were excited and nervous and got loads of love and support from the established acts and over £7000 was raised for charity.

Sometimes comedy can feel a bit jaded and cynical (depending on who you're sharing the green room with...) but the love and support between the acts was genuinely heart-warming. As was another act carefully removing my wedgie for me before I walked on stage. Now that's sisterhood.

Worst gig?

Probably the one in Sunderland (my fifth ever gig) where a large man said "You'd better be fucking funny" then flashed me the knife concealed in his coat. He obviously only did it to shit me up but it absolutely worked, so well done that large man.

Which one person influenced your comedy life most significantly?

It's probably two pairs of people. I'm nothing if not greedy. Vic & Bob are, without a doubt, the biggest and most important comedy heroes I have. It was watching them at four years old that I realised I could do that as a job. They were grownups titting about for money. Incredible.

But I would never have been exposed to Vic & Bob at such a young age if it wasn't for my Mam and Dad who have been taking me to comedy since that very first Big Night Out tour. They used to sneak me into 18+ comedy clubs when I was 14 and rehearse my lies with me (DOB, job etc.) And I couldn't be more grateful.

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

About six months ago I MC'd The Stand in Newcastle and a formerly fairly big name comedian was making his return to comedy after a break. I was excited having seen him years ago (as, I assume, an underage kid).

I introduced him to the stage as a legend, someone I was excited to see and then he went on and was horrifically racist, homophobic and anti-masky. I think the time he'd had off had been spent gobbling up crazy pills and furiously wanking over a photo of Hitler.

Safe to say the audience were not on my side after that one.

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

Yes but it is absolutely horrible so I just keep it for the pub...

Any reviews, heckles or post-gig reactions stick in the mind?

I did a gig in the depths of Glasgow in a pool hall. I should have been alerted to what was awaiting me by the fact a man fell down the entry stairs completely arseholed as I arrived and the bouncers helped him back in to the venue.

But the heckle came as I grabbed the mic and breathed in, before I'd said my first word or notion of one: "I'm going to rape you up the arse". Not shouted. Not whispered. Just conversationally loud enough for all to hear.

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

I worked at BBC 6Music when I was 20 as a sidekick. Stephen Merchant presented the show and kept telling me to do stand-up and I was too scared. It took nearly dying in a car crash and a charity event to make me actually do it nearly 10 years later. I wish I'd listened and started sooner. But that aside, I'm happy. I'm doing the thing I wanted to do when I was four for a living, and not many people can say that!

The Stand, Newcastle's Benefit for Ukraine is on Monday 11th April. Info & Tickets