Hi Harry. Who are you and what do you do in comedy?
Writing mostly. I've worked in the script department for CBBC, written a few unproduced sitcom pilots, and am currently working on an MA in Writing for Script & Screen. In 2019, I also started doing stand-up comedy and discovered that not only did I absolutely love the buzz of going onstage in dingy bars and basements, but that I actually made people laugh!
Tell us about how you first became involved in the comedy world.
For years, I had thought about doing stand-up, but never had the confidence. When I turned 22, I finally thought, "Sod it, let's try it once and if I die on my arse, I never have to do it again". So I signed up for an open mic at a bar just down from the road from where I lived at the time. Then, two weeks before my first gig, me and my ex-girlfriend ended our three year relationship. It was a horrible time in my life, but weirdly, it sort of helped me when it came to doing stand-up. Dying onstage and getting no laughs suddenly seemed less scary and more exhilarating! I could poke fun at myself and find the funny in the rubbish situation I was in. I loved the experience, and kept going back to open mic nights until I finally started telling people I did stand-up.
Tell us about your comedy favourites.
In terms of stand-up, my favourite of the last few years has been James Acaster. His Repertoire series on Netflix is some of the funniest, cleverest comedy I've ever seen, and I found his last tour really inspiring in how emotional and honest it was. My main writing heroes are Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci (I'm such a fan, I even won £100 on two Alan Partridge quizzes during lockdown), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag is the best comedy series of the decade), and Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton (as fearless and uncompromised as they were at the start of their careers).
The comedy industry is competitive. Why should people pick you to work with?
I have been described as a "bonny lad", "proper canny", and "willing to give people a lift home" by various comedians in the Newcastle stand-up scene. I worked really hard at writing material in my first year of stand-up, and was able to deliver a tight 10-minute set within the first few months of gigging. I'm always learning and experimenting because I have a huge respect for the craft of comedy. Writing is my main focus though, and I've received loads of lovely, humbling feedback from industry professionals and fellow writers about some of the scripts I have written. Plus, I never miss my deadlines! What more could you want?
What's the best advice you've ever been given, read or heard?
"Every comedian bombs". My second gig ever was a disaster; an abysmal set for a group of poetry enthusiasts in which I went way over my time, desperately grasping for laughs that never arrived. Walking home from the gig, I felt like a failure, but knowing that every comedian has been in the same position helped me to wear my disastrous gig as a 'battle scar' and keep on going. In terms of writing, you just have to be absolutely ruthless when writing scripts. Just because you like a joke or a visual gag doesn't mean it should be there!
Where would you like to be in 10 years' time?
I'd love to have one of my sitcom scripts produced. Writing my own comedy TV show is a dream, whether it's a failed pilot or the next comedy sensation. I'd love to still be doing stand-up, as it's always been dream to take a show to the Fringe. If I could do that in the next ten years, I would consider myself very fulfilled.
If you ever get free time, how do you spend it?
I watch far too many movies. I'm that nerd who can tell you what year some obscure horror was released in the UK, or recall a film title from the vaguest plot description imaginable. I'm very useful in a pub quiz for that reason. I'm obsessed with music. I listen to about 500 albums a year and constantly try and seek out obscure artists. I'm aware I sound like a smug hipster tosser, but my taste in music is definitely better than yours. I used to love running (I ran the Great North Run in 2019 during my year of trying to do everything) but knackered my knee, so it's just walking for me. Sticking in my headphones and walking in the country is where I get most of my inspiration from.
If a genie offered you one wish, what would you ask for?
Do I be selfish and wish for a long, successful career in comedy? Do I go selfless and wish for world peace and happiness for all of mankind? Or do I just go for something small and humble like being worshipped as a deity? Got it: Infinite wishes. Take that, genie.
Published: Friday 16th April 2021