‘Chubster’ Hal returns for a second bite
STAND-UP comedian and former BBC traffic reporter, Hal Cruttenden, will be welcomed back to Southport Comedy Festival this Friday.
The comedian, also a writer and actor, has recently appeared on Have I Got News For You, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, Bake Off: Extra Slice, and Live At The Apollo, and returns to the Bold Hotel after his sold-out show there last year.
He has had bit parts on EastEnders and Kavanagh QC in the 1990s, and once voiced BBC traffic reports.
He is in the middle of his 2019 tour, Chubster, which has had extra dates added due to phenomenal demand.
Hal said: “You get used to touring quite quickly. At the moment, I’m doing two or three gigs a week so there are little breaks between.
“I am really looking forward to returning to Southport Comedy Festival.
“It was a brilliant show last time and the Southport crowd is really warm, probably so long as you don’t suck up to them too much – and I kind of play the London snob so it’s fine.
“I feel like my audience has to be quite open-minded as I start the show with a little dance so I’m really glad they’ve accepted me.”
Chubster, was given its name by Hal’s two daughters. He said: “They’re teenagers now but they’ve called me Chubster since they were six and I’ve realised they’ve never really respected me.
“I thought it would be quite funny to have the name as Chubster, then go on a diet and actually be a slim guy on tour but I haven’t lost any weight. It’s quite hard to lose weight on tour so here I am, a chubster on tour. I’ll never ask them again!”
Hal’s a bubbly performer but not afraid to address current political issues in his stand-up.
He said: “I was recently described as a cheeky chappy but I actually think I’m more hard-hitting than that. I am capable of being quite silly and shallow but I include what’s currently happening in Britain.
“I feel it’s almost irresponsible not to. Brexit will get mentioned as it’s like being in Russia during the Russian Revolution and not mentioning it.
“I think it’s quite scary for comedians, either side of the debate, to give their opinions on matters, but I feel like if you explain it’s just your opinion and you’re giving it honestly, people are okay. I’m not trying to change anyone’s minds and I rarely upset anybody, although sometimes I may have quite liked that.”
Before comedy, Hal trained as an actor and was a traffic reporter for BBC Radio Five Live between acting jobs.
He said: “It was a very sensible job. You couldn’t really mess around. I remember giving some advice when the A5 was backed up like ‘sell your car and stay at home’ or something and you’re not really allowed to do that.
“The most interesting aspect of it was probably that it was at Broadcasting House and I was part of their news gathering team. I was working the night shift when I found out Princess Diana had died before it hit all the mainstream media.”
For the future, he has a lot of exciting ideas and projects he would like to work on. He said: “Maybe it’s just me getting older and I’m indulging myself, but I’m working on a video blog about rugby matches. I’ll be popping up on telly and there’ll no doubt be a few celebrity quizzes.
“I really want to write my own TV sitcom and perform in it. I’m quite a moany person but I won’t moan once I’ve achieved that.
“Everything’s just at the stage of working out formats and ideas at the moment but it’s all very exciting.”
Tickets for Hal Cruttenden’s Chubster show are £13.50 from southport comedyfestival.com