This is the longest I’ve gone without a gig in 21 years
COMEDIAN JOHN BISHOP TELLS MARION McMULLEN ABOUT HIS BRUSH WITH COVID AND THE DELIGHT OF TOURING AGAIN
Has this been a busy time?
Yeah, doing Doctor Who. I’ve been in Cardiff (filming) Monday to Friday most weeks. Like everyone, I grew up watching Doctor Who and it was a big part of my childhood. You then kind of grow out of it, move on, but then pick it up again. To get the opportunity to be part of it all is great.
I had to do my audition on the Tardis and that was quite something. I just thought ‘if I don’t get the job I’m not bothered... I’ve been on the Tardis’.
You and your wife fell ill with Covid on Christmas Day. How are you both doing now?
We’re double-jabbed, we’re good, but it was the worst Christmas. Millions of people have been through what we’ve been through and suffered a lot worse, but it was the worst virus I’ve ever had.
There were no lasting effects for us as there have been for other people, but I also know other people who have had it and have had no symptoms. I think that is the thing about it; it’s not uniform. I’m sure in years to come we’ll learn more and more about the nuances about the virus.
The big impact is that it separated everyone because of the lockdowns and I suppose, in some respects, we now all want to move on to the next phase.
Are you enjoying returning to stand-up again?
I’ve been lucky I’ve been working throughout everything, but what I’ve been doing is nothing like what I normally do. It’s not the same buzz as being on a stage.
I’m looking forward to touring again. There’s no apprehension at all because it’s what I do. It’s my day job.
Everything else is a bonus. This is the longest I’ve been without doing a gig, ever, since I started gigging 21 years ago.
It’s amazing that things we take for granted, that we think will always be there, were taken away in such a dramatic fashion. If I had known how long it was going to last I might have made better use of my time. If I thought it was going to be for a year, I could have signed up for an online course.
What did you miss most during the lockdowns?
I missed community. I missed people. I missed going for a coffee when I wanted to go for a coffee. I obviously missed gigging. I missed the ability to plan. I missed the ability to control my own life. I missed all the things everyone else missed. I missed family. My father-in-law died during this time and we missed the opportunity to give him the funeral he would normally have had.
I think in many respects going back on tour, going back to art galleries, cinemas, restaurants or football matches – anything that was normal – we are now all going back to it with fresh eyes and realising what a precious thing it all is.
Did you pile on any lockdown pounds?
I lost a little bit of weight. I managed to tick over and that has been a godsend to be able to get out and exercise.
The mental well-being from exercise and entertainment are the same thing. The endorphin release you get I am sure is very, very similar and I think those are the things we all want to get back to. I’ve done a few small gigs in Bristol’s Hen and Chicken and it was like being a member of a secret society. You go upstairs, in the dark in a pub, and sit next to people who do not know each other.
What is the Give It A Go initiative you will be shining a spotlight on on tour?
It allows people the opportunity to kind of break the ice. It’s basically, if you wear a badge saying Give It A Go you are allowing other people to say hello to you. That is the top and bottom of it. It’s nothing more than an ice breaker, an excuse for people, not to look at their phones, but to look at each other in the face.
Millions of people have been through what we’ve been through and suffered a lot worse, but it was the worst virus I’ve ever had.
Is it too soon to be making jokes about the virus?
(Laughs) Ask me next week. We’ll soon find out, won’t we? I don’t think it’s too soon to make jokes, but you’ve got to bear in mind it might be too soon for some of the audience to hear it. Some will have lost family members. It’s like any comedy. There is a thin line to walk down, but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t.
You’ve launched a podcast with writer, actor and director Tony Pitts called Three Little Words three words that are important to people and one they never want to hear again. What word do you never want to hear again? Lockdown.
■ John Bishop’s Right Here Right Now UK tour runs until next April. See john bishop online.com for ticket details.