You’re not sure if a masked audience is having a good time
ED BYRNE TELLS MARION McMULLEN ABOUT COMEDY IN THE TIME
How has it been performing comedy since the pandemic?
I’ve done a few bits and pieces, but nothing feels like a proper gig yet. I’ve done social distancing gigs. (Laughs) I’m no stranger to appearing before 400 people in a 1,200 seater.
I did a pilot scheme in Nottingham and did 20 minutes to a half empty room. It was like going back to the 90s again. And audiences are in masks so you’re not sure if they are having a good time or not.
I’ve done some drive-in shows as well. People honk their horns if they are having a laugh and flash their lights to let you know they are applauding. Who would have thought honking horns and flashing lights would be good things?
I’ve also done a handful of Zoom gigs, but I find them the most difficult. I don’t think anyone has found a way to make them work for stand-up comedy and to get feedback from an audience that works.
You are taking part in Just The Tonic summer comedy shows. Are you looking forward to performing before audiences again?
Indeed. I was doing my If I’m Honest... tour, I was right in it, when everything was put on hold. That’s coming back in September as well after an 18 month gap.
I’ll have to see what still works and what doesn’t. A lot of the stuff isn’t topical because I’m talking about my life and my kids, but when I started doing the show the boys were around six and seven and by the time I finish the tour in New Zealand they are probably going to be 12 or 13.
Is it too soon to make jokes about the pandemic?
It’s interesting. It’s possible people will not want to even think about the pandemic. I know TV writers who write big comedy and drama scripts and it’s a question that they are having at the moment.
If you make a film now do you reference what’s happened or place it in a world where the pandemic never happened.
No-one thought the pandemic would last so long. I liken it to being on a plane and being told there’s a half hour delay and then you find you’ve been sitting on the tarmac for six hours. If they knew it was going to be that long why didn’t they let us off the plane and let us back in the terminal?
No-one told me ‘you’re not going to be touring for 18 months’ or I would have planned it better.
What have you been doing during lockdowns?
A lot of gardening... and my back is killing me. I’m not sure if that’s because I’m nearly 50 or because of all the gardening. I’ve done a vegetable patch, laid a path and built a gazebo.
I did not know my body was capable of it all. Now jobs are coming in again and I find myself thinking ‘the tomatos need tying up and I’m going to be away for a week and I’ve hired a woodchipper‘. Dragging myself away from the garden might be tricky.
You’ve also been filming podcast Ed Venturing. What is it about?
I’m really into hill walking and I thought I would invite some showbusiness chums to come walking with me.
It seemed like a good idea, but it turned out to be quite tricky. We needed a
camera man and there are not really that many places within easy distance of London, where most people live, so it became a two day job.
Stuart Maconie, who is president of Ramblers, did it and Rhod Gilbert, Hal Cruttenden and Desiree Burch and the films are up on YouTube, but then the travel ban came into force.
There are more coming though. I did go to Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons with Russell Howard and it was the only place in the UK where the sun was not splitting the flags. It was chucking it down.
It was so bad we had to say ‘we’re just not going to be able to do this’ but we are going to try and rearrange it.
Marcus Brigstocke even phoned me and asked if he could do one of the walks. There also maps on the podcast so people can do the walks themselves if they want to.
What have you missed most during lockdowns?
Doing stand-up is the thing I’ve missed most, but I’ve also missed acquaintances, friends of friends, people you get on well with but you don’t know well enough to phone or speak to them on Zoom.
It’s great not having to speak to people you can’t be a**ed about, but acquaintances just disappeared from your life.