RUSSELL KANE KING OF THE NERDS

Hyperactive comedian russell Kane will be previewing new show Smallness in Kent this week. He spoke to What’s On about his love of Lucozade, Beyonce and all things geeky

Russell Kane is renowned for his phenomenal energy on stage. So where does it come from? “Lucozade and my mum,” he laughs. “It’s a killer combination of sugar and genetics! Energy is fundamental to my act. In fact, it’s more important than almost anything else.” He says that ever since he was a child, he has needed constant stimulation. “I wanted answers to everything. On my first day at nursery, when all the other kids were sobbing and holding on to their mums’ legs, I ran away from my mother and didn’t even look back. I had to wait until I was 19 to find out what to do with my energy.” That was when he discovered stand-up. Russell, 32, recalls: “I left university and got a good job at an advertising agency. But it was so full on that I needed a hobby in the evening to divert me. I picked stand-up comedy at random. I could have done French or pottery or dance. I’d never been to live comedy in my life. But from the very first gig, something that had been locked inside me came out.” Russell has since become one of Britain’s most in-demand comedians, appearing on stage and TV, including a particularly memorable performance in the final of BBC’s Let’s Dance for Comic Relief in 2011, performing Beyoncé’s Crazy in Love. And now he is back on the road with new stand-up show Smallness, which he will be previewing at the Stag Community Arts Centre, Sevenoaks, this week before taking it on a national tour from August. Russell, a true Essex boy, says he can’t wait to be back on stage. “You have this amazing feeling when you get your first laugh. It’s very powerful and addictive. It’s like getting a big hug from everyone.”

‘You have this amazing feeling when you get your first laugh. It’s very powerful and addictive. It’s like getting a bit hug from everyone.’

“It’s also like a bungee jump – you get this tremendous feeling of elation afterwards when the laughter rolls in. It’s a bungee jump for the ego! I’ve done a lot of theatre and TV, but nothing beats the direct address of stand-up. There is no fourth wall – you’re looking straight down the barrel into the whites of the audience’s eyes. There is no filter.” Russell has also been busy compering the third series of hit BBC3 comedy show Live at the Electric, with shows recorded at Elstree Studios during the past week. He said: “Programmes like Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Roadshow are great for standup, but don’t feature sketches and characters. We wanted to make something more nerdy and underground, hosted by the king of the nerds – me!” He added: “I think it’s very positive to be geeky. My background was playing Dungeons and Dragons, and my friends were those kind of people. Geek chic should be celebrated!”