Joe Pasquale on a few of his favourite things

Comedian Joe Pasquale is heading to Wales as part of his latest tour, Joe Pasquale – A Few Of His Favourite Things.We ask him a few questions...

Q: What can you tell us about your new live stand-up show?

A: It will be singing, dancing, music, magic, mind-reading, painting and a lot of audience participation.

It’s me going out there and having a laugh. I can’t wait!

Q: The tour celebrates your 30-year career in the business. What are your memories of starting out as a stand-up?

A: I never thought I’d still be doing it 30 years later. I initially did it because I didn’t want to work for a living, but 30 years later I’m still doing it.

It’s busy, but it doesn’t seem like work at all.

Q: Do you look back on your career with pride?

A: I never look back – I learnt that from Bruce Forsyth. He told me, “Never look back, always look forward.”

I never watch myself back on TV. You can’t change it, so leave it alone. When I occasionally do, I think, “I wish I’d done that differently.”

Q: Do you still love stand-up as much as ever?

A: Definitely. I love that feeling of flying by the seat of your pants. Also, it’s just you.

You’re the performer, the producer and the editor. You go on stage and you just go with the flow.

I have a rough plan beforehand, then I just see what happens on the night. I like being scared. It makes you realise you’re alive.

I still get nervous before going on stage.

I’ve done a few parachute jumps, and it’s the same feeling.

As you’re about to start, you think, “Oh no, oh no. OK, here we go... Now I’m doing it, and it’s great!”

You just hope you have a good landing. I don’t want to be sitting on the sofa at home with my feet up. For me, that’s not experiencing life. I want to do things that really scare me.

Q: You have fantastic energy on stage. How do you keep that up?

A: It’s like skimming a stone over the water – if you let it drop, it falls. Being onstage is like juggling two pingpong balls with two hairdryers. You just have to keep going.

I just love stand-up. I hate the travelling and getting stuck in traffic – that’s the curse of this job. But the buzz is still there every time I go on stage.

Q: You have had great reviews and a tremendous audience response to your touring production of Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em. Why has it struck such a chord?

A: There is just nothing like it anymore.

People adore these characters, and they immediately recognise them.

It’s like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers. From the moment they hear the theme tune, the audience goes with it and we’re off and it’s non-stop laughter for two hours.

Q: Why is the character of Frank Spencer such a good fit for you?

A: He is so close to who I am in real life.

No acting required! I am accident-prone, and my voice is not a million miles away from Frank’s.

I remember watching Some Mothers Do ’Ave ’Em as a child and thinking, “That’s not a sitcom – it’s my daily life!”

That feeling hasn’t changed in the last 40 years.

Q: Are there any other stage roles you still long to play?

A: I’d love to play a baddie. I’d love to play Amos Hart in Chicago, Thenardier in Les Miserables or Young Frankenstein. There are so many to choose from!

Q: Who are your comedy heroes?

A: Bruce Forsyth, Ken Dodd and Bob Monkhouse.

They all had a stage skill that no one has any more.

They learned how to work an audience in variety, and they were simply the best at it.

My ultimate hero was Bob Monkhouse, as a writer, as a performer and as a man.

I knew him very well. He was so generous. He and Ken Dodd really helped me.

I’m not sure that camaraderie exists on the comedy circuit any more

Q: You made a huge impression winning I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! What did you enjoy most about your time in the jungle?

A: I loved the whole experience, but I particularly loved being away from the phone and emails.

Technology is rubbish. It’s going to kill the human race.

We all use it all the time, but none of us know how it works.

Sooner or later, we’ll all be connected to the mainframe, someone will pull the plug and no one will know what to do.

We will all end up living in caves drinking our own wee.

But on the back of I’m a Celebrity, I learnt to fly and I did a survival challenge on Alone in the Wild, so I think I could survive as a caveman!

Q: What advice would you give to young, up-and-coming performers?

A: Enjoy it. It doesn’t matter how much money you make; if you can earn a living from showbiz, that’s a success.

Also, don’t stick to a rigid career plan. No one plans any more. The world is in such a corrupt state that no one knows what’s going on and planning doesn’t work. You simply have to go with the flow and see what happens.

■ Joe Pasquale will be appearing at Pavilion Mid Wales in Llandrindod Wells tonight and at Rhyl Pavilion on September 27. ■ Visit www.joe pasquale. com