‘I’m a 31-year-old dad, TikTok terrifies me’

Comedian Jacob Hawley talks Piers Morgan, personal comedy, and playing the Purple Turtle

COMEDIAN Jacob Hawley is touring his latest standup show, Bump, in venues across the UK, including Reading’s Purple Turtle.

The show is a culmination, he says, of “a funny couple of years– I wanted to focus on live work.

“I did three series of my podcast, I was doing a lot of radio stuff and scripted stuff for TV, but I missed live stuff.

“Somewhere like the Purple Turtle: a small room, low ceiling– you can see the whites of everyone’s eyes and that’s what I’ve wanted so much.”

He says also that he likes to have something to build towards, such as a show, as a comedian: “This term ‘special,’ I think, is a big deal in America and a lot of British comics are following that pattern now.

“I really liked the idea that you kind of build towards that– it’s like music in that there isn’t much of a market in digital sales, from an economics perspective.

“You don’t really think about how you make money from a special until you take it on the road, as a comedian.

“But there is still a gig economy–

I’m still performing five nights a week, which is the best way of finding and reaching an audience.”

As social media continues to drive so much engagement in sectors of every profession, Jacob admits it scares him still.

“I’m a 31-year-old dad, so TikTok terrifies me– but at the same time what’s more scary: setting up a TikTok account and putting out a few clips or trying to impress one person who works at Radio 4 who has about 3,000 show ideas submitted to them.

“This new way of working certainly created a kind of democracy and meritocracy that wasn’t there before.

“It’s the reason I’m touring; it’s tour or die – you don’t need someone to put you on a stage any more, you build an audience and they’ll find a stage for you.”

Jacob says that his show, Bump, isn’t as topical as previous works have been: “When I started a few years ago, I had a focus on socio-political topics.

“In the four years since my first hour

I’ve become a lot more personal on stage, but even that is changing again.

“Naturally, my politics and my opinions have changed, and that’s something that I’ve found really inspires the material, things really click.

“It’s been really inspiring in terms of allowing myself to change and develop with the show.”

The show deals with Jacob’s personal life, too: “It’ll be daft not to acknowledge it– my show’s about a false start at becoming a parent.”

It deals with Jacob’s response to a miscarriage, which lends context to the title, Bump.

“I really didn’t want kids, but it turned my life upside down in ways that were so surprising, and for the better.

“If you’re someone who’s had children, someone who never wants children, someone who’s ever just thought about whether you would or wouldn’t, this is a good show for you to see.”

Speaking on the personalisation of stand-up, such as with Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette, Jacob said: “Fifteen years ago, Sean Walsh was on Live at the Apollo with brilliant, high-energy, relatable routines about shopping and cheese toasties.

“But now his specials look at things like the public persecution of his character, with a much more personal angle, and I think something like Nanette might have influenced standup like that.”

As well as a personal angle, much of Jacob’s work has examined a range of facets of modern life, including his series of podcasts on love and another focusing on drug use.

In both, he shares peoples stories and experiences to examine in depth the social impact and culture around things like drug-taking.

“NME described me as a ‘comedian and journalist’ after that series, which started with a few pieces of material, but it wasn’t about being journalistic.

“I had a topic and I wanted to cover it, but I think there’s an appetite for it, and it was inspired by Mark Thomas.

“You have people like Jamali Maddix on Hate Thy Neighbour – we absorb so much journalism, documentaries are so much bigger than they were

20 years ago.

“If you can diversify the way you deliver your research, we can do that in a way that’s funny, accessible, and even vulnerable – that helps you connect with people.”

When it comes to some topics, Jacob says it can be “really hard to get a grip of where people stand on some things, and it can feel like a tightrope.

“The way that public opinion is swayed by culture wars, and its sad to see; we wanted people to see those involved with drug culture or in the sec industry differently,” he says.

“Public opinion feels like it’s gone back two decades, when Piers Morgan is on Good Morning Britain using people as strange discussion points.

“I’m debating for people to be treated as human beings, not on their behalf, but these things have become entertainment.”

Jacob Hawley is performing at the Purple Turtle in Reading on Thursday, March 30, from 8pm, organised by Mates Rates Comedy. Tickets are available via: fatsoma.com