I will put North Sea ‘in its place’, vows Alasdair
FLAME-HAIRED comedian, star of Mock the Week, Alasdair Beckett-King is taking his sell-out show, Nevermore, on the road, and is coming to Leeds later this week. Nevermore is, on paper, a diatribe against the North Sea. In reality, it is a silly, faintly mystical yet real comedy show with ridiculous jokes.
Tell us about your new tour of the latest stand up-show.
You know the ending of 2001: A Space Odyssey, when the astronaut’s consciousness expands beyond human perception, and he sees through space and time into the inconceivable mysteries of an infinite universe? My show will be like that. Except I will mostly be doing jokes. And telling a couple of funny stories from my childhood. And, most importantly, putting the North Sea in its place.
Where else might we know you from? I was lucky enough appear on the last ever episode of Mock the Week, just before the BBC cancelled the show. (Which was just a coincidence, honestly.) If you’re a fan of the information superhighway, you might have seen one of my parody videos on YouTube.
What do you hope audiences take away from Nevermore?
I'm always looking for the person who really gets it. I will be happy if my show speaks to just one person. I’ll be happy if just one person comes away thinking, “I am going to become ABK’s mysterious benefactor. I shall make a gentleman of this young fellow.” If that happens, from a financial perspective, it will all have been worth it.
Tell us about your very popular spoofs on YouTube.
I create short videos and animations parodying different genres of film, TV and video games. And I love it, because I get to write silly jokes, make incredibly niche observations and dip into dozens of different styles. It’s lovely to do a stand-up comedy show, and have people come up to me afterwards wanting to talk about something completely ridiculous, like The Little Man Who Lives In The Crisps.
Your comedy is often described as whimsical. How do you define whimsy?
I describe my stuff as “hard-hitting whimsy” because I enjoy silly cleverness and clever silliness. Being embarrassed about enjoying whimsy is like being ashamed of liking fun. And yet, some people have a real problem with whimsy. “I can’t stand whimsy; I just can’t stand it!” an antelope told me recently. But I will not be silenced.
What is the difference in mindset between creating a stand-up show versus a YouTube video?
After years of staying at home making sketches in my tiny flat, I really missed stand-up comedy. I missed touring. I missed it in the same way that you miss your parents when you don’t see them for ages. And then, after half an hour with them, you’ve had enough.
Alasdair Beckett-King is appearing at City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds on Friday, April 19.