Ross Noble has been described as a “comedy squirrel,” an “award-winning hunchback,” a “wizard-haired Geordie,” and “f...ing hilarious.”
It’s hard to argue with any of these descriptors.
Noble has been delivering his wild, improvised, and delightfully surreal style of comedy for 30 years and counting. To hear him describe it, his latest 'On The Go' tour is actually part of a single, never-ending show. “I don’t come up with a concept for each show and then sit down and write a load of jokes. I go on stage and see which way the wind’s blowing – it’s quite organic the way it develops,” the comedian says.
“An idea that was a throwaway comment in one show will inform the next night’s show. So, it’s a constantly evolving thing that never really finishes.”
The ever-evolving, never-quite-finished nature of Noble’s shows has led to an infinite array of in-jokes shared by fans across the globe. It has also inspired the creation of an all-new, incredibly niche skill – sign-language interpretation of Noble’s rapidly changing tangents and wild ideas. Auslan interpreters have been joining Noble on stage for years, bringing his unique brand of comedy to people with hearing loss.
“They earn their money, that’s for sure,” Noble laughs. “They’re not only interpreting what I’m saying but deciding in each moment what to edit and what to keep.”
So if an interpreter skips something that ends up being central to the next tangent, they have to quickly circle back, fill the audience members in, and try not to lose the pacing of the joke. “They’ve also got to convey sound effects. I’m quite physical on stage, and obviously deaf people can see that, but they need to be told about the noises I’m making to go with it.”
The difficulty of doing this adds a whole new level to the laughs. Noble is so in awe of the special talent these interpreters have that he regularly encourages them to take up comedy themselves. “I would love to see them do stand-up. To do a whole show without words where the audience is pissing themselves laughing would be incredible.”
This is just one of an infinite flock of ideas that swoop endlessly about in Noble’s head. During the early days of the pandemic, when live shows just weren’t a possibility, Ross invented new ways to share the contents of his mind with the world.
“I built what looked like a survivalist’s bunker, and I’d go on Instagram Live and connect with people. My sidekick was a baby doll with the face of Sting. We were just mucking around, you know. It was just something to do in the evenings.”
Noble is humble when speaking about these shows, but the silly little games of 'what’s in your fridge?' and 'dress-up guess-up' created a sense of connection at a time when social isolation was at its peak. Those who participated were able to disappear into a safe and surreal world together every night, and it was the complete lack of seriousness that made it so profoundly helpful.
Some other pandemic-inspired ideas included selling cursed sand (you can buy some at his upcoming shows) and producing surreal nature documentaries in his backyard (check out 'Unnatural History' on Noble’s YouTube channel).
While he loves exploring new creative avenues, this never-ending flow of surreal and inventive ideas is made for the stage.
“It’s why I love doing stand-up so much. You can get your ideas in front of an audience the moment they come to you, and then they live on in people’s memories.”
Ross Noble is currently touring. He plays Athenaeum Theatre (Melbourne International Comedy Festival) until 24 April and Brisbane Powerhouse (Brisbane Comedy Festival) 10-29 May, among other shows around the country. Check his website for more.
