How does a night out with actor, writer, broadcaster and comedian Stephen K Amos sound?
'Before And Laughter' at Adelaide Fringe is just that – the BAFTA-nominated and RTS Award-winning Stephen K Amos will present his show 'Before And Laughter', a new hour of bridge-building laughter to welcome the (hopeful) end of lockdowns and border closures.
It might be two years later than originally planned. . . But things aren't exactly peachy at the moment, so it feel like perfect timing to finally have a bit of Stephen's signature, comedic musings sure to induce laughter and fill a room with good vibes.
The world has been in a pretty sorry state for quite some time now, and Stephen's had his own share of highs and lows too – but when life gives him lemons, he adds gin, tonic, ice and humour – naturally.
Stephen shares more on 'Before And Laughter' before he hits the Adelaide Fringe stage.
This is the Australian premiere of your new show. What’s your favourite thing about presenting an audience with new material for the first time?!
It's always a thrill to present a new show to an audience. It's kind of like starting out all over again. Working out what works and which way to go certainly keeps you on your toes. Over the years, I've played all four corners of the globe but more recently all four corners of my bedroom. So I've had an unusually long amount of downtime. It'll be good to see how much of what I do that the audience will find funny. Make of that what you will!
And what’s the biggest challenge about doing this?
This year there are the gloomy challenges of wondering if I will actually get there, will the world open up, will there be restrictions and of course audience confidence. Add to that the genuine knife edge challenge of will the audience like the new show. Some things are out of your hands but nothing beats the excitement of a live comedy experience. Because when things work and the alignment is perfect, you can ride that wave. Then it's the best job in the world.
What’s your favourite thing about the art of live performance?
The shared experience of laughing together. That and the crazy adrenaline rush of performing to a room full of people you've never met. Laughter is infectious. It releases endorphins. It makes you feel good. It's one of the most rewarding forms of entertainment with a group of strangers since throwing your car keys into a bowl in the middle of a room.
Without spoiling too much of course, what can we expect to hear about in ‘Before And Laughter’?
In the last couple of years we've all had time to reflect – SO much time to reflect! It was about half way through my daily marathon of watching 'Judge Judy' and 'Ellen' that I thought 'it's time to write a show' and so six or seven episodes later I put pen to paper. These are the musings of what the last couple of years has meant to me. So expect funny, deep and meaningful, a connection and above all proper belly laughs.
How has it been to put this new show together? What have been your main inspirations for it?
Life.
What has been the weirdest new hobby you have taken on during this whole pandemic business?
I tried to bake banana bread and to learn how to bicycle. It turns out you can't wing baking, you have to follow a scientific recipe. You can wing bicycling: you can wing parked cars, other cyclists, careless families crossing the road. You can't wing insurance claims. I don't do either of these activities anymore. I've taken up watching real-life murder documentaries. Lots of ideas!
What are you most looking forward to about returning to Adelaide Fringe?
I'm playing the Garden Of Unearthly Delights for the first time. I usually play at the Arts Theatre on the other side of town just across from the police station. You might know it. Then afterwards I would sneak incognito into the Gardens just to soak up the atmosphere. On a balmy summer's evening, with the chatter, the shows, the crowds and with the drinks flowing, it's like Glastonbury without the rivers of mud and the swamp of sadness.
Good comedy to you is. . .
Comedy to me is a host of different voices. Everyone's got a story to tell, and if you can tell it and make it funny to a captive audience, you've done your job. I do what I do and I'm very humbled that people come out to see it. Far be it for me to say what comedy is, but to me it's a bonding moment, a shared experience which may have resonance or it could just be just down to utter silliness and joy. A genuine form of escapism that allows you to laugh and even sometimes, and this is where it's key, to the unexpected.
Stephen K Amos plays The Roundhouse at The Garden Of Unearthly Delights (Adelaide Fringe) 22 February-20 March.
