Fresh from the jungle following the latest Aussie season of ‘I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!’, legendary UK comedian Stephen K Amos is performing an encore run of his side-splitting, post-apocalyptic comedy show 'Oxymoron' across Australia.
No stranger to our shores, Stephen thinks this tour is his 15th. Or maybe 20th. He actually can’t remember, which is quite impressive. And he just loves interacting with Aussie audiences during his shows.
“I think what makes crowd interaction quite fun is if the audience trusts the comedian and knows they aren’t going to bully them or belittle them, make them feel awkward in any way,” Stephen explains about his approach.
Anyone who has seen him live or on television would be able to testify that his nicest-bloke-in-the-world vibe can easily put audiences at ease. The best part about it is, it’s 100 per cent genuine.
“The people I’ve spoken to end up being the stars themselves,” he continues. “I want people to leave feeling wonderful.”
This generous and cordial nature served him well in the South African jungle this year, where he was dropped, along with 11 others, to take part in season 10 of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’. One of the more popular participants among both viewers and the other contestants, he was eventually eliminated with just a couple of weeks to go, and had some pretty life-changing experiences along the way.
“Sleeping in the outdoors is not something I would necessarily do by choice,” he says with his signature throaty chuckle.
“Also there’s always that risk of any creature coming towards you, whether they be a majestic beast of the jungle or just all of the insects.
“My favourite experience though, was learning patience. I think it’s something we’ve really lacked in recent years, especially because of the internet. I met 11 complete strangers, and you are forced to get to know them, and have reasonable conversations with people you completely disagree with.
“Online you can abuse them or say something mean on social media, but when you’re all in the same situation and face to face, you have to practise patience and respect and I think that was a gift. I got on with everybody in there, even though there were some people I thought had absolutely no idea about the real world,” he laughs.
True to form, he refuses to name names.
His stand-up show 'Oxymoron' is aptly named, taking as it does the collective global trauma of COVID and its epic fall-out and putting a comedic spin on it, as well as holding up a mirror to some of life’s more minor and daily contradictions.
“Some of my favourite feedback I got from the first run was really just people acknowledging, recognising and relating to the show, because it was a massive milestone in all of our lives. Everyone was affected by [COVID],” Stephen says.
“It’s hilarious too, of course,” he interjects hurriedly. Of course.
As a writer, actor and comedian, words are really Stephen’s superpower, and he acknowledges the importance of their role in his life, and others.
“Science has led us to more knowledge about the brain’s workings. Use the right words to the right people, and you’ll get a connection,” he says.
“I’ve done shows in Europe where you have to remove colloquialism and slang and bring it down to simple words so you can be understood, and it still works. The best oxymoron is actually an Aussie phrase – ‘yeah, nah’. That really takes the biscuit.
“As for swearing, I use the C-word once and only once in my show, and it completely takes the audience by surprise and gets a good laugh.
“When I was first coming to Australia I was so confused at the way it gets used here, almost like the word mate. This guy came up to me and said ‘oh you’re that funny c... aren’t you?’ and I thought ‘What? You don’t even know me! I’m a nice man!”
Words: Natalie O'Driscoll
Stephen K Amos Australia 2024 Tour Dates
1-2 November – Sit Down Comedy Club (Brisbane)6 November – Springlake Hotel (Springfield Lakes)
7 November – Royal Quarters (Nundah)
8 November – Fitzy's Loganholme
9 November – Darwin Entertainment Centre
15-16 November – The Palms At Crown (Melbourne)
