Interview: Phil Nichol

Having just come from playing in the West End in the runaway hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, comedian Phil Nichol is touring his show looking at the flawed nature of the world – Your Wrong. Victoria Nangle speaks to him about playing drag, LCD Soundsystem & bad spelling

Hi Phil, how are you doing today?
Hey there. I’m feeling good although I can feel a cold coming on. The move from Edinburgh Fringe to urban London is playing havoc with my senses.
 
I love the title of your show – you’ve no idea how much I enjoy how much it riles me. Have you had a lot of responses to the deliberate ‘Your’ in the title?
Yes, I received a fair amount of venom via social media about it. Which is the point really. It is supposed to make people take note and is a prank if they fall for it. Sub-editors particularly hate me when they see it as they want to write (sic) after it but can’t or risk ruining the joke. Haha.
 
It does seem perfect for a show about rejecting perfection – fabulous for endorsing personal good mental health. Nice irony. Do you find yourself adding new ‘wrong’ things to it on a daily basis?
It’s a wonderful way to get the audience to begin accepting their own faults, showing them that they must deal with shame before I have even met them. The show has a whole new section about faith, Blind faith and synchronicity which explores the definition of ‘meaningful accidents’. Sometimes being wrong can be so very right.
 
You seem to have eclipsed last year’s show with more ‘wrong’s in the world, less global – more personal. How did this movement change your relationship with the show?
All the stories and most of the examples are from true personal events from my own life. This allows us to explore the theme through my ridiculous upbringing and very silly nature.
It is the most personal show to date and let’s you laugh at my hilarious life without fear of retribution.

I used to perform as Billie Holiday in a Jazz spoof and have appeared as Bjork on occasion

Congratulations on your part in the phenomenal success of ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’. How did your involvement in the show come about?
The producer, Nica Burns, knew of my work through the Edinburgh Comedy Award which I had been awarded in 2006 for a show entitled The Naked Racist. They were looking for a larger-than-life performer that could sing so she must have thought of me and invited me to audition. Luckily for me, the creative team chose me over the many other amazing actors that were up for the part.
 
When did the company realise that ‘ETAJ’ was going to take theatreland by storm?
It has been a fairy tale story for this gorgeous humble little show from Sheffield. Opening a show in the West End is always a risk but the heart of this piece shines through and it’s still giving audiences a visceral musical theatre experience.
 
In it you play drag artiste Loco Chanelle – what kind of research and prep did you do for the role?
I have history watching drag queens in Toronto and have a number of drag artist friends. I used to perform as Billie Holiday in a Jazz spoof and have appeared as Bjork on occasion. As well as watching a lot of Ru Paul’s Drag Race I was inspired and shown tips by my three fellow drag artistes in the show. The other three queens are fierce but ever so friendly and helpful. I love them.
 
If you HAD to do a collaborative show one year – akin to a performance three-legged race – who would be your dream collaborator and could you hazard a guess at what kind of show you might produce?
I love James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem. To create something with him would be a life dream. Not sure what it would be but I have an idea for a family show about the environment using all the creatures that are being made extinct telling their stories.

Finally, where is the most surprising place you’ve heard or been asked to sing your song ‘I’m The Only Gay Eskimo’?
I was on the opening night of my first stand -up comedy tour of India in a club called Jazz By The Bay in Mumbai. The whole front row of the audience began singing all the words as I played the song. I was blown away. When I finished the song, I asked them how they had heard the song and, somewhat ignorantly, inquired if they had been to University in Canada or the UK. The spokesperson laughed and said ‘No, We have this thing in India called…The Internet!’ The room shook with laughter and I was in love Mumbai and India forever.

Phil Nichol – Your Wrong, Komedia, Thursday 4 October, 8pm, £25.50/14/12, www.komedia.co.uk