Interview: Kane & able – Russell Kane
Russell Kane is a multi-award winning comic, TV host, thinker, pontificator and so much more. Victoria Nangle talks with him about life, the universe, TV and having kids
Your new show, Manscaping, was so well received in Edinburgh this year. Is it a move to examining yourself within the context of society as opposed to within the context of your family as your previous shows have been?
“Bang on, brilliant! I mean I couldn’t have put it better myself…
Unfortunately, which kind of kills the question, I’m struggling to grow up I suppose. My dad was such a large figure, which last year I suppose I killed off – that’s the DVD that’s just come out, Smokescreens & Castles – that toured until almost in July. Once I buried him I kind of thought, ‘well, every other comedian talks about themselves, I don’t wanna get into a habit of it’. I find it loathsome when people analyse their sex lives. I thought, ‘if I do it in an underdog, real way, which people aren’t used to hearing from people like me, it’ll be interesting’. You know, if I have to work my lost, pathetic, inadequate masculinity and it could be an interesting take from someone who looks a bit rocky and pretends he isn’t.”
You’ve always been articulate and quite verbose and almost quite academic in the points you’ve put forward in your comedy.
“I like ‘academic’, I’m not so keen on the verbose bit, but carry on.”
That may have been the wrong word to use. When I saw you last it was like a sea of interest, learning and teaching… Do you think that’s the motivation you find in your shows?
“Yeah, and also I do think that… I’m not pulling you up, I think that’s an interesting point. The difference between verbosity and being articulate… There are some dullish comedians, speakers who literally just take pleasure in the word itself, which is great. I mean, they’re brilliant performers to watch, almost Elizabethan, salivating over each word and use as many of them. Whereas I, regardless of how academic the language might be, I like getting an idea, a proper idea across. A bit of a key difference that I want to be known for, compared to other stand-ups around, is that I’m really trying to say something. I’m not just trying to show these clever words I’ve learnt despite my working class background. I’m really trying to get something across, do you know what I mean? If I feel quite emotional about another person, another gag, or a woman or about something, like love for poetry or whatever.”
Are you pretty generous with your affections, then?
“Not quite yet. I’m getting to that age now. I’m 31, but because I’ve got collagen implants I look about 24 [chuckles]. It’s brilliant, perhaps because I’m approaching a birthday and I just thought about what I’m doing and the way I’m living… I could definitely fall into that pool of people that might never have kids, and I’m still young. But I come from a community where everyone knocks out sprogs at 23, 24 at the oldest. So I thought, well if I do just end up being an artist and never having children, what if I pretend to have a kid on stage and talk to them about life, talk through the process with someone that age, sort of give that to a hypothetical child in minute one and have him leave home at minute 60 [for my 2012 Edinburgh show].
“Last year I had the balls to admit I was still lost, so maybe this year I’ll have the balls to admit I want more then I have”
The idea, I might not do it, but the idea I’m currently toying with is that I have entered school, have an adolescent rebellion and leave home as a hypothetical child live on stage, while I’m stood there. I think once they’re [the audience] willing then get to that 25-35 age range they start to think ‘what if I did have kids?’ And you start to play around with the idea of it and it’s something I’ve not seen analysed in stand-up; these people who might have children toying with the idea of what it would be like to not have children.”
The thing that seems to join all of your shows is a passion for the subject…
“Yeah, I think a passion for family as well would be the unifying thing and that’s a family show. A family show from someone who’s worried he might not have a family, but wants one. How many stand-ups would admit that? They’re all like, ‘I’m just a rock-star, I don’t need one.’ Or they’re, ‘Oh my god, I’m a dad now; here’s my woolly jumper and my hilarious toys’. Last year I had the balls to admit I was still lost, so maybe this year I’ll have the balls to admit I want more then I have and I’m worried I might not get there. It’s quite a female subject at its core, which probably means it might be interesting. There might not be anything there but I start shining the torch in there and start experimenting and see what happens. You’re the first person I told that to, well done, I don’t think my agent even knows that.”
You did your Whistle-Stop tour this year on Radio 2. Are you likely to do another one of those?
“I dunno, maybe, I guess we’ll have to wait and see, no-one’s really asked me to yet. It’s harder to know what route I’ll to go down next with my stand-up, so I’d love to do something on TV as much as I love Radio 2, so watch this space.”
It’s very nice in a way that you’re nurturing up and coming talent as well…
“Yeah, well that’s what I’d like to do. If, say, I did a BBC3 series, I would be keen to replicate that on BB3. Me doing stand up, hosting, but here are some names you might not have heard of but are f****** awesome, that would be what I’d put on my wall.”
Right, so it would be like a funky Michael MacIntyre Roadshow?
“Correct. If I could choose to do one thing it would be a rebellious, weird cousin of
that show!”
You’ve still got a strong interest in literature left over from your degree too…
“I don’t let it dominate every interview, but my first novel comes out in April, oh yeah!”
Wow! What’s it all about?
“I’ll save that for a later interview…”
Russell Kane – Manscaping, Theatre Royal Brighton, Saturday 4 February 2012, 8pm, £18.50, www.atgtickets.com
Smokescreens & Castles is out now on DVD.
