Comedy: It’s Only Words

What happens when your vocabulary lets you down, and you’re on the radio…

There’s something of a tradition of comedians hosting their own radio shows. They’re good with the words and a live environment so it makes sense. Stephen Grant had one for many years with BBC South, Rhod Gilbert hosts one on Saturdays on BBC Radio Wales, Jon Richardson’s was one of my favourites.

When you bring in the element of the general public phoning in and celebrity interviews, intelligent wit has plenty to play with – and then some. And here is the meat of what Iain Lee’s show, coming to Komedia next week, is all about. After years of hosting his own radio show, Lee has gathered some of the best stories of on air fails – and successes – into one neat and utterly engaging show.

There’s something intimate and revealing about a show that refers to a performers occupation as an entertainer, but it’s a precarious balancing act between shared backstage pass stories and showing off about your showbiz pals. Criticism has been levelled at a number of big name comedians of losing touch with their audiences when they try and fail at this. Yes, we’d love to hear all about your drunken embarrassments at the Oscars but no, we can’t really share your frustration at not being able to find a reliable pool boy. Referring to the show itself when on stage, and to touring to a lesser degree, can feel like a rabbit hole constructed by Escher. A performer’s life becomes less relateable as their success grows, and it’s the elephant in the room that working every evening and sleeping during the day is not the pattern every other soul in the room is experiencing.

Unless you name it. Name the elephant and it disappears. Which is what Iain Lee does here. Most of the rest of us haven’t worked in radio for 15 years, but a ridiculous thing is a ridiculous thing no matter what environment you set it in. He’s not pretending it’s an office or a shop job, and it’s very otherness yet familiarity is what makes this show intriguing.

It’s Lee’s first ever solo show. Surprise! Which means it’s all of the best bits from his radio career gathered together for the very first time. It’s something different, it’s something fun, and it’s something that tells the stories from the other side of the looking glass that is radio. Greeeaaattt.

Iain Lee Vs Radio, Komedia, Thursday 10 September, 8pm, £15/12, 01273 290131, www.komedia.co.uk/brighton