Chalk & Cheese

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Wednesday, 07 February 2007

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Chalk & Cheese
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County Tyrone born funny man Kevin McAleer talks to Benjamin Coombs about inspiration, ambitions and why he hates hecklers

Are you looking forward to performing in Galway?

Yeah, I really love coming to Galway. I especially enjoy playing at the Town Hall; it's one of my favourite theatres.

Tell us about the show?

My show these days is based on a persona that began in the show 'Chalk and Cheese'. He's this paranoid, deluded guy who always gets the wrong end of the stick and misinterprets every situation. I've found that you can apply that mentality to any situation, so now the show won't stop writing itself.

It must be lovely when you're up on stage and people are laughing at your jokes?

You don't actually have time to enjoy it when you're up on stage because you're working too hard, concentrating on keeping the ball rolling. On a really great night, when you're riding that crest of a wave, you might get to enjoy it.

Describe your approach to comedy?

My whole thing is storytelling and wordplay; I pay a lot of attention to the writing and the wording. Sometimes you can feel that the audience is appreciating not just the laughs but the whole tone of the writing and everything. I like that.

Do you improvise gags much onstage?

The show is very carefully written, but there will be the odd new thing that pops out on stage, which is why it's interesting to record shows, because you catch those ad libs and it helps the writing process. You're also more aware of which material is getting the laughs.

What about hecklers; do you like them?

They're a pain in the arse. (laughs) I know some comedians live off them, but I don't like them. I tend to just ignore them.

Do you ever try to tackle bigger issues?

I went through a phase of talking about Northern politics a decade or so ago; I just had to get it out of my system. It's a relief not to be doing that stuff anymore.

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