Brian Gittins: Interview

10 June, 2009
by: Emma

One of the best character acts to emerge last year was the wonderfully silly and shambolic Brian Gittins. He recently supported Ricky Gervais on his Science tour warm-ups, who described him as 'the best character comedian of the decade' - not bad coming from the creator of the now world-famous David Brent.

Brian runs a roadside cafe in Sussex by day but has been performing comedy for the last four years ever since one of his regulars told him he was 'well funny'. Now he is combining all his best and most recent bits into an hour's worth of material and taking it to Edinburgh to make his debut solo show. He took time out of a busy shift at the cafe to tell us about what we can expect and what he really thinks of Ricky Gervais...

EM: So Brian, how did you get into comedy?

BG: Got myself some open mic spots and went for it. I've always had the ability to make people laugh. It's a gift, I suppose. I mean, even when I'm not trying, people still laugh. I can be moaning to the Asian bloke behind the counter in the Co-op about, oh, I dunno, plastic bags...and I can see he's trying not to giggle. I'm not even doing a joke. Plastic bags wind me up.

EM: How would you describe your style?

BG: Las Vegas-esque. Is that a word? I do everything. I sing, I dance, I tell jokes. I have a large collection of latex masks. I put a squeaky rat down my pants. I also steal a lot of material from other comics I see on the circuit.

EM: Hasn't the cafe been neglected now you're on the comedy circuit or do you think up jokes while you're working?

BG: No, I have the most amazing wife behind me. When I'm away gigging, I am secure in the knowledge that Cheryl is looking after the cafe 127%. At least. Oh, and by the way, no, I do not write jokes whilst I work. I am utterly committed to the cafe. Completely focused.

EM: Has Cheryl been to many of your gigs? What does she think of your jokes?

BG: No. She gets too nervous. The last time she came to one of my gigs she witnessed a man in the audience throw a handful of nuts and raisins into my face. That upset her. 'Never again', she said. I do run my jokes past Cheryl but she struggles to concentrate on them. She always says 'whatever the punchline is Brian, I still love you'.

EM: What do you cook for Cheryl when you're feeling romantic?

BG: Anything with eggs in it.

EM: This will be your first show you're performing at Edinburgh - are you nervous?

BG: Yes, I am nervous. An hour is a long time onstage, alone. I'm not used to it. I'm used to doing five minutes above a grubby pub. An hour in a theatre makes my tummy runny. I hope they enjoy my show. I don't know much about the Scotch. The Scots. The Scotland people. I dunno how you say it, whatever it is.

EM: What can we expect? Will there be a few musical numbers?

BG: Oh yes, I've slung all the favourites into the show. Mainly because I haven't got a lot of material. So, I'm stretching what I have got over 60 minutes. I've written a musical for the end of the show, telling my story. The journey from Pyecombe to Edinburgh. From a nobody to a......well, you know what I mean.

EM: I once saw you do a warm-up gig for Ricky Gervais where you enlisted the help of a woman in the audience for a routine and she turned out to be heavily pregnant. That can't happen very often.

BG: She was not pregnant. She was a show off. I felt the lump and it was a pillow.

EM: Ricky has been a big supporter of your act - is that flattering? Are you a big fan of his?

BG: What do you mean exactly? When I supported Ricky Gervais he said to me, just as I was about to go onstage, 'I hope you die tonight'. Is that a supporter? I don't think so. I never liked The Office. I gave it 10 minutes and turned it off. I haven't even watched The Extras Show. Stick him next to Nicholas Lyndhurst and I'd pick Nicholas any day of the week.

EM: What are your comedy ambitions? Would you like to win an Eddie award or star in a Hollywood movie?

BG: I see the Edinburgh festival as a stepping stone to the London Palladium. That is my dream. To perform in front of the Queen. If I could make the Queen laugh, just once, well then I'd be as happy as pig in dung. Have you ever seen a pig in dung? Oh, they love it.

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