Comedy

Russell Kane
Sell your act in a line... 'His meteoric rise is about to begin'

Age ‘I’m one of these ages: 25, 27, 30, 31. The front part of my consciousness will not allow me to acknowledge which.’

Manor ‘Until recently, Clapham. But I’ve had to temporarily relocate myself in my girlfriend’s mum’s house in Southend. Perhaps I should write that phonetically? Saaarfend.’

Who is he? Kane became a comedian because of existentialism and Rwanda. ‘No, that’s not true. If only I was so worthy. A friend dared me. I ate a box of Imodium, got on stage and the love-hate relationship was born.’ That was at the Comedy Café in late 2003. ‘I was so nervous, I was sure I’d drop the mic, and not in a cool hip hop way. I had four poos that night.’ Feature continues

He’s never conquered that nervousness: ‘I’m one and a half stones lighter than when I started. Diacalm Ultra is my friend.’ But you’d never know when he launches into one of his supercharged routines. His body bends and buckles as he swoops and squats and strikes poses, arms swirling, hands pointing and gesticulating. ‘I’m not as maniacal as I was,’ he claims. But he’s more expressive than a dozen other stand-ups rolled together. He’s funnier about class differences than anyone else on the circuit. ‘I call it angry-silly sociology. Coming from a council estate is the fuel. I like to lambast pretentiousness and the way humans feel the need to put on a fake profile that’s contrary to their actual inner state. It’s high-energy observational humour with sprigs of filth, improvisation or literary knowledge thrown in, depending on whether I’m in Maidstone or Maida Vale.’

His BC years (before comedy) saw him selling vacuum cleaners and Rolex watches, sorting mail, gaining a first-class degree in English Literature, working as head copywriter at an ad agency, and completing half an MA in Modernism. ‘I’ve been living on the profits of being funny since March this year.’ The latest step in his career came shortly before he went to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. ‘It’s so exciting I may implode at any moment. A new channel, FIVE US, is to be launched in October with top American content, and I’m to be the face of the channel. Imagine those witty bits between programmes blended with a kind of Therouxesque reportage. I get to travel the States having mind-blowing experiences.’ He’s certainly on the up.

Worst gig ‘When a man tried to glass me because I talked to his wife about grammar. A pun on the word “colon” was involved.’

Favourite comedians ‘So many from the alphas: Reginald D Hunter, Phil Nichol, Lee Mack. Russell Howard is the fucking nuts. From my year: Andrew Lawrence and Josie Long are both unnervingly brilliant. Ooh, and I love love love Sarah Millican. From the very new, I would say watch Lee Bannard.’

Favourite London clubs Lee Hurst’s Backyard – ‘A room set up so that only excellent gigs are possible, yet with a nice risky edge on a Saturday’; the Comedy Store (‘C’mon! Of course!’); Up the Creek in Greenwich (‘I used to cack my pants there, but now I realise it’s laid out just right for funniness’).

Look out for His next live stand-up gig at Jongleurs Battersea on October 6 ‘and loads after that’. Nothing in September. ‘Sorry, darlings, filming in LA!’