Hoot Press: Marcus Brigstocke

As a self-proclaimed ‘posho’, Marcus Brigstocke reckons he probably could have finagled his way onto the guest list for Thatcher’s funeral through his parents’ contacts. Sadly, he was due on stage. Also, he’s made a career out of taking aim at the ludicrous and right-wing in British politics, so it was a different kind of invite he was mulling over.

“I could attend neither protest group, though I did get an invitation from one person who claimed that he’d rented a building tall enough that, if we leant back, we might be able to piss on to the gun carriage!”
I just assumed he would have been going as Jeremy Clarkson’s plus one.
“I don’t think I’ll ever make Jez’s plus one, weirdly!”
Instead, he’s cordially invited to this June’s Cat Laughs. Brigstocke reckons his last time in Kilkenny was one of the best weekends of his career, plus it means he can catch up with old mucker Andrew Maxwell. He singles out the Dublin comic as “a joy to behold”, though when recalling his horror when faced with a potential physical confrontation at a recent show, he does admit, “I’d say Maxwell gets a far greater proportion of people thinking they might fight him. It’s his stature. He’s only three foot nothing and his gob is just so, so big people are like, ‘I’m not having this’ and up they go! If I was Maxwell, I’d definitely hit them with the microphone and then run away, for fear I might be stolen.”
Known for his intelligent, cutting comedy on shows like Argumental and QI, he’s acutely aware that he’ll have to tailor his references for an Irish audience.
“In recent years I’ve concerned myself with British politics and usually quite specifically English politics. The vast majority of what I’ve done on my tour is totally not suitable!”
Serendipity then, that Brigstocke’s act is about to get more personal. It's been a time of change and turmoil in general for the stand-up. In March, the press revealed that he'd been cheating on his wife of 12 years with former Emmerdale actress Hayley Tamaddon, and that their marriage had broken down. When a story like that breaks, does it undermine him as a guy whose job it is to comment on others and extract comedy?
“Nah, not really. I just think that’s not anybody’s business unless I decide to make it so. I don’t feel any obligation other than to the people to whom I’ve always been obliged. It would be dangerous for stand-up to occupy that space in your life. If you look at Russell Brand, he’s a perfect example of this. I think there’s a massively talented, brilliant comedian there with an astonishing brain. And the least interesting subject he has is ‘Russell Brand’. You get him on another subject and he’s breathtaking. Maybe I don’t know him well enough to say this but I think he’s ended up with a sense of obligation to go personal.
“Flip that around though. The last time I saw Louis CK was at Kilkenny. He’s talking about himself and his life, but I don’t get the sense from him that he has a need to scratch those itches or be confessional.”
He’s dealing with things behind closed doors – the new material will focus on his life, but more in terms of funny anecdotes from back in the day.
“It’s been a weird time, bumpy and all the rest of it, but it’s fine. So the new show I’m creating is called Je M’Accuse, translation I Am Marcus. I used to work on an oil rig, I was a podium dancer, I was in rehab when I was 17, I was chief beverages operator at the Little Chef, I’ve accidentally swam with a polar bear in the Arctic... For the weird period where I was a podium dancer and working on an oil rig, I was effectively living the plot of Flashdance, but for a boy! I’ve all these stories. I’ve always taken the view that I’m not massively into the confessional type of stand-up so I’m not doing that, but when I sit around with my mates and family telling these stories, we all piss ourselves laughing.
“I just thought, screw it, I’m going to tell those stories and see what happens. When I did (his hit religiously-themed show) God Collar, I talked about my best friend James who died and stories of how you end up having self-doubt about whether you’re a worthwhile person or not. I never really considered that I was talking about myself because it was in order to explain a greater plot. But actually when I look back, I realise those stories are really interesting. So that’s the next thing.”
Going forward, he’s looking back. Makes sense, he’s just turned 40.
“What age are you?” the English comic asks. He’s just been talking about how he realises it’s not rational to freak out about a number but can’t help worrying and going, ‘Oh man, I’m using Regaine?!’, so I gingerly tell him that I’m 24.
“You’re twenty-fucking-four! Fuck you man! Oh, 25 is fast approaching? You must be in a real panic!”
Back to objectivity, Marcus.
“Listen, I have the best job any human being could have in that it gives me that much pleasure. I’m succeeding at it in terms of not being forced to do anything else to make ends meet. Then on the personal front, my kids are gorgeous and life is good. So, it matters and it doesn’t matter. Inside: turmoil. Outside: cool as a cucumber!”

Marcus Brigstocke performs at Kilkenny Cat Laughs from May 31 to June 2. See catlaughs.com