Wednesday 02 November 2011
Stephen Merchant Discards Punk-Rock Sensibility For A Comedy Safety Net
When is the right time for a man to stand(-up) alone? Especially when that man is of considerable height (6 ft 7ins) and most widely known as the 'upright lizard being given electro-shock treatment-a-like' who's (wrongly) seen as Ricky Gervais' writing sidekick.
That man, of course, is none other than Stephen Merchant, the Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe award winning co-creator of The Office and Extras.
A man who has every right to have his name uttered in the same breath as the greatest comedy writers that this country has had to offer.
But, what makes Mr Merchant think he can launch his first ever stand-up comedy tour in venues the size of the Brighton Centre? What has he to offer?
"I like that it forces you to stand on your own feet. But my stand-up comedy is a lot safer than Ricky's. He"s got a bit of that punk-rock sensibility," says the Springsteen-loving Merchant.
It's not widely known he started his career as a stand-up comedian and radio presenter – at XFM where he met Gervais.
In 2001, Merchant in fact shared a stand-up bill in four-hander Rubbernecker, with Ricky Gervais, Jimmy Carr and Robin Ince at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Merchant said: "Most people don't realise that I was a stand-up comedian before I met Ricky Gervais and his coat-tails.
"Life can be lonely as a TV writer so this tour is a great opportunity for me to get out there and meet my fans. And make at least one of them my wife."
Indeed what you see is what you get with Merchant: "I don't have any hidden depths, I'm a very superficial person. It's a constant frustration to me.
"You've got great comedians like Richard Pryor - he was raised in a brothel, his mother was a prostitute, he suffered prejudice and everything.
"All those comedy demons he had - that's why I think he was so brilliant. Whereas I'm just middle class, I had a cosy upbringing. I wish I'd had a bit more misery."
Filling arena venues shouldn't be problem as the Bristolian Merchant, along with Gervais and Karl Pilkington, features in the Guinness Book Of World Records for having the most downloaded internet show of all time, clocking up a staggering 280,000,000 downloads.
Their conversations have subsequently been animated for HBO cartoon series The Ricky Gervais Show, the second series is currently airing on HBO and will go out on E4 this month..
Merchant's film credits include: Tooth Fairy with Dwayne Johnson and cameos in Hot Fuzz and Run Fat Boy Run alongside Simon Pegg.
He directed his first feature film Cemetery Junction with Gervais, which was released in 2010 and he also appears in the forthcoming Hall Pass with Owen Wilson, due for UK release on 11th March.
Stephen Merchant Live: Hello Ladies at the Brighton Centre on Saturday 19th November.
For tickets and info visit www.brightoncentre.co.uk
by: Mike Cobley
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