Si Hawkins Circuit Training

Circuit Training 47: Humphrey Ker is Smashing

Humphrey Ker

I first really became aware of the name Humphrey Ker due to his work with a comedy trio. Not The Penny Dreadfuls, the sketch troupe he formed with Thom Tuck and David Reed back in the mid-noughties - I'd heard some of their fine Radio 4 stuff but remained blissfully unaware of them individually, which is just the sort of response that makes people want to ditch the others and go solo...

No, it was actually a podcast about Liverpool Football Club on which he and a couple of other chaps sat in a studio in a posh bit of London and banged on about Kenny Dalglish and Stephen Gerrard and Ker managed to squeeze in an Arnold Schwarzenegger impression somehow or other. Very amusing it was too.

Since then the bewilderingly tall comic has popped up on the Hugh Dennis-hosted improv show Fast And Loose, and made a massive solo splash at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe as Dymock Watson: Nazi Smasher. That garnered him a Best Newcomer gong, and continues to pack out theatres: he brings Dymock back to the Soho Theatre in mid April. But first he fills Circuit Training in on success, bitterness, the future, military models and Luis Suarez...

Who were you into comedically as a kid? Was it actors or stand-ups who initially inspired you to get involved?

A mixture I suppose. I've always been very into my comedy from a young age. I grew up watching Python and The Two Ronnies on TV, listening to The Goon Show and Ben Elton on tapes and watching Eddie Izzard and Billy Connolly on videos. I loved too many things to mention here, but I should say I've always adored American comedy. I think there's a lot of that influence in my stuff.

Several ex sketch-troupers have gone on to solo success recently - is it a good grounding for aspiring comics?

It's a great place to learn how to play with other people, which is always a good life lesson. Sketch-folk are often mocked by stand-ups for being too scared to go on stage alone. Possibly. But stand-ups never pass the fucking ball when you play football and are, accordingly, real jerks.

Humphrey Ker

How much bitterness and jealousy surrounds The Penny Dreadfuls since your Edinburgh win?

I don't think there's been any really. Although they never tell me anything, that pair of arseholes.

Is the post-Fringe comedown more dramatic after a hit show like that? High highs and low lows?

It's been lovely this year because I've been able to continue doing the shows. In previous years we had very successful Penny Dreadfuls shows that just died after Edinburgh because we weren't very good at maximising momentum. I have a great producer who has really pushed things on and I've done the show all over the place in Britain and America. I've also noticed a bit more industry interest, which basically amounts to being invited to the Chortle Awards.

There are some wonderful movie observations in the show - did you watch any in particular to research it?

I love war movies and have seen tons and tons. I grew up on The Longest Day, A Bridge Too Far and The Battle of Britain. I didn't really need to re-watch anything as it's been such a constant part of my life. I'm a massive history dork and spend my free time painting up plastic models of English Civil War soldiers. I'm currently working on Sir Ralph Hopton's Regiment of Foote. Form an orderly queue, ladies.

Next to me at your last Soho run were an enthusiastic American couple seeing it for the second time. It crosses over then...

I've been very pleased at our allies' reception to the show. I've just got back from doing a couple of shows at the UCB theatre in LA and was astonished at how much of the parochial 1940s English humour went down well over there.

Humphrey Ker

Any German reactions? Has Henning Wehn been along?

I don't think Henning has been in, but perhaps he kept a low profile. I have had a couple of actual SOE agents in at the Soho Theatre, which was humbling and terrifying at the same time. Luckily they accosted me after the show and said they enjoyed it, especially me calling Churchill the c-bomb.

Your stint on Fast And Loose: is TV improv more nerve-wracking than usual?

It's peculiar. Live improv is very much about momentum and reacting to an audience and the process of doing a TV recording does tend to impair that. It wasn't too nerve-wracking, but I am hewn from solid oak.

We had a chat about the Luis Suarez racism business after a gig a few weeks back, you being an occasional Liverpool pundit. What's the official Ker line now?

This is a difficult subject for me. The debate over Luis Suarez seems to break down into people who support Liverpool and people who don't. One group believes one man's word and another believes the other. Let's leave it at that. It does rather take the lustre off football for me though.

Any future projects you can tell us about? Is there a TV job you particularly covet?

I'm appearing on BBC Three's Live From The Electric. Or Live At The Electric. One of those. My ideal TV role would be captaining England in the World Cup final or anything in Game of Thrones.

And something on Radio 4 called Sketchorama?

It's a brand new show I'm hosting showcasing the best live sketch acts out there, including Pappy's, Max & Ivan and Jigsaw. I will be adding a much-needed touch of class.

Follow Humphrey on Twitter: @thehumphreyker


Published: Friday 30th March 2012

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