Adam Hopkins

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Tuesday 15th April 2025

One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate. This week we welcome Adam Hopkins, a UK comic with an intriguingly exotic stand-up history, a new special - which we'll come to - and a new show, which he's working up at the Brighton Fringe next month. The title: Sorry, What?.

"The name comes from a line I have in a joke about my profoundly deaf brother," the comic explains. "A big theme of the show is dealing with the ignorance I had to endure on my brother's behalf when people would ask insensitive questions about deafness or act differently around him.

"As a deaf person, stand-up is understandably not something he's particularly into, but he has actually seen me perform before. He came to a gig in Barcelona last year and sat in the front which was a bit off putting for the other acts but very funny for me. My mum ended up translating some of the show for him and I got to watch her sign another comic's bit about men's porn-watching habits, which I don't think was an especially comfortable experience for either of them.

"The show focuses a lot on language barriers and cultural differences with another major part being about when I ended up moving to Shanghai, China, for a journalism job and how growing up with my brother helped me make that move. If he could navigate his life here in the UK without being able to fully communicate with the majority of the people, then I could do the same in China."

Good point. That decision led to enviable support slots with big name visiting comics, the likes of Kyle Kinane and Saturday Night Live alum Dean Edwards. The stand-up flourished further when he moved to Taiwan, in 2019, and now back in the UK; but what to do with years of good Taiwan-fuelled material?

"I left Asia in late 2021 and always wanted to go back and record something," he says. "Luckily for me, my old flatmate was getting married which was a perfect excuse to go back to Taipei and film the special. It's a little niche and aimed primarily at people with some sort of relationship with Taiwan, but I think anyone who likes stand-up can still enjoy it."

Taipei-back time. Adam Hopkins, your Random 8 await.

What was your favourite TV show, as a kid?

The Simpsons - I pretty much learned all of my American history and pop culture from it. I didn't realise the Red Hot Chilli Peppers were a real band, I thought they were a fictional group who got tricked to play at Moe's Tavern.

To me, Woodrow Wilson isn't the 28th President of the United States, he's Edna Krabappel's romantic penpal: 'Dearest Edna, I must leave you. Why? I cannot say. Where? You cannot know. How I will get there? I haven't decided yet. But one thing I can tell you, any time I hear the wind blow, it will whisper the name... Edna. And so let us part with a love that will echo through the ages.'

Which unsung town/city deserves more attention?

I might be a bit biased because it's literally the name of my comedy special, but Taipei is an incredible place. Great food, amazing nature, wonderful people, an ever-present but never truly worrying threat of invasion. There's a district called Beitou to the north of the city that is basically a geothermal area. It's full of natural hot springs and is probably my favourite place in the world.

Your greatest sporting moment?

I used to be a decent cricket player in my younger days - I got England Test captain Ben Stokes out once (admittedly he wasn't England Test captain at the time) and when I was 15 I ran a sub-12-second 100 metres, which in hindsight was probably wind/stopwatch assisted. However, my all-time sporting moment is probably the time Brian Lara called me 'big man.'

Who's the most interesting person you've ever met?

I met so many interesting people while I lived in Asia: a hostage negotiator, a guy who used to live with Jason Statham while they were Team GB junior divers who ended up teaching English in Cairo during the Egyptian Revolution, one of the organisers of the Tiananmen Square student protests, a clown from Clowns Without Borders (yes, that's a real thing), Tom Brady, Ciara of 1, 2 Step fame. It's a unique roster.

When were you most embarrassed?

When I was a young child, I remember my dad tried to order me a Happy Meal meal at Burger King and I thought the world was going to end.

What's the oddest thing you've ever eaten?

I was on a media trip to the 'Chinese Grand Canyon' in a place called Enshi in Hubei province in central China and we went into a tiny restaurant in the back of a garage where a local lady had laid out a huge spread for us. There was a chewy, spicy, but very tasty meat-like thing on one of the dishes and when I asked what it was, having already eaten a few mouthfuls, the lady said 'fox stomach.'

Your favourite shop, ever?

Not sure if it's my favourite but it's one that definitely stands out to me. There was a shop called The Chicken Shop down Lowtown in my hometown, Pudsey, which was a sandwich shop/butcher's, that I'd go to with the lads from my A-Level PE class.

It was owned by a lovely, eccentric fella called Rob, who we all called Chicken Shop Rob, and he'd load you up a baguette full of sausage, bacon, cheese and whatever else could raise your cholesterol and clog your arteries for just £1.80.

One time he attacked my friend Dave with a metre-long ruler. I can't remember why, but Dave probably had it coming.

What's your favourite phrase or expression?

Not so much an expression as a sound, but in Mandarin you can just sort of grunt or say 'mmm' or 'uh' to answer in the affirmative or let people know you are still paying attention. You can have a full phone conversation where you just grunt, basically. It's a very efficient language.

When I first moved back to the UK, it was a habit I had to drop because I'd do it when I spoke English and people thought I was either weird or just a bit rude.

Adam Hopkins: Sorry, What? (WIP) is at Half a Camel @ Jollies for the Brighton Fringe, May 10-11. Tickets

Adam Hopkins: Taipei is on YouTube