Andrew Maxwell Interview

We chat to Irish comedy sensation Andrew Maxwell before he jets off to Australia for the nation-wide comedy festival!
Hi Andrew, Thanks for putting some aside to talk to us!
No worries! I’m actually moving house today, it’s been incredibly stressful but here we are!
So you won’t have long to settle in before you’re off to Australia?
That’s right, doing the comedy festivals. I can’t remember exactly when – all I can think of right now is packing boxes! But I’m excited for it to kick off. I’ve toured Australia for the last 20 years so I’ve been there as a young man and now as an old man! Although I’ve never been to Perth so I am really looking forward to that although I’ve done all the touristy stuff now – I’ve hugged a koala, I’ve shooed a particularly angry spider out of my hotel room!
So you know Oz well! How do you find the Australian festival compares to Edinburgh or your own comedy festival – Altitude?
Compared to all of the comedy festivals, Perth, Sydney or Altitude, in golfing terms – Edinburgh is the Open. Anybody can try, all of the other comedy festivals aren’t open and so Edinburgh is just so vast. I mean it’s a decent-sized city of half a million people utterly consumed by the festival for a month, so it just doesn’t compare.
You’re known for your satirical and controversial style of comedy, how do the audiences reactions differ internationally?
People aren’t offended by what you say it’s more the way you say  it or who you are. So I’m interested in current affairs, I also respect that a lot of people aren’t, including my wife, we’ve got a cockapoo puppy and she’s mainly interested in the puppy. There are a wide-range of ways of seeing life. I do have a comedy side that is about current affairs and politics and sometimes controversial. Sometimes I’ll just go on stage and f**k around with the audience so it varies.
So is your material more a spontaneous reaction to the mood of the room or how you’re feeling?
Yeah, satirical comedy has to be relevant to the lives of the audience. So for example, in my topical pilot Laid Agenda, I took apart the recent populism phenomenon in politics, but a sunny day in Perth am I going to talk about populism? Probably not! First and foremost I just want make people laugh. It feels f**king fantastic to make people laugh.
How do you prepare yourself mentally before you go on stage?
I  do enjoy a good cup of tea, and I tell you what that’s one fantastic thing about Australia is that they brought the tea with them. A good cup of tea, a quick tinkle and walk out on stage.
Lastly before I let you get back to your boxes, what’s in the pipeline for 2016?
I’m developing a sitcom right now which is in its early stages. Then the UK summer season which means comedy and music festivals. Glastonbury will be a big one I’ll be headlining the comedy tent there. I’ll also be over voicing the filthy juggernaut of an MTV show Ex On The Beach – It’s a filthy series everybody loves it! I guess that’s the other side of me, I mean I am a news junkie and current affairs bore. I’m the only f**ker on radio four and MTV that’s a fact!
Good luck with Australia and for 2016!
For more information on Andrew’s upcoming gigs, visit www.andrewmaxwellcomedian.com or for tour dates at the Australia Comedy Festival, Andrew will be playing in Sydney, and Perth.
 
By Oonagh Turner