Angus comedy fans are set for a bracing start to the year as Canadian joker Tom Stade brings his latest livewire show to the county.
After hitting the Edinburgh Fringe last summer with Natural Born Killer, Tom Stade takes this current dose of observational wit around the country, with Arbroath in his sights.
A veteran of the comedy circuit that has appeared on TV shows such as Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week, Tom firmly believes he still knocks out top-quality material.
“As you grow older, you get a bit more perspective,” he says. “And you’re more comfortable on stage, because you realise there’s no such thing as a make-or-break gig anymore; you can take more risks.”
Much of Tom’s material comes from how we react to changing social attitudes and differences between generations.
His live show, he warns, relies on loads of audience interaction, not just for the laughs but to keep them involved.
Tom says: “When you start talking to the audience properly, not just having a line, but processing what they have to say, it changes from you watching a show to feeling like you’re talking to a friend at a party.
“Once you break that down, people are more accepting of more dangerous ideas. The whole concept of comedy is to see how far you can cross the line.”
‘Different accent’ allows Tom Stade to exploit Scottish foibles
Tom believes being an expat gives him extra perspective on our foibles and even makes it easier to deliver what he has learned, as in his meat van routine, available online.
“It’s easier hearing about your country and funny struggles from someone with a different accent, so it doesn’t feel so personal,” he reveals.
“You see things that the local population takes for granted, then you make them really notice it and laugh at how silly they are and everybody else is.”
Known for his sweary routines, Tom moved to the UK in 2001, though Edinburgh has been his home for 17 years.
Performing one of his first Fringe shows one summer, the comic explains he and his family took a long-term let and soon decided to make their stay permanent.
“We just ended up loving Scotland, the relaxedness of things. I mean, there’s always Glasgow to f*** things up on that side, but as a country Scotland has the darker humour I love with a Canadian feel, you just feel safe here.
“Being Canadian was always great, so many good times, but Canadians make corporate-y, politically correct comedians, because they want to be mainstream.”
‘Dude, I’m a natural born killer’
A lot of Tom’s gags come at his own expense, especially those based on embarrassing encounters with his own kids, a 27-year-old son and 22-year-old daughter.
As a father and comic, he has no qualms about bringing up issues between them on stage.
“If they’re asking me for £100 for party money, then they’re definitely in the show,” he laughs. “I get to make fun of them, though they know what I’m planning, I run it by them; they don’t mind.
“My kids keep me connected to the younger side. I’m not supposed to know their generation, so I’m always learning.
“But I always feel there’s a young person in everybody. One of my favourite parts of this show is telling people that I’m a time-traveller, a 23-year-old in a 53-year-old suit.”
That twenty-something mind with fifty-something experience continues to ensure Tom remains a popular live draw and gives him the confidence to select the title for this show.
“It pretty much says what it is on the tin, dude, I’m a natural born killer,” he says.
“When it comes to comedy, I do have belief in myself. I’m one of the few comedians who tours every year and if you ask any of the people who comes to my shows regularly, they’ll say I never let them down.
“I may not sell out arenas, but I’ve got loyal fans and I love them just as much as they love me.”
Tom Stade brings Natural Born Killer to Webster Memorial Theatre, Arbroath, on January 19.
Conversation