Laura Smyth

Laura Smyth

Breakthrough comedy star discusses her debut UK tour

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One of the most exciting new acts to breakthrough this year, Laura Smyth is currently out on a huge UK tour - which includes a visit to London’s Indigo at The O2, and an additional date at Brighton Dome Corn Exchange on Sun 6 Oct. This new full length show, aptly called Living My Best Life, sees her at her uncensored and ridiculous best. She has fun mugging off all the madness of parenting, childhood, school, marriage, social media, work, and chasing her dreams. In her own inimitable style, she gets to the truth of the human experience, treading the line between bluntness and warmth throughout. This show is a whistle stop tour of her life to date, including her journey into stand-up, full of anecdotes and observations as well as bare jokes. Ultimately, she is asking how ‘living your best life’ is achieved…

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A regular face on shows like Live At The Apollo, Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club, she also starred in David Mitchell’s Outsiders, and developed I Don’t Know What To Say for BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

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As Laura gets ready to return to Brighton, we caught up with her for a chat about fame, putting a full-scale show together and how teaching prepared her for a life in comedy.

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Can you talk us through the themes in Living My Best Life? 

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Ooh I’m not sure about themes – the title is definitely a dig at the hashtag livingmybestlife on social media and the way it permeates everything – parenting, eating, marriage, careers. BUT I also happen to be living my best life doing comedy and being on tour so it is a celebration of all of our collective nonsense.

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From my understanding, the premise and titles of most tours are decided long before the actual writing is finished. How much did you deviate from the original idea during the creative process?

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This is true and I have deviated. When I first started workshopping the show I thought it was going to be about the expectations of others and my ‘journey’ into fulfilling my dream so late in life! But I found that so boring and pulpit-y. As soon as tickets went on sale and people actually bought them I knew I wanted to give everyone wall to wall jokes – no life lessons, no thoughts, just laughs.

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The tour has been massively extended since being announced last year. And you’re even visiting Brighton for a second date on it. Did you get a brilliant reception back in May, or do you just like the city?

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The success of the tour has blown me away – we planned to do less than 20 dates, and now we are at almost 50 dates and the rooms have got bigger and bigger. I am not just saying it – but one of my absolute stand-out favourite shows of the first leg of the tour was the Komedia back in May. Brighton audiences are so switched on, and up for a laugh. I am so excited to be back.

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How much work has gone into developing a full touring show? It must be quite a difference from doing 20-minute guest slots at comedy nights.

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A lot of work – I believe the simpler a joke seems the harder the work that has gone into it. I very much consider myself a club comic and my tour show material had to be as strong as my club set. There is also a lot of thought about the highs, lows, pacing and rhythm throughout a longer set.

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How much of yourself do you bring onstage? Is it a persona, or is your show based around being 100% earnest?

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I bring my whole self on stage – I once tried to keep my right foot in the wings, but I found I couldn’t reach the mic stand! It is me and all my stories and jokes are from my life. Of course the adrenaline kicks in and you become a much more ‘showy offy’ version of yourself but not much. 

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You’re also starting to pop up on TV. Have you started getting recognised, or are there Howard Hughes-level attempts at avoiding social interaction? You seem like someone who’d be up for a chat in big Tesco.

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Yes – I do get recognised. It’s usually a narrowing of the eyes as people think: ‘where do I know you from?’ But I get really enthusiastic fans wanting to tell me they love me and have a chat and I’m always up for that, cos if there are two things I adore in life they are: being loved and chatting shit.

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Did your background as a teacher give you the skills to deal with unruly audiences? 

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Of course! My teaching career gave me a huge head start in stagecraft and handling a room. It is mostly how to read a room and recognise the quiet, disgruntled, nervous, or troublemaking element. Most people need attention and reassurance. The main difference is alcohol – none of my students was ever too drunk to shut the fuck up.

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Do you have a performance background, or is comedy something you fell into? 

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Never had a performance background, it was just my lifelong dream to be a comedian, and I was never brave enough. I did not fall into it… it was very intentional. Christmas 2018 I watched 300 years of French and Saunders and knew I was living the wrong life.

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Has comedy lived up to your expectations, or is it still capable of surprising and confounding you? 

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Both – it has lived up to my expectations – it has exceeded them, it surprises and confounds me and delights me and humbles me all the time. There is not one part of stand-up that I do not love – even when it is tough – it’s fun. 

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What advice would you pass back to your 15-year-old self? Has comedy taught you any lessons?

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I’d tell her to be brave; to stop taking anything personally; to believe in herself – the world is kinder than she thinks.

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Laura Smyth brings Living My Best Life to Brighton Dome Corn Exchange on Sun 6 Oct.

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www.laurasmyth.com

www.brightondome.org 

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