Jason Cook - My Comedy Hero

• The List
• 30 October 2009

My comedy heroes? That is a toughie as there are so many: the spontaneous genius of Ross Noble; the cutting one-liners of Frankie Boyle or Jimmy Carr; the measured calm of Stewart Lee or Sean Collins. Everyone has their own thing that makes them a ‘hero’ to other comics and I would probably have to split it between Frank Skinner and Billy Connolly, as I think that I try to do storytelling type stuff a bit like they did.

Certainly, as I was growing up, their shows were the videos (yes, VIDEOS) that I was being bought and watching. Connolly and Skinner have a playfulness that I’ve always thought makes them connect with the audience almost immediately, as if we’re not paying to watch a ‘thing’ but we’re going to have a good time with an old friend. And I like how Connolly can wander off into different stories and finally come back to the original point. I always envied his ability to do this, and tried it a few years ago with a very conscious effort, but it was too forced and didn’t work. However, lately I have started doing it as a matter of course in my shows so I’m putting that down to the ravages of age on my mind. But the main reason I would cite these two is that they are just lads from depressed areas who worked hard and made good. Surely everyone can identify with that?

The Stand, Edinburgh, Tue 10 Nov; The Stand, Glasgow, Wed 11 Nov