He’s keen not to make the Maltese cross but will probably be dropping religion in there somewhere. Jo Caruana chats candidly to comedian Paddy Lennox.
We’re getting quite a taste for foreign comedy in Malta.
I remember standing at the back waiting my turnand it was terrifying. It was even worse standingin the spotlight going through my set
I suppose we’ve always enjoyed it – the wit of British farce and Italian comedy on TV, and the laugh-out-loud moments in American films at the cinema. But lately we’ve also developed a palette for stand-up too, and it’s great to see more and more international names gracing our stages.
This is mostly down to the influx in the number of comedy events being organised within the cultural calendar.
And next up, on Friday, is the latest instalment of the Eden Comedy Club, which already has four successful events under its belt.
This time around, the line-up of comics will be making their way to us from the UK and the US, and will include popular up-and-comers Natalie Grey and Mike Sheers, who have already received rave reviews for their routines. The star of the evening will be Irish comic Paddy Lennox, who made quite a name for himself on the UK comedy circuit in recent years.
Internationally, Lennox has played in Johannesburg, Munich, Cyprus, Croatia and Slovenia, and he says he really enjoys foreign gigs because they have to be different to the sort of act he does back home.
“I haven’t really heard much about Maltese audiences to be honest,” he says with a chuckle.
“But you’re island people right? So, I am guessing you are fiercely proud and a little bit chippy. That’s brilliant. I grew up in Ulster! Seriously? I bet you’re lovely.
“And as for whether I’ll be including any jokes on religion, I do have one. Thankfully I’ve checked the homicide statistics for the country, and think I will risk it,” he quips.
“I have also been told that no one minds you making a Maltese cross. As long as you hang it the right way up.”
Lennox says the comedians who inspire him include Dave Allen, Billy Connolly, Dylan Moran, Tommy Tiernan and Adam Bloom. “My current favourite is the American, Louis CK,” he says. “But it’s simple things that make me laugh really – me and the family sitting on the sofa and roaring with laughter at You’ve Been Framed. Oh, and genital-shaped vegetables.”
Lennox, who has also acted in UK TV shows including Doctors and Holby City, was inspired to get into comedy early on, as he always saw it as a career path.
“Some of my earliest memories are of watching (Irish comedian) Dave Allen on the telly in Northern Ireland… Sitting in a chair, drinking whisky and ripping into the church – that’s Dave Allen, not me!
“Then my family went to watch Billy Connolly at the Ballymena Civic Centre. My friend Ian and I were about 15 and smoking in the car park when a black windowed Ford Granada roared into the car park, pulled up beside us and a huge tattooed fella jumped out and opened the back door. We thought it was paramilitary business and were about to split, when out jumped a matchstick madman in a long scarf. He took one sly look at us and lent in saying: ‘Right lads. Having a crafty wee smoke before the show?’ His show was just so amazing and I remember thinking ‘I want to do that’.”
In pursuit of his dream of fame, fortune and comedy, Lennox attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. It was a while later, when a friend of his from drama school was making a name for himself as a comedian, that he was encouraged to give stand-up a go.
“He and another friend were doing really well and relentlessly badgered me to try it out too. Eventually I gave in and wrote a five-minute set to perform on August 31, 2001, at the Comedy Brewhouse in Islington. I remember standing at the back waiting my turn and it was terrifying. It was even worse standing in the spotlight going through my set.
“But the audience laughed at nearly all my jokes, and it was like an out-of-body experience for me. When I finished I went to the back of the room on a complete high. There really is an incredible adrenaline rush to performing comedy, and I guess that’s what I’m addicted to. I still have that gig recorded on cassette!”
That gig really was just the start for Lennox, and in the decade that’s followed he’s played to packed houses on many occasions, including at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2005 and 2007. He is now a regular on the UK comedy circuit and has also performed within the popular show Whose Line is it Anyway at the Lyric Theatre in Belfast.
“I suppose my most memorable gig would have to be back when I was supporting popular Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert in Newport 2009,” he continues.
“It was a packed theatre full of people wanting to see Rhod. In this respect, doing a support act is a real lesson in humility and excellent at making you work a room really hard.”
Lennox is looking forward to a slightly less stressful set in Malta, and is already looking forward to getting to know the island a little while he’s here.
“As for where I would never play?” he smiles, mulling the question over. “On a bus full of Danish furniture makers driving round Hull. Why? Because it was awful the first time round.”
The fifth edition of the Eden Comedy Club will be held in Cinema 11 at the Eden Cinemas on Friday. Tickets are available online for €20. Doors open at 7.30pm and the show starts at 8.30pm.
www.edencinemas.com.mt