Mark Maier

Sometimes a chance encounter will change our lives. For funny-man Mark Maier, that moment occurred on a college night out, when he happened across the comedy act The Vicious Boys and immediately had a burning desire to be part of their show.

A couple of decades later and Maier has carved a comedy act to rival his original idols, and he is now an award-winning writer and comedian with TV credits that include the BBC’s Stand Up Show and stints with inimitable comedienne Catherine Tate.

He has also worked in the comedy clubs of Germany, Holland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand (to name but a few) and also appeared at the iconic Comedy Store in Los Angeles.

Next up, Maier is heading over to our island to headline the Eden Comedy Club’s ninth edition of funny-filled entertainment. He will share the stage with Johnny Kats (who won first prize in the So You Think You’re Funny competition), Laura Lexx (who bowled audiences over with her recent Edinburgh Fringe show What The Frock), and MC Ro Campbell, who was recently named Scottish Comedian of the Year.

“This will be my first trip to Malta and I am most looking forward to observing the island before the gig, and to reproducing those observations as comedy gold on stage,” Maier says with a grin.

When I am on stage with the audience in the palm of my hand, I can genuinely think of no better feeling in the world

“I certainly won’t be tailoring my set in any way or changing it as I’ve heard that Maltese audiences are the best in the world; I’d hate to think that a comedian would patronise them by making unnecessary changes to their jokes.”

Asked about what audiences should expect from his set, Maier explains that he likes to focus on the petty-mindedness of everyday life. He is also a dab-hand at incorporating accents into his performance (which mirrors his other talent as a voiceover artist on hit shows, including South Park).

“I do whatever I can to paint pictures on stage,” he says. “I enjoy creating scenes to help the audience visualise what I am talking about and to embellish the points I am making. It brings a lot of life to the show and seems to work very well.”

And Maier has certainly made waves on the comedy circuit, having performed everywhere from tiny rooms in central London pubs, to the massive, 6,000-seat Wembley Arena.

“The adrenalin rush is obviously higher the larger the audience, but the enjoyment of making people laugh is a constant, no matter how big or small the venue. There are moments when I’m on stage when I feel completely in the zone and have the audience in the palm of my hand; it’s at those moments I can genuinely think of no better feeling in the world,” he says.

However, that’s not to say that Maier hasn’t experienced his fair share of on-stage nightmares. One in particular, back when he was still a fledgling comic performing in a very badly-lit room in south London on a hot summer’s day, still haunts him.

“I was jibing with the audience,” he recalls. “I pointed to a man in the audience and commented on his fantastic tan. There was no material, no joke; I had forgotten what I was meant to say and wanted to fill the silence with words. Had I been able to see the man, I would have noticed he was black. No amount of dry mouth pleading with the audience would convince them I wasn’t an avid racist! It was pretty tough to get through.”

Now Maier is eagerly looking forward to his trip to Malta, and to forming part of the growing Eden Comedy alumni. “And I am also hoping that the audiences are well-lit and that nobody has a tan,” he quips.

The Eden Stand-Up Comedy Night takes place on Friday at 8.30pm at the Eden Cinemas, St Julian’s.

www.edencinemas.com.mt