Robin Ince brings laughter to Words by the Water

By Amy Hunter

Robin Ince is not only a successful comedian; he is also a writer and actor. Having appeared on The Office, Ricky Gervais’ 2004 Politics tour and having supported him on his tours around the UK, it is safe to say that they are good friends.

It wasn’t the most obvious choice of career for a young Robin Ince as he grew up but his obsession with the Young Ones, The Comic Strip Presents, and Laurel and Hardy lead him to the alternative comedy boom as he started to drink – underage mind you- in the Cellars of London; the new comedy circuit and then on from his early 20’s, he began mumbling and fumbling onstage.

However, in 2005 Robin managed to find a niche in the comedy market and started off ‘The Book Club’ where he would read and criticise excerpts from second-hand books, which both the audience and he had brought in. This proved so successful; he took it out onto a UK tour in 2006.

His inspiration for this idea came from how he spent most of his touring days ‘pootling’ through charity shops, and finding so many odd and intriguing books that he felt he had to share them with the world.

You can already tell that he’s a funny man just from the answers he’s given in the interview, such as which do you feel came first in your life.  Comedy or Writing? 

To which he answered, “As the comedy I perform is written by me it's hard to separate the two. If I had to choose between performing or writing I suppose I would end up choosing writing, but after a fierce internal battle and much anger at the fact the government had brought in legislation that said I could only do one or the other.”

He has won the Time out Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, and has even had a screenplay turned into a movie, Razzle Dazzle. This follows the story of dancing pageants in Australia.

When asked about how he felt about receiving this prestigious award, he responded, “Were they really suggesting I retire? That may be the underlying message from an achievement award. I was very happy to be considered for it. I am uncomfortable with the notion of awards, but if they are going to have them I think it's best that I get them.”

Does he have any hints or tips for aspiring writers or comedians?  Yes, he does. “Tenacity is the main thing. It may take years or it may take months, but if you really want to do it, you'll keep going…it's a fantastic thing to ultimately get paid to do what you believe in. Last year was the first year that audience members started asking me for reading lists after shows, for me, this is the highest accolade.”

With a line up of gigs taking him well into April, you won’t be able to miss him in a town near you.  He will also be performing at Words by The Water on Sunday, March 1, 2009 at 8pm and tickets cost £12.50.  Robin expressed his pleasure in attending; “I love playing book/literary festivals. I always end up in intriguing conversations with people who smell of leather binding and have ostentatious antique umbrellas.”