Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Hi I’m Dave Johns I’m a stand up comic and Filum actor. Oh, I’m also a Geordie, hence Filum.
How would you describe your show?
I’ve been a stand up comic 33 years – that’s half my life. Going to rooms around the world trying to make strangers laugh. My show is a celebration of just that! The show I’ve always wanted to do in Edinburgh. No great message, just me, a mic, and the audience for one hour creating laughter. That is the best feeling in the world, to laugh with others.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
It’s the centre of the performers universe in those few weeks in August, in the great city of Edinburgh. It's where all of us meet up, catch up, have fun, laugh and sometimes cry.
What differentiates it from other festivals?
Other festivals are in other places in the world but this one is in Edinburgh...
What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?
I went to see a show in London at The Comedy Store 1987. Came back to Newcastle and opened my own comedy club in a little room by the Tyne Theatre and Opera house.
I photocopied fliers, booked the acts, and handed out fliers at the universities around town. I Mc’d the shows. 29 years later I met Ken Loach and now I’m in filums!
I have no idea really, if I think about it! it just happened. One thing just followed another – a bit like life. And by some great fluke it turned out and, to my great surprise, I found I’m okay at it! That is exactly how it happened.
How has your background, upbringing and education had an impact on your artistic career?
I was a working class kid in a very working class part of Newcastle . Theatre and being an entertainer seemed a billion miles away from my life. It was the TV in the corner of the room, that was where those people were from, not Byker in Newcastle.
A teacher took us, a group of grumpy teenagers in 1971, to the then newly opened University theatre, now Northern stage. We saw Death of a Salesman, which totally blew me away! That was it, I was hooked!
Many years later after I did films, a girl in a shop said to me, “excuse me are you from the Telly?” (As if the Telly was a place like I thought). I said, conspiratorially, “Yes I’m from the Telly, I’m the first to arrive but others will follow.” She looked at me completely blankly, now that was funny!
What is your earliest childhood art memory?
My earliest artistic childhood memory… I think I may have been about five years old. It was of me writing a book about a magical kingdom inhabited by dragons, wizards, and mystical beasts. But I was only only five and couldn’t read, so it might have just been a drawing of a disproportionate blue and yellow house.
If you didn’t have your current job, what would you probably be doing?
Well I wouldn’t be writing this so I’d be out in the pub getting pissed I expect.
Did Covid-19 change the way you create work? Do you approach shows with a different mentality now?
What is C.O.V.I.D ? Seriously, I had it 3 times and all the 4 vaccines. It was, like, a bit surreal if I’m honest. I just stopped working for 2 years and walked along a beach every day It was nice and horrible all at the same time. Bit like sticking a Fork in your thigh.
Describe the last year in 5 words or less?
The sound of life retuning.
Do you subscribe to the idea that art should be exempt from ‘cancel culture’?
Art is art, you can’t create anything good if you’re scared you’ll upset people.
Being inappropriate is essential to creating art. Throughout history artists have been inappropriate. Stand up is definitely art. Saying the most inappropriate thing at the most appropriate time is a stand-up’s job. Cancel that and we all lose big time. What do we have then? The new puritans.
If you could work with anybody, from any point in history, who would you pick and why?
If I could work with anyone from history it would be The Whore of Babylon she sounded a right laugh! Bit over the top at times but a laugh.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?
Never worry about your show, because you can never make everyone in a room laugh – it’s impossible. Just enjoy the ones that do laugh, that is all you can do. And if nobody laughs, well, then you’re probably shit !
When and where can people see your show?
I’m at the Gilded Balloon Wine Bar 8.45 pm 16th to 28th August. Have a great festval kids.
And where can people find, follow and like you online?
Follow me!
Twitter @davejohnscomic website www.davejohns.net
Dave Johns' stand-up show ‘A Comics Tale’ will be at the Gilded Balloon Wine Bar from 16th – 28th August for tickets go to www.edfringe.com
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