Mitch Benn – Interview
Doctor Who. And I’m MADE UP that Capaldi’s got the job if only because he’s 12 years older than me. Back in the game baby!
Probably my old pal Andrew Walker. We met doing improv at University; he dabbled in stand-up in the 90s but these days he’s one of the country’s top web designers and STILL funnier than any comedian I know.
I’m sure it’s helped; anything which connects you with your “base” and lets them be a part of what you do can only be a good thing. Greta should probably start doing her own tweets now…
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You are clearly a man with a wide range of talents. What new things are you looking to get involved with over the next few years?
I’m not sure there ARE many more “new things” available… I’m already doing pretty much everything I know how to do. I’m enjoying being a science fiction author right now if only because it’s great being the New Boy again. My first book (Terra) comes out in paperback in May. the sequel (Terra’s World) comes out in July and at SOME point I have to start writing book three…
If anything it feels more like home than Liverpool does, possibly because Edinburgh never really changes and Liverpool’s changed A LOT since I were a lad. Mainly for the better, I should point out.
The Bedlam Theatre. It’s the university theatre and the students run every aspect of it, from the artistic side to the technical to the admin and building upkeep. FANTASTIC training ground for life in the arts. So many of my contemporaries have gone on to do great things. I was SUPPOSED to be studying Spanish & French but I spent more or less my whole time at Edinburgh in the Bedlam. Amazing place.
The thing is most of my stuff is written under crippling deadlines so I write wherever and whenever I have to… And a lot of it is written for the radio so the first time anyone hears it is when it’s broadcast to three million people…
My initial inspiration was Tom Lehrer (look him up); I help to run a thing called The Distraction Club in London which is a musical comedy night, so I’m getting to see a lot of musical acts now which is great as previously I hardly got to see any. They don’t tend to book more than one musical comic on the same bill.
It’s called “Mitch Benn is the 37th Beatle”; I grew up in Liverpool in the 70s, sort of during the fall out from the Beatles era and I have all sorts of vague connections to the Beatles myself; the show’s about the Beatles, the people who were NEARLY Beatles or extra Beatles and it looks at just why the Beatles are still as important as they are. Oh, and it’s funny.
Tickets available here
