Simon Day: Exposing himself for the first time

Last updated 14:28, Thursday, 30 October 2008

Simon Day is scared. He has thrown away the masks and now it’s just him standing on stage in front of hundreds of strangers having to deliver on an agreement to make them laugh.

Simon Day

It’s enough to terrify anyone. No wonder it’s taken him 46 years.

Day has been in the public eye before, of course. Millions know and love him from The Fast Show, the 90s’ sketch show which launched Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Arabella Weir and Day himself.

He created and played some of the most popular characters, including deadpan entertainer Tommy Cockles, Carl Hooper (the presenter of Australian science show That’s Amazing), eco-warrior Dave Angel and the man who makes his son’s life hell: Competitive Dad.

Day’s acting credits include Heartbeat, Jonathan Creek and the Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love. He’s also the man who hugs wind turbines in Powergen TV ads.

All a piece of cake compared with his current national tour.

Day has done stand-up before, with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and with his Fast Show co-stars. But always in character. Never as himself. Until now.

He brings his first “straight” stand-up show, What a Fool Believes, to Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre next Wednesday.

So why take the plunge?

“I’ve always done characters and you get into a comfort zone so I thought I’d take myself out of it,” he tells Nightlife. “I’m still finding out what my stand-up persona is – it changes every time. I do other voices and go into character at times but it’s mainly me. Which is nerve-wracking and exhilarating.”

Vic and Bob (“Brilliant. They were fantastic, a great laugh”) are among his strongest influences, along with modern stand-ups like Chris Rock and classics such as Morecambe and Wise, Porridge, The Likely Lads and Monty Python.

“Monty Python is what got me into comedy. I love that surrealism.”

So expect an unconventional take on a wide range of subjects including fireworks, dinner parties, Richard Hammond’s hero status, identity, mental illness and fatherhood.

He knows, of course, that however good his stand-up might be, it is unlikely to attract yelled catchphrases when he walks down the street, which continues to be The Fast Show’s legacy a decade on.

“I get recognised all the time. But that’s fine. I’m not going to complain about it.”