What do you need to do to be considered sophisticated? Comedian Stephen Bailey hopes his north-east fans will help him figure it all out when he takes his new show to Aberdeen International Comedy Festival.
After being called unsophisticated in a review, Stephen, who wasn’t too pleased by the remark, decided to discover the true meaning of the word – he even consulted The Oxford English Dictionary.
Stephen said: “I got called in a review ‘unsophisticated’. They said ‘Stephen was so funny, he was brilliant, the audience was eating out of the palm of his hand but he’s hardly sophisticated’.
“So in this show we’re going to explore what sophisticated is because to me it reeks of classism. So that’s why the show explores what sophisticated is…”
“Everyone’s best friend”
Referring to himself as a “feminine camp man”, Stephen says he’s not always taken seriously.
“But I have opinions on the world… it just comes out in my voice,” said the comedian.
“I cover everything from homophobia to LGBT rights, to growing up working class and trying to cross over to a different class and how it’s quite difficult to do that in this country.
“We don’t necessarily have it set up like the ‘American dream’ like they do in America… So I’m exploring all those different things and there’s a bit of topical material too (in the show).”
Stephen was previously described as “everyone’s best friend” – which he found very fitting.
He said: “I think I come with a bit of gossip, I have knowledge of what’s going on in the world, but I also appreciate that people are so fed up with the news that they just want to switch off when they come to a comedy show so I don’t just bang on out about politics for an hour.”
Stephen Bailey on supporting Katherine Ryan
Having performed in Aberdeen before – when he travelled with Canadian comedy star Katherine Ryan in support of her show Missus – he’s certain his north-east fans will be “really up for it” again.
“I love a Scottish audience,” said Stephen.
“This is what I think Scottish people do that maybe English people don’t. When Scottish people sign up for a night out or sign up for a comedy show, they’re going to make sure they have a good time.
“They don’t care about the moral message. If they’re coming to comedy, they want to laugh and afterwards, everyone wants to take you for a drink. I’m telling you, if I was single, I’d probably be going out with a Scottish man.”
Looking back to his time touring with Katherine, Stephen is grateful he got to “borrow her audience”.
He said: “She’s opened me up to people that might not have known who I am or have seen me before. She’s very wise – not only do I get to share the audience and do some of her big gigs, but I also get to borrow some of her experience and some of her advice, which I really like. She’s my sage.”
Looking forward to Aberdeen International Comedy Festival
While he didn’t have a chance to explore what Aberdeen has to offer when he was here last October, he cannot wait to see the city and catch up with his comedy friends during Aberdeen International Comedy Festival.
He said: “I never have time to explore. I’m always in and out and I’m so pathetic – whenever I’m tired I just need comfort food and I love Taco Bell, so I always judge a city on whether it has a Taco Bell, and thankfully, Aberdeen does.
“But when we were in Aberdeen last, we were literally there just for the show. I found the Taco Bell, I took it to my hotel, I ate it, did the show, went to bed and we left the next day.
“What I’m looking forward to at the Aberdeen International Comedy Festival is that I’ll have a bit more time there so hopefully I’ll be able to see some things.
“It’s going to be my first time at the Aberdeen International Comedy Festival so I’m really looking forward to it.
“When you go somewhere where you don’t live and there’s a comedy festival on, it means that you actually get to catch up with some of your friends because everyone is staying over and you’re not running around.
“I’ll see some comedians that I’ve probably not seen since before the pandemic because we’ll all be there at the same time.
“I’ll definitely see their shows if they don’t clash with mine and then hopefully go for drinks afterwards and some dinner.”
“Well, dinner might be difficult because you know I’m going to go to Taco Bell, but I can do drinks,” laughed Stephen.
How to book tickets to see Stephen Bailey at Aberdeen International Comedy Festival
Stephen Bailey will bring his show Sophisticated to Aberdeen’s Cheerz on Saturday October 8.
Click here for more information about Aberdeen International Comedy Festival.
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