Interview with Theo Weedon

THEO Weedon 17, recently returned to the comedy circuit after a brief exam-fuelled hiatus. This charming strawberry blonde bombshell oozes confidence and wit that could belong to someone ten years his senior. Here he discusses his inspirations and aspirations for, what I see as an inevitable rise to fame. I heard you auditioned for the new Skins series. Is acting something you’re passionate about? Yeah definitely, acting is what I got into way before stand up. I’ve always been keen on performing since I was tiny, especially comedy (surprise surprise) any chance I got to make my family or friends laugh I wouldn’t hesitate to take. Of course serious acting soon became a passion as well, I admire actors a hell of a lot, to make people laugh is one thing, but to make them happy, sad, depressed, enlightened, shocked etc. all in one sitting is pretty special. I would love to that kind of thing and I am actually hoping to take drama up at University (fingers crossed!) Do you feel your age has ever had an impact on your comedy or how people perceive you? I’m not sure that it makes audiences more hostile per say, I mean there is certainly an air of: “oh what do you know about the world, you’re just a boy?” when I go out on the stage so I have to choose my subject matter very carefully. I can’t for instance talk about being married and having kids, so instead I talk about things I do know like school, parties etc. I give a young persons perspective of the world and in many ways that is actually an advantage, it helps me to stand out I suppose. However acquiring gigs is always more difficult as a young person, people tend to take you less seriously. So I would say that my age is both an advantage and disadvantage. What are your opinions on the comedy circuit – is it everything you ever dreamt of in your wildest dreams and more? I had never really thought about it a great deal actually, I suppose that when I imagined myself doing stand up I would often visualize it in much larger rooms than I started performing in, but that’s just because I had only seen comedy performed in huge spaces before. So I was a little disappointed with the tiny venue I performed my first gig in, I thought it was a real dive but the intimacy of the gig was actually very enjoyable. As far as the circuit itself goes I only really have experience of it in Devon and London, but I love it, everyone seems to be connected in some way or another, both comedians and club owners all know each other and it’s a very friendly community. What are the best and worst gigs you’ve played so far? My best gig would have to be one in my local club, it goes on in a town hall so the audience numbers are always fairly substantial and there is a very friendly, joyful atmosphere, it’s a lovely place to perform, everyone wants you to do well. My worst gig would have to be my first, at the Pear Shaped Comedy Club in London, I suppose really because I wasn’t quite well enough rehearsed, and some of the material didn’t go down to well, also I froze up mid set, but it was still a lot of fun. Is fame starting to creep up on you a little? Not at all, I’m not famous in the slightest, I am trying to get known though and my current connections with skins, and certain big agents and comedians have been incredibly useful, the place I am most famous in is my school, but that’s because I have been there for about 6 years. If you woke up famous tomorrow, do you think you would be able to handle it? You like these fame related questions don’t you? Yes I think I would be able to handle it to a certain extent, initially it would be strange but I could get used to it I am sure, but I am apprehensive about fame, I do want to be well known and make a lot of people laugh, I am sure that is every comedians dream but I don’t want to become one of these Hollywood stars who are hounded day and night, although I have a hunch that will never be the case (thank God!). Comedians aren’t really the hot topic in gossip magazines. If I posted you a pair of my finest underwear, what would be your first reaction? Wow I wonder if these are in my size! No I would be amused for sure, and a little honored, I’ve never really thought about it, but disturbingly flattered would probably best describe my reaction. What did your family think when you told them you wanted to be a comedian? Well I have always expressed an interest in comedy, I’m always joking around, acting stupid so they weren’t in the least bit surprised, they are wonderful people and they would support whatever I chose to do, it just so happens that comedy was the employment I wanted to pursue. Can you remember your first gig and what it felt like? Yes very vividly, probably due to the fact I own a tape of it (that was my first mistake!), it was absolutely nerve wracking. I arrived with a few half baked ideas written down on a piece of paper, with hopes of wowing the entire audience in some glamorous nightclub gaining overnight success, the reality however was quite the opposite, the club was the basement of a pub, crudely decorated for the purposes of the evening, the actual man running it was away and I was confronted instead by a very rude, negative associate filling in, my material was fairly poor and I froze up halfway through, although I was no worse than the other comedians there, we were all in the same boat and it was a nice feeling, everyone was actually very friendly and although the gig itself didn’t go too swimmingly the rush of adrenaline I got from just doing it was enough to get me hooked forever. Is there anyone past or present you would compare yourself to? Well no not really, I mean its difficult because I definitely draw inspiration and am influenced by a lot of comedians (at the moment mainly Eddie Izzard, Dylan Moran and Russell Howard) but I would not directly compare myself to any one of them, I am just myself on stage, God this is a tough question! Where do you see yourself in a year? I would like to think headlining the Hammersmith Apollo, but in much more realistic terms probably not that far off from where I am now, just gigging, writing, building a profile for myself and enjoying life! You can find Theo, along with his Skins video and lots of attractive pictures over at; http://www.myspace.com/theoweedon http://www.myspace.com/absolutelyfruitful