Get close up and personal with the man himself. Ray will headline the Bottle Rocket Comedy Club on April 15 at Firebug, Leicester.
Introduce yourself! Is that totally necessary? Surely the fact that it says 'Ray Peacock interview' up there will be a clue as to who I am? Okay, I'll do it…hello – I'm Ray Peacock. Will that do?
Have you ever gigged in Leicester before? I have yes, I seem to think I have done the uni before and from memory I know that I definitely appeared at the Phoenix theatre a couple of years back when I did the 'Edinburgh & Beyond' tour. | "My granddad encouraged me to watch Laurel and Hardy which spawned further imitation at school. " | | Ray Peacock, Comedian |
That was a lovely theatre – I liked it a lot. Really cool audience, even though there had been a stabbing outside the venue that very evening. I was doing a character back then though – still called Ray Peacock like, but I don't bother with doing the character anymore. I just retained the stage name. My real name is Ian.
Was comedy a big part of your life growing up? What is your key childhood 'comedic' memory? Oooh – now then, a two-parter question – like your style. Comedy was a big part of my life. I was always kind of funny at school, and I think that was informed by the fact that I watched a lot of comedy on TV. Was a big fan of Les Dawson (still am), and a big fan of 'Cannon & Ball' (again, still am). I would do impressions of Bobby Ball as a child so I guess that counts as a memory, and remember getting a pair of red braces to perfect my impression. My granddad encouraged me to watch Laurel and Hardy which spawned further imitation at school. From a very young age I was keen to actually experience doing comedy rather than be content to just watch it. It was then merely in the form of imitation however, but it must have shaped me as a comedian in some way at some point. As I got older I moved onto stuff like 'The Young Ones' and that, I have always enjoyed a very wide spectrum of comedy stuff. Never had a problem or conflict with enjoying both 'old school' (for want of a better phrase) and 'alternative' (for even greater want of a better phrase).
Who are your favourite comedians? Why? Do you remember the first time you heard/saw them?
 | | Ray Peacock |
Don't know really – I'm not sure I have favourites as far as the comedy circuit is concerned. There are people that I admire and enjoy from a craft point of view, but one of the saddest part of being a comedian is the fact that watching stand up becomes a kind of busmans holiday. I can think of nothing I'd less like to do than go to a comedy night now, because it's just like visiting work and you wouldn't want to do that with any job in your leisure time.
Who do you see as your contemporaries? Is there a comedy 'scene' that you are a part of? I avoid gangs like the plague. There are lots of gangs in comedy, lots of cliques, and it’s really not for me. I write a blog on a comedy website called 'Chortle' which is about as close as I have come to a club. I'm an outsider by choice even on there – a voice of reason shouting in the asylum. You're known for the 'interactive' nature of your comedy. Have you ever heckled another comedian? Not that I can recall – I think that would be pretty bad form. I may have 'joined in' if the night was that kind of gig, but I certainly don't have any recollection of seriously deriding a fellow jester from the audience. That would be awful. What can people expect from your gig? Don't be expecting anything – expectation can only lead to disappointment. Unless you are expecting it to be rubbish it might be quite a nice surprise. Please note the use of the word 'might'. I'm promising nothing beyond the fact that I will actually turn up and do it. If you turn up without cynicism then we should get through ok – I've often thought that comedy nights would work far more effectively if audiences were in better moods.
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