HOMETOWN TERROR FOR COMIC BILLY

John Martin Fulton • Published 27 Jan 2010 10:40

IRVINE comic Billy Kirkwood has admitted that playing before a hometown crowd leaves him terrified.

The 30-year-old had a fantastic 2009 - performing in the US, becoming the official weekend MC at the Stand Comedy Club and warming up 2000 Santas at the Edinburgh Fun Run.

And despite hosting Sidesplitters Comedy Club at the HAC, Billy told the Times that the thought of performing a preview of his upcoming Glasgow Comedy Festival show left him with sweaty palms.

"I'm freakin terrified! It's the home town gig which makes it very special to me, especially as over the last year I've had less and less chances to get back to Irvine," he told the Times, "I want it to be as awesome as I can make it. I was

both delighted and pants full scared when I first asked to bring the show but I can't wait.

"When you MC, if you do your job right people don't actually think of you as even doing stand up, they just thing of as a really funny host and getting the place geed up for the acts

"The biggest compliment I've had is someone - saying 'You should try the stand up yourself son you're bloody funny'.

"So hopefully I can bring something different while keeping the Sidesplitters fan's happy, they've been my biggest supporters and my biggest critics over the last five years and I owe them a lot."

The show - Billy Kirkwood Comedy Fizzbomb - takes some of the funnyman's best bits and new bits and bobs and mashes them into a whole new show showing off Billy's talent for improvisation and easy amiability with an audience.

As well as the stand-up Billy continues to record the often near-the-knuckle madness of The Gentleman's Closet podcast, has recorded a pilot for a new TV comedy and is acting in (and helped adapt) a radio play of HP Lovecraft's "The Dunwich Horror".

Closer to home, he is also taking the lead role in Irvine theatre company Aulround Productions' "The Doctor In Spite Himself".

"It's the first time I've taken the lead in play in nearly seven years but I'm very excited. We've got some super folks behind it, great cast and a wonderful director in Yvonne Kavanagh and we're taking it on the road for a bit so it should be awesome."

So 2010 should be an exciting one, eh?

"More gigs, being a better person, more Tattoo's, less Greggs and drinking Pepsi, pPeforming at festivals, paying the bills, staying busy and bringing the funny whenever and wherever I can."

Billy Kirkwood's show at the HAC this weekend is sold out, but he will be performing at the Glasgow Comedy Festival in March

Tweet

Follow @irvinetimes

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.