Shropshire Star

Comic Sean Lock talks ahead of his show at Wolverhampton Civic

Every three years the comedian Sean Lock writes and tours a new stand-up show. Well he’s only gone and done it again. What’s he like?

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He’s done it again – Sean Lock

The star is bringing his Keep It Light tour to Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall on Wednesday, having previously taken the show to Birmingham.

He remains one of the UK’s most highly acclaimed and original comedians, having made his stage debut more than 15 years ago. His stand-up is the product of a hyperactive imagination combining hilariously surreal imagery and insightful observations on the human condition.

Sean is a regular at London’s Comedy Store and has appeared at all the major festivals around the world including Edinburgh, Melbourne, Montreal and the Stavanger Humorfestivat in Norway.

He has performed in some of the most successful live shows of recent years, beginning in 1995 when he collaborated with Bill Bailey on Rock, the much misunderstood music industry spoof later to be serialised on BBC Radio One.

And his live work has won rave reviews, including: ‘He just lets the brilliance of his material dominate the room’ – The Guardian. And ‘Lock at his best . . . gloriously intelligent, deliciously unlikely and hilariously funny’ – The Times.

The star was a TV mainstay as team captain on the topical comedy panel show, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and also had his own show on Channel 4, TV Heaven, Telly Hell, with guests including Jack Dee and Alan Carr.

He wrote and starred in his own BBC sitcom 15 Storeys High as Vince the lifeguard who lives in a South London tower block. The show quickly established itself as one of the most original comedy series of recent years and is a cult classic.

He wrote and presented TV’s Believe It Or Not for BBC4 in 2008 and The Great British Sunday, where Sean looked at what Sundays always meant to him – from hangovers to Jack Hargreaves, from Sunday school and stately homes to utter boredom.

Sean’s extensive television credits include appearances on QI, Have I Got News for You, They Think It’s All Over, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The World Of Lee Evans, Here’s Johnny and The Stand Up Show.

As a writer Sean co-created Mark Lamarr’s Leaving The 20th Century, and has contributed to such shows as Never Mind The Buzzcocks, It’s Only TV But I like It and Is It Bill Bailey.

He has also featured widely on radio, including regular contributions to Mark Radcliffe’s Evening Show, Loose Ends, The Treatment.

And during a glittering career, he has received numerous awards and nominations. In 2000 Sean’s show No Flatley, I Am The Lord Of The Dance was nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award. That year he also received a British Comedy Award for Best Stand Up (previous winners included Jack Dee, Eddie Izzard and Jo Brand). Sean also won a Time Out Comedy Award while 8 Out of 10 Cats was twice been nominated for a National TV award.

Fans can expect a disparate collection of observations on Sean’s present tour. I’ll be talking about my bucket list and about some of my behaviour on the internet which I’m not especially proud of. But it’s not what you might think, don’t worry. And then I’ll have material about how I’ve got to an age where everything I do is considered to be a midlife crisis; so any activity and anything I buy or wear. If I get a pair of glasses, they’re considered to be a desperate attempt at disguising my age.

“It’s not my fault that all glasses are trendy these days; you can’t buy boring glasses any more, they’ve all got clear bits and a bit of lime around one of the eyes: I didn’t want to wear these, but that’s what they’re selling.

“I also talk about James Bond: I find the very notion of him so ridiculous.

“This thought that one man can save the world is so childish; an inebriated nine-year-old would struggle to maintain plausibility in that idea. I’ll talk about immigration which is always fun because it’s an easy topic to get wrong.

“But I keep it light. I talk about isolation of the elderly in our society and how they can live out forgotten and anguished lives with barely even the flicker of recognition from their neighbours. But I’ll be keeping that light.”