I’ve been immersed in comedy since I was a kid, crouched next to the TV, holding a tape recorder to record M.A.S.H. Radio, TV, films, books, stand-up, The New Yorker etc. (I crushed Robert Benchley). I’m obsessional. I know, I’m lucky, it could’ve just as easily been lawn mowers. John Cleese was my first mentor, and he was encouraging, generous and kind. He taught me my skills were valuable and once slammed his door in my face because I hadn’t sent him an invoice for my work. I couldn’t have had a better start.

Part of the alternative UK’s comedy scene, I opened a stand-up club, and sold my first joke in my teens, to Rory Bremner at the BBC.

Writing TV sketches was where I cut my teeth – so many Mr Silly and Mr Straights, but hey, you’re learning. I used to call it the comedy salt mines, and it’s weird discovering how many of them have been uploaded. Like Hale and Pace, Rowan Atkinson (that’s my hand with the glass) Alas Smith and Jones. But because comedy is like corn syrup; it’s in everything because it works, I was able to move from writing jokes, into writing for newspapers, kid’s TV, and ultimately the theatre: I wrote the book for the Noel Gay musical Radio Times…about a comedian. Then, after working with multiple stand-ups on numerous shows, I met US director Amanda Baker, who’s streets ahead of anybody working in live performance – and I mean long ass Roman roads, autobahns ahead. Also, Jimmy Carr, who averages 300 lives shows a year and has chalked up 12 Netflix specials, so it’s no exaggeration to say he’s written and told more jokes than any comedian alive. Working together has been a joy. You can read about it here.

And for no real reason, other than I want to, here’s Lenny Bruce’s The Palladium. I put it up 11 years ago because I’d been out of the country, wanted to listen to it, and, shocked to find it hadn’t been uploaded anywhere – I returned home and corrected that. I love that you can clearly hear other comics laughing at the back of the room, clearly supporting Bruce. The camaraderie warms my heart. And Bruce’s voicework, the act outs, the aliteration, the attention to detail – and his English accent – pure gold. “I want a class date – I can’t keep going back to Montreal“. Thanks Lenny.