For two friends, comedians, and Toms, they have long believed that utilising humour meant more than evoking laughter and silliness.
While they have rightfully garnered acclaim for their hilarious and thought-provoking works alone, they also understand the reality of working in an industry that is dominated by non-disabled folk and why representation is crucial.
That is why Tom Skelton and Tom GK’s efforts to share their experiences of what it means to live with a disability through comedy, aims to make space for nuanced stories such as theirs to become the norm.
READ MORE: Michael and Emily Eavis are Glastonbury's driving force
Their latest stand-up projects, which will be showcased at the Bristol Improv Theatre on June 24, see both comics unapologetically create comedy through their journeys grappling with their disabilities that can be both refreshing and whimsical.
Tom GK’s ‘How To Record The Greatest Album Of All Time’ and Tom Skelton’s ‘2020 Visions (What If I Hadn’t Gone Blind?)’ both show how each ultimately finds their own process of reflection and healing.
For GK’s How To Record The Greatest Album Of All Time, the former Daily Telegraph music critic attempts to record the greatest album of all time, despite having lost most of his hearing.
Having been diagnosed with neurofibromatosis II, a rare genetic condition which causes hearing loss, Tom was forced with a choice to step away from music journalism. The show gives viewers an insight into how Tom revitalises his love of his music with an unwavering passion but under extremely varied circumstances.
Meanwhile, Skelton’s 2020 Visions (What If I Hadn’t Gone Blind?) sees the self-proclaimed VIP (visually-impaired person, of course) reflect on a decade of navigating his blindness, since his diagnosis of Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy, a hereditary eye condition that left him with five per cent vision.
What started as a spontaneous moment of sight loss during an Edinburgh Fringe show, soon led to living with a visual impairment and disability that has forever shaped both his personal and professional life.
With the show transpiring into a series of questions, Skelton imagines the what-ifs versus the realities of life, such as what would it have been like to swap the Tom of 2022 with a fantasy Tom of 20:20 vision?
Skelton and GK spoke to Bristol Live ahead of their show about the significance of their projects and why they believe that ‘ruthless but inclusive’ humour is needed now more than ever.
Skelton said: “In terms of my shows about visual impairment, because my first couple of shows weren’t about visual impairment, I never wanted to be defined by talking about my disability principally.
“So my first solo sketches were about football or this Orwellian dystopian future. Then after I felt more comfortable as a performer living with my low vision and decided to give it a go.
“2020 Visions is about this decade of being initially diagnosed, then getting used to the sight loss, learning to live with and all of the ways you do learn to cope with it and adapt.
“First and foremost, it is a comedy show so there'll be lots of uniquely funny and idiosyncratic encounters and experiences I have. It allows me to blame all of my failures and personality flaws merely on the eyesight!
“By entertaining people and getting them to relate to something in a way that they find funny and engaging, they might understand things and empathise in a different way that’s more personal than other forms.
“It is cathartic to talk about these difficult experiences, but it becomes less scary because by acknowledging that in front of people, they then make you feel okay.”
GK spoke of his own creative process, adding: “My theory is that people find music a really funny thing and people tend to laugh at music, so for me, I thought it was a risk to explore different sounds but it's been going well.
“It’s kind of an interesting story, where I’m from and my history, also that I have hearing loss which is an added obstacle. It brings people along into what is a bit of a weird, fascinating and hopefully really funny journey.”
Both GK and Skelton hope by opening up a nuanced conversation surrounding disability, that is fused with humour, this leads to further visibility for more stories like theirs while calling into question how comedy should be approached in order to uplift communities and not belittle.
Skelton said: “There’s such a hard line to negotiate between free speech and people’s right not to be discriminated against or bullied. It’s such a hard space but for me, I only feel comfortable talking about myself and my own experiences or instances where I’m definitely punching up like the government or various politicians who have power.
“Whoever is telling the jokes needs to have permission to tell the jokes and I know there are other comedians who thrive off the shock value and I know lots of people love that. But I suppose that I can only get permission from the audience in the way I do comedy when it’s about myself and my own blindness.”
Tom GK addeed: “I remember doing a show with Tom, which was a kids show about disability. There was an amazing moment I’ll never forget, because we tried to make the show as positive as possible. After the show ended there was a little girl that ran up to us, and she must have been six or seven, and she said ‘I’ve got Down’s syndrome!’ which was the best thing ever. It was the best thing ever because she felt sort of seen and just to be herself. I think that’s what our comedy show that we did in Australia was all about and it also shows what our comedy is all about in general.”
For more, visit Headfirst Bristol by clicking here to book tickets.
Sign up for our What's On in Bristol newsletter packed with essential stories to help you make the most of living in the city
