SCOTTISH comedian Paul Black is reflecting on his working-class roots as he prepares to take his latest show to Glasgow.
Black (below) is bringing his show All Sorts back to his hometown next month, hot off the heels of a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“The Fringe was a bit intense, but doing it every night was a good way to get the show where it needs to be and make sure that it’s the best possible version of it,” he told The National.
“That almost sounds bad for the people who came to the Fringe.”
‘A bingo card for mentioning being gay and working class’
Whilst All Sorts remains a mixture of sketches and stand-up, Black has made some changes, with new material and characters adding an extra 20 minutes to the running time.
A lot of his material is rooted in his identity, whether it be through class or sexuality.
Black, also a supporter of Scottish independence, said every show he does has something rooted in class, adding: “It's something that’s kind of impossible not to touch upon”.
“It’s not even about my career, but general life. It influences so much of your life, your upbringing, your values. It just naturally transpires into the writing,” he told The National.
He added: “Someone said to me once that they had a bingo card for seeing my show. If I mentioned being working class and I mentioned being gay, they could take a drink.”
One of Black’s characters in the show is called Ghost Boy – a parody of a “Glasgow School of Art middle-class person who is cosplaying as working class”.
“It’s almost cultural appropriation, but more class appropriation,” Black said.
He added that he had “a lot of fun” poking fun at that type of character, and that the stereotypes were “very real and very relatable” to people in Glasgow and beyond.
‘My best videos are when I'm ranting and being a moany bastard’
Black went viral on TikTok last year for his rant on musician P!nk, urging her to “get doon” after seeing videos of her performing acrobatic tricks across stadiums whilst singing live.
@paulbiack Get doon #fyp #scottish ♬ original sound - Paul Black
“It’s funny, because you spend all this effort trying to develop characters, you’re smart, you put effort into your writing, but then the things that do the best are just you ranting and being a moany bastard,” he told The National.
I've learned to not be scared of it not going perfect
“It’s like 10 times more viral than anything I’ve ever done in the past five years.
“Is it my best work? Definitely not. But it kind of feeds into the unpredictable nature of doing things online.”
It’s been four years since Black first started doing live comedy, and he has loved every minute of it.
“Initially it took a wee bit of adjusting to, the whole live aspect – there's no way to do it over if you mess it up,” he said.
“But I’ve learned to not be as scared of it not going perfect.
“You get a lot of really good comedy bits that just come on the night, and it’s helped me be a lot more comfortable on stage.
“I just remember that I’m getting to do this job for a living. I’m really lucky, and it’s a lot of fun, and I’m entertaining people.”
Two other performers will join Black on stage next month – his brother, Mark Black, and his friend Alana Malone.
“You’ll always benefit from collaborating with other talented people, and it’s really made the process a lot more fun – and I think that shows,” he said.
All Sorts is at the SEC Armadillo in Glasgow on November 22. To find out more, click here.
