“I don’t wanna do an Oasis– being this ‘person of the people’ and charging six hundred pounds for tickets”
MAISIE Adam is setting out on a new solo stand-up tour this month following a stratospheric rise into the world of sport.
The show, Appraisal, is her second full touring hour, and her fourth full hour since she began performing in 2016.
“I called it Appraisal,” she explains, “because comedy has been my full time profession now for five years, and that feels really special.
“Also it made me realize that, well, with any other job, you get a sort of five year appraisal, right?
“You don’t really get that with comedy– though the people sat in front of me do react in real time as to how it’s going, so perhaps this tour would be the appraisal.
“It’s also a chance for me to reflect on how I find this as a job; but that’s a loose theme, and it’s a collection of laughs and gags.”
While Maisie still feels urgently fresh in the context of live British comedy, her confidence is well-earned.
“It’s my fourth full show, having done two Edinburgh Fringe shows, so I’ve got enough experience writing that this show felt less daunting.
“Not having the pressure of being at the Fringe really helped too, taking time instead to really work it out with so many works in progress and so many train journeys home going over it with a red pen.
“I really like that part of the process, to be honest– it makes it more of a labour of love.
“The really nerve-wracking bit of the tour is the first night, which will be in Reading, for my first time, too.”
Part of her assurance is also seemingly thanks to her down-to-earth outlook and the approachability of her material.
“I don’t wanna end up doing an Oasis, being this ‘person of the people’ and charging six hundred pounds for tickets.
“So I do certain things to make sure I keep my experiences as close to they were before I became well-known.
“I don’t really hang out with comedians; you end up talking too much shop, and too intrinsically about comedy.
“So I still hang out with schoolmates,” she explains: “I was at a mate’s 30th birthday and he had it in the room we had our school leavers’ prom.
“We were reminiscing about how we used to sneak booze in and drink it under the tables, and really not much has changed!”
And it’s something she remains conscious of and seeks to preserve.
“So I think keeping the same groups, not getting bogged down in work in your days off is important– my job is to be on stage chatting to people with normal jobs.
“How can I do that from behind the members’ bar?”
Despite this– or perhaps, more likely, because of it– Maisie has become a touchstone of the sporting world through her coverage of women’s football.
She attributes her rise to: “a mixture of luck and hard work; I’ve been lucky that it has coincided with this incredible moment in particular for women’s football.
“It’s the fastest growing sport in the world and following the success of the Euros and the World Cup Final last year, it’s only going to keep growing.
“As a lifelong football fan, I’ve been lucky to be able to be a part of that and to see that journey as a fan– it feels like I’ve won a competition to be covering it, podcasting it, presenting and bringing it to new fans.”
Last year, Maisie began hosting the podcast Big Kick Energy with fellow comedian Suzi Ruffell, coinciding with the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The podcast won Sports Podcast of the Year in the Sports Broadcast Awards just months after it began.
She’s also appeared on sports coverage for Sky News, BT Sport, and the BBC, as well as taking part in Soccer Aid last year.
“I recently worked with Jill up at the Olympic Park for The Last Leg; we’ve played football for some charity games, and it still does blow my mind.
“She’s a mate now, and she rinses me for tweets I made in 2015 fan-girling over her, so it’s a weird moment.
“It’s someone I used to watch and I was really inspired by, it’s really strange to be working with them and Whatsapping memes with.”
Talking of the opportunities that her work has afforded her, she said: “I didn’t expect it to go this far in this direction: you mention on a podcast that you’re a Leeds fan and people pick up on it.
“In sport especially they usually get ex players to do the punditry: they’ve got the technical language and that experience.
“But a growing sport doesn’t always have those lifelong fans– it’s something The Last leg does really well- so there’s a value to having that person making it relatable and easy to get on board.
“You don’t take it too seriously, while still having an immense amount of respect for the game and you still know your stuff.”
But Maisie is also glad to see the blossoming of sport which she has followed for much of her life, she explains.
“It’s exciting seeing that rise too; I was watching Jill at uni, and I was the only person paying any attention to it.
“It started to pick up some coverage about two world cups ago, but only for those really into their football, which was great and did a lot for the game.
“Then last year in Australia at the World Cup Final, seeing a stadium that full of fans of all ages and types was great.
“Not just girls, big dads with their sons and all sorts of communities– seeing that change in just eight years is so exciting, and it’s only going to get bigger.
“Provided we continue to fund and platform it: there are still stories which pop up about smaller clubs which are frustrating and feel like we’re taking steps back.”
Her rise is something she’s still navigating, she explains: “because the world of comedy keeps changing.
“I came up through the open-mic circuit, then won So You Think You’re Funny, which got me signed onto the professional gigs and really elevated me.
“Then I found myself getting TV work, such as being a regular on Mock The Week– but younger audiences don’t sit down at regular times to watch panel shows; it’s all TikTok and reels.
“The balance of that can be tricky as I don’t want to be on my phone the whole time, which can sound old-fashioned.
While social media is a powerful driving force for bringing people to shows, Maisie explains that it can’t replace live shows.
“I still think there’s nothing that beats being in the room– videos are great for raising your profile, and it’s so much more in the hands of the user.
“At a gig, though, I’m in control and anything can happen, and I still prefer that format for sure.”
Maisie Adam is touring her new show, Appraisal, from this month, kicking off right here in Reading’s Concert Hall on Thursday, September 17.
Full details of the tour are available via: maisieadam.com
Tickets to the Reading show are available via: whatsonreading.com
