IF THERE’S one thing Scott Bennett wants to do it’s make you laugh, particularly given everything that’s been going on.
Being back on the road this autumn is something that is as much for his benefit as much as his audiences.
“Coming out the other side, it feels a little bit like a celebration that everyone’s collectively been through something that’s affected us. I feel very sort of proud to be doing comedy and to be giving people the light relief they need,” he says.
Scott is no stranger to making people laugh during dark times. Across lockdowns, he created the online show Stand Up From The Shed, a weekly topical show live-streamed from his garden shed. It attracted more than 150,000 views from people looking for a laugh.
“I’ve always loved comedy, but I didn’t realise just how much I valued it for my own mental health, and for other people as well,” he says.
“It was a real eye-opener just how much people relied on a moment of escapism during what was going on.”
The Shed show “feels like a different life” now he confesses, two years on. “It feels like it was so long ago”.
At the start of the first lockdown, Scott saw his job and the comedy industry shut down overnight.
“I felt that there is an audience, wherever they are, whoever they may be, and there’s a way of connecting with them,” he explains.
“We’re so lucky that this happened at a time when we have technology. Otherwise, I’d be screaming into the night or ringing everyone up individually and trying to do it that way.
“But yes, the show was a way of coping.”
He says it also had the benefit of seeing him reach a new audience.
“It started off as a way of coping and feeling like I was being productive and not sitting in the house losing my mind and panicking. In the end, it actually have me a purpose and a focus to continue.”
Scott thinks that this is now the greatest time to be a comedian, touring the country and meeting new audiences.
“We’ve come from one crisis to the next, so it does feel like we’re actually keyworkers in a weird way,” he says. “Not at state level, obviously, not like the NHS.”
Instead, he means that people need a laugh.
“Live audiences, it’s in that instant, that moment – nothing can compare with that really,” he adds.
He says that he’s recognising people he’s seen on his Shed Zooms, something he find a bit surreal as he felt the online and physical worlds would never cross over. “They have, and it’s been a real eye opener,” he says.
Scott doesn’t just write for his own sets, he also creates gags for other comics. Does he find it hard to let go once the jokes are ready to be handed over?
“If you like writing comedy, and you understand the rules of comedy, enjoy words and languages, I think writing anything is joyful, even if it isn’t for yourself,” he says.
“When you’re writing for another person’s voice, it’s always slightly different.
“I’ve written for people bigger than me or doing arena tours. I try and get into their head and their lives and their different to me, so it’s still their experience.
“The bit I love doing is to bring my skill … the punchlines and getting the imagery right.
“Writing for someone else does keep you sharp and keep that muscle going, it’s a fantastic thing to do.”
And there are days when Scott worries he’s not cut out for the job.
“I have a crisis of confidence all the time, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be normal,” he says. “Some weeks I think this isn’t going anywhere, I’ve got responsibilities…
“There is a glamorous side, a romance to it, but there’s a reality too – paying the bills, being a father and husband.
“Some days, it’s a really hard way to make a living. It does seem very easy – you’re on stage for 20 minutes. The actual reality is the pressure, everything’s on the line all the time, it’s always judged.”
It can feel like a treadmill, not helped by the rise of people posting jokes and videos on social media.
“But what tends to happen is that I’ll go into a gig and something magical will happen. That’s the reason why I’m doing it. As long as you have those moments where you can stay creative, I think that’s when you can maintain that lifestyle.”
And this is part of the thinking behind the show, which will be in Reading on Thursday, October 22.
“I really like doing Reading,” he says. “I’ve done a few gigs there over the years and I think audiences have always been great – very comedy savvy at that Just The Tonic venue.
“It’s in a good spot, you get a real eclectic mix of audience members there and I’m a real fan of the area as well. It’s not London, it’s metropolitan, with its own sort of little identity.
“I’m really looking forward to having the chance to do a longer set and give people a great night out.”
The show, he says, will help people through the next crisis.
“There’s a lot of real-world problems going on, everyone has been through so much. It does feel we’ve been in a constant state of misery and anxiety for the best part of three or four years.
“The only thing we can do is switch our heads off for an hour-and-a-half and come along and see me. There’s no bad bits, no reflecting, no moments of drama. Just sit back and enjoy some really funy, relatable stand-up that allows you to laugh and forget things for a bit.”
He smiles: “That’s what I’m aiming to do really. Just bring people into my world and leave them laughing, saying that was the best night out we’ve had in ages.”
He knows the material inside out as it’s some of his favourite stand-up moments from time past.
“It’s a greatest hits tour, it’s not a new show, this is me doing my favourite bits of stand-up from the last nine years.
“I love performing it and hopefully audiences will enjoy and love listening to it.”
For more on Scott or to book tickets, log on to: www.scottbennettcomedy.co.uk
Scott performs at Just The Tonic, in Sub89, on Thursday, October 22. Tickets cost £16.50 and the show starts at 7.30pm. For more details, or to book, log on to https://www.justthetonic.com/reading-comedy/shows/saturday-22-oct-2022/5407/
