Cheeky chappy Lee Nelson – the lad with the infectious grin and disarming sense of humour – returns to the Thames Valley on Thursday. And there’s good news for the staff of his favourite sandwich shop. PHIL CREIGHTON finds out more
THERE’S something infectious about Lee Nelson. The comic’s cheerful disposition is heartwarming. His natural charm means that he’s disarmingly enduring.
And it means he can get away with murder on stage.
The comic is returning to Reading next week for his second date this year and he is delighted to speak to us about his show.
“It’s not every day you get to speak to the Work-ingham Paper,” he says as part of his welcome spiel. It started with a charming “Wassup!”, led into a “Fantastic mate!” when asked about how his day was going. “All good, sun shining!”
Yes, he speaks with exclamation marks: it’s part of his sunny-side-up nature.
When we tell him that The Wokingham Paper team has enjoyed cake this morning, you can hear his eyes light up from the other end of the phone.
“Cake! That’s gotta be the one,” he says about the nature of his rider when he’s touring. “I’ve got my Red Bulls and my M&Ms – and sometimes I like to be a bit cheeky and ask for a single colour.
“Depending on who’s coming, I will ask for some extra Red Bull. There’s nothing sweeter than a little party in the dressing room.”
But Lee also is up for a party and a bit of a laugh. The comedian, who’s appeared on BBC Three, recently upstaged Kayne West when he sneaked on to the Glastonbury stage for an impromptu rap battle – more of which in a moment.
When we tell him of venues he could go to after the show, including the famous Purple Turtle, he is delighted.
“Sounds like you know what I’m talking about, you know all the right places,” he jokes.
He’s also up for arriving early and exploring some of Berkshire’s finest culture. But this
being Lee Nelson, don’t expect to see him popping into Wokingham Town Hall or exploring Woodley’s Oakwood Centre.
“I like visiting different Greggs. The layout of the sandwiches is a bit different, the pricing is a bit different. I noted a seven pence difference in the price of a sausage roll in Glasgow,” he said.
Greggs recently changed its policy and now no longer sells sliced bread baked in store. This is news to a shocked Lee.
“I think this is a tragedy – possibly a national emergency,” he says, before realising that his beloved sausage rolls, baps and sandwiches have been left untouched.
“Oh, they’ve just stopped selling bread? That’s alright then. Fair play to Greggs,” he says, reassured that his sandwich habit can continue unabated.
Hot on the heels of his success on the Glasto stage – where he rap battled Kayne West – we wonder if Lee would want to come to The Hexagon a day early and crash the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s set.
He sounds really excited at the prospect, the smile evident even down the end of the phone line as the cogs start whirring.
“The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra? Oh gosh, I’ve gotta get in,” he says.
“I’ll give it a go. In an orchestra you’ve got the blokes at the front who’ve spent 10 or 20 years learning the violin. You also get a couple of slackers at the back with a triangle or a tambourine.
“Sorry fella, you don’t belong. I reckon I can do that.”
This tour is called Suited and Booted and in it Lee swaps his baseball caps and trendy clobber for a suit.
“I’d look a bit of a ’nana not turning up in one,” he said, revealing that wearing the suit “just felt right, it felt good” and that he’s wearing it to please his Nanna.
After telling him to “get a little smarter” he gave all his clothes to a charity shop, something he says he’s looking forward to seeing others wearing in years to come.
“I got me suit from Top Man. I took one look in the mirror and said this is the one,” he explains how he then walked out of the store with the security guards calling his name.
“I was using all my fitness,” he recalls. “Top tip to anyone shoplifting: smoking ain’t gonna make you healthy, give up the ciggies.”
Of course, he’s joking. At least we think he is. And it’s all done with such charm that even his Nanna would forgive him.
Now… about that after-show party.
“I’d like to officially invite you, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and everyone a Greggs to my aftershow. It’s happening!”
With an offer like that – and an evening of jokes “I’ll tell a few gags for as long as I can,” he promises – and that suit, it’ll be a fun, if surreal, night out.
Lee Nelson: Suited and Booted is at The Hexagon, Reading on Thursday, October 8 from 7.30pm. Tickets are £22 and the show is for adults only.
To book, call the box office on 0118 960 6060 or log on to www.readingarts.com
