"It's my most personal show yet": Interview with Robin Morgan

Following shows about proposing, marriage, kids and a vasectomy, Welsh comedian Robin Morgan is back with his biggest tour to date, The Spark. In what he calls the “funniest” and “most personal” show he’s ever written, and “one long love letter” to his wife, Robin explores how to keep the spark alive in relationships but also in yourself. Ahead of the final date of the tour at Newcastle’s The Stand, Robin sat down with us to discuss the impact of audiences and politics on his comedy and performing in the Toon.

A lot of your comedy is quite introspective. What were you like as a student?

I did history and politics at Cardiff University, where I’m from. I wasn’t the most focused student academically, but I got really involved with the student paper and student radio. By my final year myself and a lot of my friends were doing comedy. Maybe I should’ve put as much effort into writing my assignments, but that time was so important for shaping my career and university is about so much more than just the academic side.

You've said that a lot of your audience have come to every show that you’ve toured. How have you built such a loyal following?

People always ask me if I have an onstage persona but it’s just me. Or the cheeky, funny version of myself that I am with my friends. I think audiences can tell if someone is being fake. It’s like catching up with friends, so why wouldn’t they want to hear what I’ve been up to for the last year and a half?

You also seem to love interacting with the audience in your shows. What can an audience bring to a show?

Selfishly, it makes it different for me when I’m performing the same show every night. There’s also a bit of magic in those moments with the audience that make every show unique and memorable. They can say some really mad and unpredictable things.

Do you have any examples or does what happens in the show stay in the show?

I’ll always share a bit of goss. So, for example, I do a section in the show about Ancestry DNA tests, and I’ve been asking the audience if they’ve done them and what they found out. I was expecting people to say they’re a bit Swedish or something but there’s been some wild stuff like secret half-siblings and finding out their grandparents are related.

Do you have any stories from performing in Newcastle?

I’ve only performed in Newcastle twice. Once was back in 2016 on my very first tour and the second time was when I was supporting Sophie McCartney. She’s a wonderful comedian but her audience is like 96% mums and when you’re supporting, you’re very aware that the audience has not come to see you. It was like performing to a room full of hen dos. But I really like that challenge of trying to win them over.

You’ve said this is “a bit of an escapist show”? Was it a difficult decision to keep the topical and political aspects of your comedy separate?

There’s the odd political line, but silly, daft, joyful stand-up is just the kind of comedy that I like writing, so it wasn’t so much a deliberate decision. I have a topical panel show and podcast, but I think live audiences respond best to being able to escape that. It’s an hour of joy.

Speaking of politics though, you were once told you look like a young Keir Starmer. You also said your son reminds you of Ed Miliband and your daughter has Liz Truss energy. If your wife were a politician, who would she be?

That’s genuinely one of the best questions I’ve ever been asked. She’s very kind and very honest, so not much like a politician at all. But she’s also very strong and doesn’t take any shit. Maybe Jacinda Ardern or AOC. I almost want to say a nice Margaret Thatcher, if that’s possible, because we’re a no-milk household.

Robin Morgan will play The Stand on December 8^th.