Road to the Fringe- Interview with Dan McKee
Dan McKee is a stand up comedian who is becoming increasingly well known. He is the founder of Saltbox, a group that has helped to support a number of up and coming Norwich comedians. He also appeared in Edinburgh last year as part of the “Lifestyles of the Weird and Aimless” stand up showcase.
How did you first get involved with comedy?
My first involvement with comedy was with my old University theatre group who would have been far better if we had forgotten the pretence of being actors and got on with the business of doing comedy and stayed sober for longer than breakfast.
I did my first stand-up gig in 1999 at the Performers club in the Teviot inEdinburghjust before Simon Munnery went onstage. I have no memory of this. I was drunk.
Then I didn’t go near it again until I was trapped inLeicesterfor a year and took refuge in a local comedy club called Bottle Rocket. I spent a year watching the comedy. One of the acts said I might as well give it a go.
Then I moved back toNorwichand I saw a sign for an open mic comedy night in a pub. The night was dreadful as they decided we should perform next to the men’s toilets but I enjoyed myself and thought I can’t get any worse than standing next to the Gents. (I was wrong)
Sum up your style of comedy in a sentence.
An odd man in a normal world
What tips would you give for someone preparing for their first Edinburgh gig?
Thinking ofEdinburghgigs as different to any others is your first mistake. A gig can only ever be taken on the value of who is in the room. However, I will say treat it like your job. Turn up on time and sober and make sure you have some jokes.
Who are your comedy influences?
Les Dawson’s lugubrious monologues and Simon Munnery’s writing are major influences as is the performance abilities of Michael Fabbri.
But ultimately my biggest influence are The Mary Whitehouse Experience and Round the Horne which I consumed voraciously as a child and I still think you can see the traces of Davis Baddiel’s petty annoyances in my attitude.
Who is faster- Sonic The Headgehog or The Flash?
Which Flash do you mean? There were 3. The first could go at the speed of sound, and the other two could hit light speed. I don’t think Sonics speed limit was ever defined.
However, as you are looking for an answer. Sonics real life speed was defined by how quickly the Megadrive could process him and the Flash’s speed was only defined by how quickly the reader moved between the comic book panels.
So the Flash, as he was running at the speed of thought.
How do you deal with hecklers?
By being unfailingly polite to them. Nothing is more frustrating than one side of an argument refusing to take part in it.
What do you pack in your Edinburgh survival kit?
Nothing. They have shops inEdinburgh. It’sScotland, not the Moon.
Would you time travel to the past or the future?
Neither. I want to see alternative realities where theRoman Empirenever fell and went to war with Nazi Gorillas
What five acts would you book for your dream festival?
Les Dawson, History Today, Rambling Syd Rumpo, Paul Foot and Ronnie Barker doing his Hermetic Order of the Golden Rivet sketch
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
A quicker writer and having broken into all the major UKclubs
