Enjoy a Q&A with comedian Steve Bugeja who is touring with his new show Almost

Here you can enjoy a Q&A with Steve.

The questions were set by Entertainment Reporter, Lawrence John at the County Gazette.

Q1: When was the first time you realized comedy was important to you?

A: My family would always watch the Christmas specials of sitcoms together, like Only Fools and Horses, The Office, Extras. I just absolutely loved it. I thought it was amazing that the whole nation was gathered around the TV watching and laughing at the same thing. I guess that was when the power of comedy really hit me, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it from then on.

Q2: What was the first comedy show or record you heard which made you think that is what I want to do?

A: My Dad bought me Peter Kay’s Live At Top Of The Tower. I was only 11 so a lot of the observations went over my head, but I was completely mesmerised by this funny man who made it all look so effortless. i guess the first comedy dvd that I actually watched and understood was Ricky Gervais’ Animals, but I think I was mainly excited by the swear words.

Q3: What amuses you most about your comedy?

A: It’s usually the one off ad-libs that I come up with on the night that make me laugh the most. Although ideally you don’t want to be laughing at your own jokes.

Q4: With the political climate in the UK and the USA in the state it is, has this changed the comedy climate?

A: Yes completely, the world is ripe for satire. More importantly I think comedians can play a crucial role in holding a mirror up to injustices and calling out politicians who do wrong. Some of the big satirists such as John Oliver, Nish Kumar, Samantha Bee are doing amazing work. I however try to steer clear of the politics, there are people far more equipped to take on Trump, I’ll stick to telling funny stories and talking about day to day life.

Q5: Is a lot of your comedy personal or an exaggeration of what actually happened to you?

A: My shows have all been storytelling shows so yes they do all come from a personal place. They are start from a true event and from there i exaggerate certain bits and hide others. But only in the same way that we all do when we’re telling stories. In reality actual life is too boring!

Q6: How does it make you feel being on stage in front of an audience?

A: It’s the best feeling in the world. The buzz of getting a laugh is unbeatable. I remember the first time i did it, I was on a high for about a week. When I’m onstage, in my flow it is the happiest I’ve ever been. Sorry that was so corny.

Q7: What can people expect from coming to see your show Almost?

A: My show is the true story of the worst flight I’ve ever been on. When I got on the flight the worst thing happened to me imaginable … the stranger next to me started making conversation. She wanted to make a friend! it was a 13 hour flight, this is my worst nightmare. On top of that, when I get on the flight my girlfriend text saying that when I got back to England we “needed to have a talk”. Possibly the most ominous text message I’ve ever received. The show tells the story of my thought process on the flight, building up to ‘the talk’ and what happens when I get home. There’s also tons of funny jokes in it.

Q8: How would you describe the why in which you write your comedy and the process it takes?

A: I literally treat it like an office job. Except I’m usually in a cafe and I have no colleagues. I just sit down for a few hours every day and write funny things. Then I go and test it at comedy clubs to find out which bits are funny and which bits are just my own madness. Audiences tend to tell you pretty quickly.

Q9: What does comedy give you which another form of entertainment would not?

A: I think from an audiences perspective there is an instant personal connection with a stand-up comedian that you don’t get in other sorts of live entertainment. It’s a real person, talking about real things that hopefully will resonate with your real lives too. There’s also an element of spontaneity that you wouldn’t find elsewhere, every show is different and each audience gets their very own version of the show.

Q10: With every festival or show success do you feel the pressure growing on you as you have set a standard both for the audience and yourself?

A: Yes of course, but I guess that’s the same with every job. The longer you keep doing something the more people expect from you. Sometimes the thought of writing a brand new show does stress me out a little, but when I get going I remember that I absolutely love it. The pressure of creating better and more interesting routines is what drives me. I always try to remember how good it feels when it’s complete. I worked really hard creating ‘Almost’ and there were some nights in the preview season when I wanted to stop, but when it all came together and everything worked it felt incredible. Now I have a show that I’m dead proud of and i think audiences are really enjoying. I’ll just have to try to remember that feeling when I start writing the new one.

Q11: What does comedy mean to you?

A: I watch comedy as a way to switch off, forget about my problems for a bit. It certainly helps me to not take life too seriously. I hope that people coming to my show are able to do the same thing.

Q12: As a comedy writer/comedian who would you describe the feeling you get when the comedy muse gives you the creativity spark?

A: When I get an idea for a new routine, I become obsessed. I’ll be constantly thinking about it, telling my friends and family (who are incredibly bored of my creative sparks by now). I sit down with it and write it out, come up with different angles and as many jokes as possible. Then it all builds up to the most exciting part when I get to try it out in front of an actual audience. Sometimes it works, and I feel great, sometimes they look at me confused, that doesn’t feel so great. But it just makes me want to do it all again.