Lucy Porter talks ahead of Birmingham show - interview

During 2014 she returned to the Edinburgh Fringe with her 10th solo show – Me Time – and now she is back with her latest effort Consequences – arriving at Birmingham's Repertory Theatre tonight.

"Many people have a mid-life crisis, but I am calling this my mid-life celebration," Porter told me when asked what to expect from her tour.

"It's about looking back at my 16-year-old self and examining what she would have thought of me, what I think of her and coming of age."

When asked how she sits down and writes her comedy shows, I found out there's no sitting down involved whatsoever.

"There's a lot of walking, sitting on buses and such, and then eventually it all just comes to me," she admits.

"I used to be a journalist but it is so different. Writing stand-up is the hardest thing I have ever done, all of my usual writing tricks just go out of the window! I just have to wait for inspiration to strike.

"At the moment I'm also trying to write a book and I've had to force myself to actually sit down and take a different approach because my stand-up writing is so active – it never ends, I am always writing new material."

But despite her view on stand-up writing, Lucy Porter has performed hilarious script after hilarious script and has risen from strength to strength in her decade-long career.

Back when she first started, it was an unlikely draw that made her ditch the world of media and pursue a career in comedy.

"I think I fancied the hours if I'm completely honest," she laughed. "I was working in television at the time – I loved my job but then I started writing and always had an urge to express myself differently.

"One of my friends gave me the idea to try stand-up and I never went back.

"If you feel you want to try it, I strongly recommend it. For me it was highly addictive from the very beginning and there has never been any other life for me.

"I can't remember the first time I stood on stage to be honest, I think I have sort of blocked it out of my memory, like childbirth – nature is very kind to us it blocks out traumatic memories."

As a woman in comedy, Lucy Porter is definitely in a minority, but she uses her fame as a platform to encourage other women to get involved.

"Traditionally women certainly were in the minority," she admits. "When I first started out I tried not to think about it because there is a limit on what you can do about it, but now I try and encourage women as much as possible.

Changing

"It is definitely hard when you are starting out but the world is changing slowly and women encourage each other so much more.

"The advice I would give to any up and coming comedian is just to practice all the time, and definitely don't drink too much because it makes you think you're hilarious when you might not be - that spans genders."

From working in television to being on our screens, Porter has appeared on the likes of Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks – alongside other big names in comedy such as Dara O'Briain, Hugh Dennis, Simon Amstell and many more.

"It's always weird being on a show that you've watched on television yourself - Have I Got News For You was the one that freaked me out the most.

"Being on TV is just not a normal thing, so it still feels like such a weird thing. I feel so much more comfortable on radio – you don't have to brush your hair."

Keeping comedy in all aspects of her life, she is also married to fellow comedian Justin Edwards – but does their matrimony lead to constant writing sessions as I would expect?

"You are always laughing, we do chat about ideas sometimes but just like most married couples we have a laugh – it's not that much different."

Her family life also inspired her to begin Screaming with Laughter, an afternoon mother and baby comedy club that tours across the country.

"I was really bored when I had a baby, what with being at home, not getting out much and only doing baby-centred things so I decided I wanted to do something so that other parents could come and enjoy themselves and not worry about anything baby-related.

"I ran that quite a few times, I have handed it over now because my children are at school age so I have left the baby stage – but it is still going."

Porter has done so much in her career already – but what does the future hold?

"I will be writing a new show that I hope to tour next year, I love doing what I do so why stop now?"

Lucy Porter will appear at Birmingham Repertory Theatre tonight.

By Becci Stanley