KYLE SAMUEL and PETER BELL

Kyle Samuel and Peter Bell are two new acts to the Scottish comedy scene, who have not only performed all over the country, but run two new nights within Glasgow. These are the open mic Lol'Sa, which takes place in Soulsa Bar in the Merchant City, and the monthly Sauchiehall Comedy Club which currently takes place in Nice N' Sleazy every month, with the next one happening on November 9th. 

Thanks for doing this lads, let's get right into it. What made you want to get into stand-up comedy? 

Kyle: I was a bit of a class clown at school, and getting that first laugh is a great feeling. I’ve been chasing the dragon ever since. Always been a fan of stand-up, and always wanted to give it a try but put it off due to fears of being terrible at it. But, when the lockdown hit I decided that if I didn’t at least give it a go I would regret it. 

Peter: I tried learning a lot as a kid to try and make pals cause I thought folk would find that interesting. Turns out primary ones are more interested in football than the fact that killer whales are actually dolphins. So, I tried being funny instead. That worked. And my mates have told me forever to do it on stage. Also making people laugh is just the best feeling in the world. 

What are the biggest challenges you've come across gigging in the scene?

Kyle: I would say the biggest challenge I’ve faced has been securing time on stage. I’m not the best at messaging people who book and asking for a slot, because I don’t want to seem like I’m bothering them. Another challenge that I’ve faced has probably been juggling time gigging with everything else. Working full-time and having a lot, if not most, of your evenings busy during the week can be exhausting. 

Peter: For many, it's getting stage time, that's why we try to create a space for new acts to try out or older ones to test new stuff. You could make a case that making the step up from open spot to paid act is the biggest challenge too, as many promoters don't seem to want to take the risk. But you can't expect to have a strong scene if you don't help it grow. It's a risk but that's always going to be the case.

Has running a gig changed your view on the scene overall? 

Kyle: Yes. It’s shown me that there are a lot of talented individuals looking for stage time. There aren’t enough open gigs going in Glasgow and indeed Scotland overall. The demand for spots is overwhelming. I’ll echo what Peter has said in that it’s also highlighted how male-dominated the industry is. We have put up applications for gigs where the ratio of female to male applicants was 1 to 30. 

Peter: It's shown me there's a lot more talent than I thought there was. Big potential in the Scottish comedy scene, and if stand-up was valued as much as the other arts it could turn into something spectacular. It's also shown me just how male-dominated the industry is. We try to make our lineups as diverse as possible, but we're constantly swimming against the tide. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to try stand up? 

Kyle: Keep a note on your phone of any joke ideas that come to you. Inspiration will strike at the most random of times when you aren’t even thinking of standup. Keep document(s) with jokes you are developing separate so that you can elaborate. Attend comedy as much as you can. You will see a range of styles and joke structures. It will take a while for you to find your ‘voice’ on stage. And make sure that you are trying to get on stage as often as you can because nothing is going to beat the real-life experience of getting on stage. Go on stage, bomb, learn from that, and improve. 

Peter: Write, practice, watch, do write as often as you can. About anything you can. Then walk around the house performing it like you would stand up. That's actually a good way to write too. Just pick a subject and start talking about it like you're on stage. The other key thing is to watch brilliant professionals on any platform and get along to comedy nights to see how it's done and get a taste for it. Then just go out and do it. Nothing beats real-world experience. Yes, it's terrifying, but so is losing your virginity. And most folks would say that's worth it!