
© Matt Crockett
Stand up comedian and podcaster Stuart Goldsmith is set to tour his seventh show, Like I Mean It, across the UK from February through to June 2018. Having already won Best New Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival, and had a very successful Edinburgh run in 2017, now it’s time for Goldsmith’s creativity to truly shine, as he performs this show to ever-growing audiences across the country.
Hi Stu, how have you been since we last spoke?
Really well thanks – married life is excellent, and my toddler said “good morning daddy” for the first time, unprompted, this morning. So now I feel like I’m in a sixties Disney live action movie.
How did your latest show, Like I Mean It, evolve? Is there a core story or message?
As ever I tried to write funny stuff with no meaning, and as ever it evolved into something meaningful despite my best efforts! I wouldn’t dream of trying to send a message to anybody, but the core of the show is my blissful happiness now I have everything I always wanted, and the resentment and frustration that somehow comes along with all that contentment.
Have you surprised yourself at all whilst writing this show?
Absolutely. It’s my seventh show, and my best, and while I’m always surprised that I have anything more to say, in this one in particular I manage to say exactly what I wanted to without beating the audience over the head with it. I also came up with a neat little structural trick which I’m hoping to expand upon for this year, which one favourite reviewer of mine absolutely HATED, so I’m looking forward to annoying her all over again.
Are you enjoying performing Like I Mean It more than your previous shows?
I think so! It’s more about funny concepts and less to do with being word perfect on the wording of a joke, so it makes for a looser performative experience for me. Also there’s a bit about a frog which I find hilarious if they all go with it, and equally hilarious if none of them do.
Has your work on the Comedian’s Comedian Podcast effected your stand up in any positive (or negative) ways?
I’m sure it has but quite how I couldn’t say. For me the biggest difference has always been that once I realised all comedians worry that we’re impostors, it got much easier to deal with my own self doubt. I should try and keep a list of the things I think to myself during the writing process, as I’m sure there are more concrete examples.
Can we expect any Q&As after the shows during this tour?
No, this time I’m going to be roughing out a load of wonky new material after each show, so anyone who fancies staying gets a sneak preview cum workshop of the next show!
Are you dreading writing the next show or looking forward to it?
Dread dread dread. But as soon as I get to the stage where I have too much material it will flip and suddenly become the best job in the world again. IF THAT POINT EVER COMES EVER AGAIN.
And finally, why should people buy a ticket to see Like I Mean It on tour?
Because if they try and sneak in for free I will publicly shame them.
BOOK TICKETS TO SEE STUART GOLDSMITH’S SHOW, LIKE I MEAN IT, ON TOUR HERE