Shut Up Bastard

From Dave's One Night Stand

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A circuit stalwart, Stephen K Amos made his Edinburgh debut in 2001, returned in 2003, and has performed there every year since. He has also appeared the Melbourne Comedy Festival every year from 2006 to 2009.

Amos has also acted in a number of dramatic plays at the Fringe, including One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest with Christian Slater in 2004 - which later transferred to the West End – and Talk Radio in 2006.

On TV, he has performed stand-up on Live at the Apollo and the 2007 Royal Variety Performance and appeared on several panel shows, including Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, The Wright Stuff and Loose Women, where, in February 2009, he caused a stir by revealing that Prince Harry told him he 'didn't sound like a black chap’ after his appearance at a gig to celebrate Prince Charles's 60th birthday.

In 2007 Amos made an acclaimed Channel 4 documentary on homophobia in the black British community and in Jamaica, Batty Man. He is also in the cast of 2009 BBC Two sitcom In My Country, a multicultural show set in a run-down guest house.

In 2004, he won a Time Out award for comedy, and he has been nominated for the Chortle Award for best compere three times, in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Stephen K Amos: The Spokesman
Live Review
Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Stephen K Amos has discovered the secret of success. He’s been coming for Melbourne for maybe eight years, storming it in increasingly large venues every time. And how does he get the big laughs? By mentioning another town, pulling what can only – if offensively – be described as a ‘mong’ face, and smashing himself in with the microphone as he demonstrates just how stupid and backwards those people from a different place are. The idiots.

It works for Adelaide; it works for Darwin; it works for individuals who he doesn’t much like, too... so the technique gets quite a few run-outs, like it’s his catchphrase. That or saying an incredulous ‘fuck off!’ And if the face-pulling is in dubious taste, wait until you hear the comedy Thai accent he later employs, and then has to seek the audience’s reassurance that it’s not ‘a bit racist’. (It is)

As well as the old tricks, there are also a few older routines in here, too, not that it really seems to matter to the audience. Some actively encourage it in a kind-of encore when he jukeboxes his own back catalogue on request; while for others it will be new anyway. Amos took a straw poll and found the vast majority of people in the Atheneum Theatre had never seen one of his live performances before. But this is a new show, and we get to it eventually.

Among the fresher material is an anecdote about his phobia of water; how he hates the idea of swimming in the sea as there’s no safety rail to hang on to. The analogy with his comedy is obvious.

Perhaps he needs a reliable prop; as for all his experience, and exemplary crowd work – warm and enthusiastic as he gently ribs those in his sights – he can occasionally misstep, as evidenced tonight with some off-colour gags about Rolf Harris that the audience bristled against. That’s clearly not what they’ve come to expect from the effusively charming Amos.

But largely he delivers exactly what they want, as he very loosely explores the theme of this show: that he’s no fit person to be a spokesman for any cause, or a role model for anyone. The content encompasses the faceless mouthpieces who make corporate apologies for cock-ups like the horsemeat-in-lasganes fiasco; some fairly obvious gags about Jesus, ‘the original spokesman for God’ (well, if we ignore the Old Testament) and then on to his own failings.

The thought process was sparked when Amos reluctantly found himself being asked to comment on all sorts of gay issues, since coming out in his 2006 Edinburgh show. It’s not a subject he ever particularly dwells on, but as in all his anecdotes he reveals enough about himself to draw out the funny - no more or no less. Even his age remains a mystery when he claims to be 37, but no one believes him.

Indeed there are some very witty anecdotes here, especially his run-in with a stern woman in an off-licence (he can’t bring himself to say the Australian equivalent ‘bottle shop’ without mocking it) – and, as always, his warm, gregarious manner elevates even the most everyday of routines, let alone the good ones. The phobias seam encourages the audience interaction with which he excels, as he addresses such weird fears as ‘eggshells’.

It’s an hour (well, more like 80 minutes) of charismatic bonhomie and affectionate mockery, with some great routines, but also a fair bit of padding. If it’s not advancing the artform of comedy, well Amos was never a spokesman for that, but neither is it a constant peak of straightforward stand-up of which there’s the ever-present hope he is capable of producing. But ‘solid stuff, with moments of hilarity,’ a spokesman for Chortle said.

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I laughed so hard that i ached the next day. He's fantastic. Not only is he funny in what he says and how he says it, but his facial expressions are perfect.

Kate, March 2005

Ages ago I put the boot into Stephen here, I see the comments have been timed out now. Anyway, I was wrong. Have seen him several more times since and he never fails.

Gary Delaney, February 2005

I cried with laughter through the entirety of his act. Very good indeed

Steve Smith, November 2004

Seen him as the warm up act for Room 101. Mildly amusing but seemed to enjoy using an effeminate voice, calling the young lads "poppet" and basically using the old "Is he or isn't he?" routine.

Dave Rotweiler, November 2004

I never thought laughing would hurt so much. My jaw literally ached, after seeing this man! His smugness and warmth are both very welcoming to any audience. Defiantly a thumbs up from me. Superb.

Alex, October 2004

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