Fringe preview: Paul Kerensa

Paul Kerensa is bringing two shows to the Guildford Fringe this year. William Gadsby Peet discusses Christmas in July, Miranda Hart and making people laugh in a quick-fire Q&A

  • What got you in to comedy?

I was at Guildford School of Acting. As they showed us the door, they said, “Anything you can do, put on your CV. Tap-dancing. Rollerskating. French-speaking. Clean driving licence.” I didn’t even have a clean driving licence, so I thought I’d try stand-up once to say I’d done it. Then I fell for it. It was love at first mic. My first gigs were in Redhill, Guildford and Woking, and I totally caught the bug. Then I did gigs in Wigan, Swansea and Norwich and recovered from that bug again… but the nice gigs always drag you back.

  • You’ve written for a lot of great British TV shows, what’s been your favourite one to work on and why?

There was something special about doing the TFI Friday revival. The other shows have been great too, but when you get to work and find U2, Take That, Kylie… and there’s a bar – well you can hardly call it work.

  • What’s Miranda Hart like?

Just as tall as she appears on TV. Well, depending on the size of your television. She doesn’t fall over quite as much as her sitcom character, but she’s very very lovely.

  • Your second show is a Christmas play. In July. Explain…

I spent two years researching the history of Christmas for a book released last year (Hark! The Biography of Christmas) I was the weird guy taking out all the Christmas books from Guildford Library in June. I wanted to write a play about what I’d discovered - Charles Dickens getting the idea for the classic English Christmas from an American of all people (the same American who created Sleepy Hollow and the word ‘knickers’); Prince Albert hanging upside-down Christmas trees as chandeliers; Victoria and Albert’s honeymoon being ruined by Dickens rolling around in the mud beneath Windsor Castle cos Charles fancied Victoria… I couldn’t wait to tell them. So I’m telling them in July – largely because Guildford Fringe isn’t on in December.

  • You’re a local boy born and bred, what keeps you coming back to Guildford?

I’ve never left. I love it here. I was at school here, then drama school, and now my children go to school here. I could leave, but it’d make the school run a bit long. And how can you leave behind the cobbled high street, the downs, the River Wey, Guildford Cathedral, The Village… (oh, we don’t talk about The Village - sorry).

Paul Kerensa will be performing his stand up show Work in Regress in the back room of The Star Inn on July 7. For more information and to book tickets, visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

Paul will also be performing his radio play Three Wise Men in the back room of The Star Inn on July 19. For more information and to book tickets, visit: guildfordfringefestival.com

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