"I did my first gig when I was 17, he tells me over coffee in London, which I find horrific. It makes me feel old. What took him so long? Might one factor be that Smith's is a traditional brand of standup fretful everyman sends up his own anxiety in a culture that prizes the new and different? That can't be it, he says. Because I had so many gimmicks! That was a big part of my standup."
"Then one day, he says, I wanted to prove I could do a funny show without PowerPoint, set-pieces or gimmicks. And that became my most successful show. Entitled Crushing, it depicted the neurotic tizz Smith got himself into after a relationship breakup. Its follow-up, Foot Spa Half Empty, addresses Smith's low sperm count, discovered when he and his partner began trying for a child."
Ian Smith built a slow-burning comedy career over many years, starting gigs as a teenager and experimenting with high-concept, theatrical set-pieces and stunts. Early tactics included gimmicks such as performing in unusual settings and physical antics, which drew limited attention despite steady improvement. A deliberate shift to straightforward standup without PowerPoint or set-pieces produced Crushing, a show about post-breakup neuroticism that became his breakthrough. Its follow-up, Foot Spa Half Empty, confronts a low sperm count and attempts to start a family. The candid focus on meaningful personal experience increased awards recognition, radio presence, TV visibility, and prompted a second UK tour.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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