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25:45James Acaster almost quit comedy because of his audience
Acclaimed British comedian James Acaster is known for his story-driven observational style and his offbeat, whimsical stage persona.
Back in 2018, he rose to prominence with his four-part Netflix special Repertoire, and since then, he’s found huge success with international stand-up tours, an HBO special, his massively popular food podcast Off Menu, and appearances in films such as Cinderella and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
While you might look at those accomplishments and assume everything’s been hunky dory for the comedian, the truth is, he’s struggled. In 2019, Acaster almost quit comedy altogether because of something that was frustrating him to no end — his audience.
WATCH | Official trailer for his 2024 HBO special, Hecklers Welcome:
In an interview with Q guest host Talia Schlanger, he says he would sometimes get so worked up about hecklers and a perceived lack of interest in his work that he could derail his own shows.
“The hecklers weren’t the main problem,” he tells Schlanger. “They were one of the problems, but there were also people talking amongst themselves to their friends, people on their phones, and just the audience in general being very, very quiet…. Those were the things that I get annoyed at. And, you know, it doesn’t work — getting annoyed about it on stage does not help the gig.”
I can’t carry on doing stand-up if I keep on telling the audience they’re rubbish.– James Acaster
At one particularly rough show in Leeds, England, Acaster says his response to a heckler crossed the line, turning a funny bit into an awkward conversation between two people. After that moment, he realized he had to learn how to trust his art and his audience.
“I don’t have to point out every time on stage when people heckle if I don’t like the person,” he says. “The audience already don’t like them. I don’t have to add to that, add to the negativity…. The main thing was actually just learning how to do the show even if they were really quiet. That’s always been my biggest Achilles heel.”
Right now, Acaster is touring Canada and the U.S. with his latest stand-up show, which he says takes an entirely different approach to dealing with the audience.
“I can’t carry on doing stand-up if I keep on telling the audience they’re rubbish,” he says. “I really, really want to do a show that is just fun and silly…. It’s just what makes me laugh, which sounds so obvious and so basic for a stand-up comedian, but I think people who don’t do stand-up would be surprised how often you forget that or drift away from it.”
The full interview with James Acaster is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with James Acaster produced by Ben Edwards.
