Matt Out of Hell: Interview with Comedian Matt Reed
We talk to comedian Matt Reed ahead of his upcoming new show, Matt Out of Hell, at Tyne Theatre & Opera House
Known for his razor-sharp wit and hilarious banter with audiences, Sunderland-born comedian and compere Matt Reed has been a regular on the stand-up scene both in Newcastle and beyond for 25 years.
We caught up with Matt (and his lovely dog Ellie, who was supplied with treats throughout) to talk about how he got into stand-up, his comedy heroes and his brand-new solo show, Matt Out of Hell, which debuts at Tyne Theatre & Opera House in March.
How did you get into comedy? Was it something you’d wanted to do since being a kid?
I never intended to do stand-up comedy, actually. I watched Monty Python and comedian Dave Allen as a kid and thought they were funny but never thought it would be something I’d do.
I used to work in a supermarket and me and my mates would be bored on a night and watching sketch shows like The Fast Show, Alan Partridge and Brass Eye and we thought “shall we try this?”. We had a camera and used to go away and film a sketch then review each other. I’m not saying we were brilliant, but some of the sketches we came up with were canny good!
We didn’t know what to do with them and didn’t think three lads from Sunderland sending their sketches into the BBC would work, so we went to a sketch workshop tutored by comedy royalty Arnold Brown who was in The Young Ones. It was full of am-dram types who weren’t particularly funny, but Arnold really liked our sketch and said “Lads, if you keep writing like that I’m going to start dropping your names at cocktail parties” – it’s one of my favourite things anyone has said to me.
One of the am-dram lasses there challenged me to do a stand-up gig and I accepted. It was at the Three Horseshoes in Leamside. I went on and felt unbelievable when I got my first laugh and thought this is what I want to do. I got more gigs off the back of that and just kept going. The third and fourth gigs were horrendous though, because no one’s that good!
Who are your comedy heroes?
It changes but one of my favourite comedians that I’ve seen live is Daniel Kitson who played Spencer in Phoenix Nights. He’s a masterclass in crowd interaction. He’s offensive, but not in a trying-to-upset-anyone sort of way. He’ll swear a lot and rinse people, but he’ll do it really pleasantly.
What are your favourite local venues to play at?
The Stand in Newcastle is a beautiful venue and playing the Tyne Theatre will always be magical for me. The Theatre Royal too – I saw Ross Noble there once and thought “I want to do this stage, it’s incredible” and I got to do it as support for the One Man Star Wars Trilogy years ago which was amazing. Stockton Arc is always one of my favourite gigs because the crowd are insane.
I love doing festivals too, but they can be horrible because sometimes you’ll go out after the biggest acts. I once had to follow Joe Lycett and walked out to a tent of four-and-a-half thousand people leaving!
How do Geordie crowds compare with others?
It’s not as aggressive up here. A lot of people think Newcastle will be aggressive, but I think crowds are nicer up here than anywhere else. I think it’s because Geordies are humble and have less of a sense of entitlement – they’re a giving crowd. But I think it’s situational - I don’t think there’s a stereotype. London is great and Scotland is too, I love the Scottish crowds.
How do you deal with hecklers?
I tend to invite it because I know I can deal with it! I kind of double dog dare them at the top and go “If you want to heckle, I’m your compere, feel free to heckle me. I’ve been doing this a long time and I will make you cry.” But I don’t mind a heckler as long as it’s clever!
Is there a narrative to Matt Out of Hell or is it more off the cuff?
I was thinking of having a narrative but the thing with me is that people come to see me because I’m a chatty lad that likes the crowd. Last year at the Tyne Theatre, I just had six ideas written on a piece of paper next to my drink and went from there. It’s how I work and it keeps me on my toes. I couldn’t learn a script anyway, I can’t remember stuff to save my life!
But I always chat to the crowd, so there’ll be some of that, and there’ll be a few stories in there. Some about the dog too – she’s comedy gold, this one.
What advice would you give any aspiring comedians out there?
Remember there’s no quick way to make people laugh and there’s no substitution for stage time either. You can practice and practice with a microphone in front of the mirror, but stage time is the only thing that will get you right.
If you’re feeling nervous before a gig just look like you belong there: stand at the front of the stage and don’t shrink to the back. No one is there to watch you fail and no one wants you to be bad – everyone wants to have a good night. And always remember that everyone is going to be dust in 100 years so it doesn’t matter if it goes wrong!
Catch Matt Reed and his new show Matt Out of Hell at Tyne Theatre & Opera House on Friday 15th March. Book your tickets here - www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk/portfolio/matt-reed-matt-out-of-hell/.
