list.co.uk/festival James Acaster | FESTIVAL FEATURES
‘I think I can draw both a mainstream audience and an alternative audience to my shows,’ says James Acaster as I ask about his increasing fanbase. ‘I also have the ability to disappoint both.’ Over the last six years, the Kettering-born stand-up has steadily become one of the biggest names at the Edinburgh Fringe. He i lls larger venues each year, his six solo hours have garnered dozens of glowing reviews and the last four of those shows received nominations for the top prize in live comedy, the Edinburgh Comedy Award.
But that doesn’t mean the Edinburgh Fringe has become routine for Acaster. With bigger crowds, increased TV exposure and heightened expectations come greater challenges. ‘If someone’s seen me on Mock the Week and expects me to be like Michael McIntyre, then they get annoyed when I start the show on my knees,’ he says. ‘And if someone comes because of critical acclaim and nominations, then they get annoyed when I do an observational routine about massage: “what the fuck is this? This is just normal comedy!” I can annoy purists on either side.’
But those are the extremes. Acaster’s also built up a large, loyal following who can’t get enough of his quizzical, fanciful stand-up. The 31-year-old comic has spent years dei ning his persona and perfecting a style, and his intricately written shows usually feature a relatable truth masked behind mischievous, fabricated tales about being an undercover cop, for instance, or the biscuit-eating habits of Yoko Ono. ‘I’m almost able to be more honest by lying,’ he explains. ‘By making everything up I’m able to say what I really want to. It’s all based on truth – on something I actually feel or think – but I package it in a different way to get the laugh through more.’ That hasn’t always been Acaster’s tactic. When he started performing stand- up on the open-mic circuit in 2008, he regarded dishonesty as cheating. ‘I thought: anyone can make up a lie, but making the truth funny is really hard. But I actually had more problems with people believing me when I told the truth on stage.’
Acaster’s early Edinburgh runs weren’t plain sailing, either. Audience numbers were low for his second show, Prompt, until it was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, and his third solo offering, Lawnmower, was a particularly taxing experience. ‘People don’t put pressure on you for the
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