24 January 2011 (Interview)

Words: Caroline Foran

The first of many comedy treats coming your way on Entertainment.ie (stay tuned - you'll see!), we are delighted and excited to introduce you to our new comedy diarist, Shane Langan. Many of you will already know him as part of the quirky comedy troupe, Diet of Worms and as a reputable although modest comedian in his own right following the success of his show, Not Also but Only. Whether performing, writing or reciting his confessional poetry, Langan's dry intelligent humour and awkward style have been likened by many to fictional character, Adrian Mole. So if you want to escape from the banality of your workday, if you’re in need of a giggle on your coffee break or if you just don’t fancy braving the cold for a laugh then stay tuned to our Comedy Section where Shane will contributing all manner of musings, for good or ill. 'Beetroot and I'- the world according to a struggling writer and his cat, promises to be a funny and thought provoking read.

To better acquaint yourself with our resident comedian, check out our chat below.

Your comedy has been described as intelligently put together, chaotic, random, surreal, thought provoking, awkward and funny of course. How would you describe your style of comedy?
I had no idea so many words had ever been used to describe my comedy. I think 'awkward' certainly is the most accurate of the bunch though. I'm not a natural-born performer. I've tried to channel my lack of comfort on stage into my act. It's the basis of my comedy.

How would you describe yourself as an individual?
I'm a pretty quiet person, someone who's not hugely comfortable describing myself. So if you don't mind, I'll leave it there...

What would you say influences your comedy?
Absolutely everything - other comedians, novels, people on the street, my insecurities, my family - anything and everything can influence what I do.

How do you come up with your comedy - is there a specific process you follow?
Yes. I make myself a cup of tea, sit down in front of my lap-top, make another cup of tea, sit back down, more tea, procrastinate until an hour before my deadline and then finish up with some panicky typing.

What kind of comedy do you like?
I like lots of different kinds of comedy. It probably easier to say what kind of comedy I don't like. I don't like mean-spirited or derivative comedy. Apart from that I'll give anything a whirl.

Is it you we're watching when you perform? Or do you adopt another persona?
A bit of both really. It is a persona but all his characteristics are heightened versions of the more comedy-friendly elements of my own personality.

You write short stories and poetry. Would you mostly draw from this in your own stand up work or do you like to joke off the cuff with the audience?
Strictly speaking, I don't actually do 'stand-up'. I can't really write joke jokes. My performances are usually made up of readings of stories, poems, diary entries etc and I will only ever attempt anything 'off the cuff' if the show is going really, really well.

Do you prefer sketch comedy to stand up and improvisation?
I prefer performing with the group (Diet of Worms). Being on stage is much more fun with other people. But I think it's important to have a career outside of the group. The time spent doing solo projects helps bring a new perspective back to the Worms, which is essential.

Do you laugh at your own jokes when you're coming up with stuff?
Yes. Someone has to.

What would you be doing if you weren't successful in comedy?
Well thank you for saying that I'm "successful". I think that if my bank account could talk it might call you up on that point. But I guess it's a relative term. Yeah, I studied TV and film because I wasn't sure what to do and I kind of fell into it. I enjoyed making short films etc, but I don't think that was were my talents really lay. I always wanted to be a journalist, but never got the Leaving Cert points. I've done some advertising copywriting to supplement my income so I guess that's what I would be doing now without comedy.

How difficult was it, or was it easy, going from the comfort, if you like, of working with an ensemble piece to going solo?
It wasn't easy as such, but it was quite liberating at the time. I think that was just something I had to get out of my system. I'm really happiest working with the group though.

How important is it to you to define yourself as a stand alone comedian apart from the Diet of Worms?
It wasn't essential, but the work that Diet of Worms does is what happens when the five of us get together. Its not purely 100% what I or any of the other guys want to do. There's compromise involved. We are the unique sum of our individual parts. So I was keen to see what I would do on my own. It was more curiosity than anything else.

What's the best thing about being a comedian?
Being able to take a bath at eleven o'clock on a Tuesday morning.

What's the worst?
Answering the question "What do you do for a living?" Nine times out of ten, "Tell us a joke" is going to be the immediate follow up. It's like a surgeon being asked to "Do us an operation" at a party... especially if that surgeon isn't the kind of surgeon who does "operations".

Who would be your comedy idol and why?
As a writer, probably Jeremy Dyson. He's the fourth member of the League of Gentlemen and a brilliant novelist. As a performer, you can't look beyond Peter Sellers. I can't tell you why, beyond that they're both awesome. It's hard to know exactly why certain artists appeal to you.

What can someone expect from seeing you perform live?
Something low-fi and off-beat.

Tell us, for anyone who has yet to go, what a night at your show Not also but only is like?
Well its on indefinite hiatus at the moment, so if you haven't made it along yet, you may never get to. It was a storytelling comedy club. We managed to have some brilliant nights. It was a really relaxed atmosphere and we had some incredibly talented people on (including the aforementioned Jeremy Dyson).

What's in store for you this year?
I'm throwing a lot of stuff at the wall that is my career right now. I'm not sure what's going to stick yet. But you can expect a new Diet of Worms play and web-series. I'm also trying to get a couple of TV projects off the ground, but that's never straight forward.

What's going on with the Diet of Worms right now?
Lot's of writing. We've just begun work on this year's play so it’s an exciting time.

 

Stay tuned for the first installment of Beetroot & I this coming Wednesday.

 

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