Watch as celeb reporter Aimee Seddon chats with comedian Rhod Gilbert ahead of his Blackpool show in November.
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00:00Hi, I'm digital reporter Amy Seddon. The comedian, Rod Gilbert, is bringing his new show, Rod Gilbert and the Giant Grapefruit, to Blackpool's Winter Gardens on November the 14th.
00:12In the following clip, I got to chat to Rod all about his new show and how excited he is to bring it to Lancashire.
00:19It's lovely to meet you, Rod. I'm from the Lancashire Post and Blackpool Gazette.
00:23Not sure we're talking because you're coming to Blackpool in two weeks' time, I think it is?
00:29Yeah, I've got a little break and then I'm off up there for a few weeks, I think, up north. It'll be nice, actually.
00:35Yeah. Can I start, Rod, by asking you to describe what your new show is like?
00:42Different. Definitely different. It's not your typical stand-up comedy show, I don't think. It's quite emotional. It's a bit of a rollercoaster.
00:57I've certainly tried to make it as funny as I possibly can. I'm a stand-up, that's what I do.
01:04This is a show about cancer, but I don't hold back on it. I kind of go to quite dark places in it, but equally I wanted it to be as funny as anything I've ever done.
01:17So if you liked my stuff in the past, if you liked me going on about duvets and stuff like that, then it's me. I'm just going on about cancer instead of duvets.
01:28I know you've done some shows already, so how has it gone down, essentially doing jokes about cancer?
01:35Yeah, no, it's good. I've done about 80 shows already, I think, 70 or 80 shows, so it's a massive tour. I'm halfway through and it's going really well. I'm really, really happy with it.
01:49It's kind of like, in funny terms, everything's going down really well. I'm really chuffed with it. And in terms of sort of emotional terms, it's kind of the most important, significant show I've done.
02:02After the show, I've got lots of cancer patients come in. I talk to cancer patients. It's a nice, you know, it's got a little bit of a therapy element, I think, for everybody involved as well. So it's a bit more than just a stand-up show for me.
02:19Did you intend to do it slightly therapeutic?
02:24Yeah, I suppose. I didn't quite know how it would be received, I guess. I had an inkling from the documentary that I put out. I put a Channel 4 documentary out about my cancer called A Pain in the Neck.
02:37And there was sort of humour in that and dark humour. And I tried to make it positive. And I guess the response to that gave me some idea as to how a stand-up show on the same subject might go down and how to do it.
02:53So I guess I suppose I sort of did. But the response has been surprising as well. You know, I didn't expect to have cancer patients or people who've lost loved ones to cancer standing at the stage door chatting for an hour after the show about their stories and things.
03:10And in the show, people pipe up and tell me about their cancer and their experiences and stuff. So, yeah, I didn't quite know that would happen. And it's kind of wonderful, really. It's really powerful and lovely. And equally, you know, there's loads of people there who've got no experience of cancer and it's got to work as a stand-up show.
03:29Ultimately, it's a comedy show. That's what it's got to be judged as for me.
03:34And how are you feeling about bringing it to Blackpool?
03:39That Blackpool venue is electric. It's absolutely electric. I don't just throw that out about any venue. There's lots of venues in the country that aren't electric.
03:53I ruled out venues I don't like going to years ago, so I don't go back to places I don't like. But Blackpool is one of those ones that is, I think, you know, it's a big, big auditorium. It's old. It's, you know, it's got that kind of real Victorian vibe about it.
04:11You know, and it's the atmosphere is pretty amazing there from what it's quite rowdy. It's quite raucous, which I like. Lots of joining in, which I quite like. Keeps it interesting. Keeps you on your toes. But yeah, so it's it is nice to be coming back up there. Yeah.
04:30And why should people reading this article when it goes out get tickets if they haven't already?
04:38Because it's not everything. It depends. I mean, loads of cancer patients and their families are coming deliberately to hear me talk about cancer, you know, to get it out in the open and raise awareness of stuff and things, which I think is helpful.
04:53And they find it helpful for them on a sort of, you know, on a kind of getting it out in the open level, talking about stuff that we don't often talk about. But people without cancer, hopefully, will just find it quite interesting. It'll give them a bit of awareness into something they maybe didn't have that much awareness of.
05:12But most importantly, just be hopefully a really funny, fun night out. And it's a little bit different. It's a little bit different. It's not every day you get to see a comedy show.