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Lighten your life with laughter |
 Fancy yourself as a bit of a comedian? Do you spend your time thinking of funny things to do or say and ways to make people smile? At the start of a new year, this might seem like hard work but Andy Kind is up for the challenge.
‘Laughter is good for you,’ he says. ‘If nothing else, it releases the tension of everyday life.’ An Arsenal supporter, fluent in French and keen on Mexican food, Andy is eminently qualified for the task. Andy is a stand-up on the main stream comedy circuit. His brand of observational comedy is clean, positive and life-affirming. He’s been polishing his act since 2005 though his love of comedy goes back much further. ‘I’d always wanted to be a comedian. I’d had a series of rubbish jobs after university and I thought maybe I should give comedy a go – otherwise I’d never know. ‘I’d loved comedy from about nine years old when I’d watch my dad’s Faulty Towers and Blackadder videos over and over again. I developed an in-built sense of what comedy was, how to create a joke and what made people laugh.’ Once Andy decided on a comedic career, he naively rang round the comedy clubs asking for work. Eventually he got a call to do a 10 minute ‘open’unpaid spot in a club in Bath. He went down well, which gave him the confidence to ask promoters for work. ‘The first year was tough,’ Andy admits. He earned next to nothing and survived by living at home with his parents (not against their will, he points out!). He took every opportunity to perform, even playing a set in someone’s back garden with a toddler circling him on a trike! Through word of mouth Andy’s diary is full till March though he points out, ‘No matter how good you are, the work is always precarious. You never know where the next gig is coming from. You’ve really got to hang in there. That’s why, when the rewards come, you’re grateful for them because you’ve had to work hard for them. ‘If a gig doesn’t go well, it’s like a bad day at the office but several hundred people have been there to see it! There’s a lot of terror involved.’ Andy’s Christian faith underpins his life and choice of career. ‘Certainly, if I wasn’t a Christian, I wouldn’t be able to do it because there are so many temptations and difficulties. I’m largely reliant on the idea that when God calls you to something, he provides everything you need for that calling.’ Which came first, the comedy or your faith? ‘It’s a bit “chicken & egg” really. I was brought up in a Christian household and always believed in God and loved the idea of Jesus, even if I didn’t understand what it meant. ‘The love of comedy came before my commitment to following Jesus. I only properly became a Christian at 22. That was the point where I understood what it represented and wanted to be a part of it. ‘In a comedy club, sometimes I mention that I am a Christian. I don’t do stuff about being a Christian but what I do hope they’ll notice is that I’m completely clean and I don’t swear or attack people. That’s as much as you can do. I don’t want to preach. If I can make people laugh that’s enough because that’s the gift I’ve been given.’ So where does comedy come from? ‘Everywhere. Wherever I hear laughter, I want to know the source and I’ll make a mental note. I think comedy in its purest form comes out of joy. Comedy is a very good coping mechanism; it’s very healing. The best comedy is stuff that people can relate to and really speaks to their hearts and minds.’ In 2005 Andy and fellow comic Tony Vino set up The Isaac Project, a network of comedians working in the mainstream comedy scene. Their comedy nights, whether in secular or church venues, provide an evening of wholesome entertainment and will put a smile on your face. And the ultimate test of Andy’s skills? Seeing his dad in the audience!
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