Jeff Innocent on beginning his first proper solo tour - from RHLSTP 485

[@JeffInnocentComedy]

Thanks for having me on Richard. I can confirm I am now performing in Norwich at the Playhouse on March 12th, tickets still available. Just leave the shotguns at the door though. Full tour dates available on my website. Cheers, Jeff x

[@Herring1967]

Great to see you Jeff. Best of luck with the tour. Glad it's selling so well!

[@neilbowers6956]

I got to see you in Norwich! Thanks for coming to our fine city Jeff you were bloody hilarious. Good luck for the rest of the tour as well.

[@andrewhuggins9008]

This was a class night! Laughed so hard, Jeff was fantastic at his solo show too!!

[@cmitchell6927]

As a non-UK person I really appreciate the way I've learnt about heaps of UK Comedians/writers I otherwise never would have heard of. Related, this guy is very funny

[@inevitableveganfuture3915]

What a great guest, and a great comedian to see breaking out and getting some success on a larger scale. It’s ironic that an older working-class white bloke feels like something different, compared to the now standard race and gender diverse but ultimately homogenous university educated middle class

[@_Stroda]

Do you think it's only people from wealthy backgrounds who can make it into comedy these days? Because something like 50% of young people attend university these days. Graduates really aren't a homogenous demographic. The idea that all of them (or even a majority) are 'middle class' in any meaningful sense isn't true. The minority, say those who went to private schools, got into good universities, went into jobs that pay well and are likely to lead to decent career, and pay, progression? Sure. But the reality is that many graduates are in a worse financial position than a 'working class' person would have been several decades ago. Plenty of 'working class' people in their 50s and 60s have a security that younger, university educated types will never have.

[@Herring1967]

It's possible for anyone to make it as a comedian and luckily it's a job that you can't fake and that if you're good at it you should do well. However, it's a lot easier to get on if you come from a background that means you don't have to do another job or can live in your parents' flat or whatever. The landscape has definitely changed since I started, though it's even more pronounced in acting. I came to London with zero pounds in 1989 and was able to make my way. But it wouldn't be possible to do the same thing now. A wealthy background gives a big advantage in a job where there's a lot of competition and where it's likely to take you 5 to 10 years to make any kind of success of it.

[@inevitableveganfuture3915]

Call it whatever you want _stroda, but a healthy chunk of comedians we have seen on TV for the past few decades have had the luxury of staying in ONE OF their parents’ houses while they wait for their career to take off. And it’s no coincidence that many of the very successful comedians of today who were able to take bold creative risks were previously in high income careers, like Harry Hill being a doctor, etc. Apologies if my comment came across as a ‘plight of the straight white male’ thing and got your back up, because it’s definitely not that. It’s just an ironic novelty that an old white bloke was a culture shock on a platform like this, because we almost exclusively hear from people with cultural capitol, masters degrees and/or rich parents. Innocent feels like a genuinely unique act in this (yes,) homogenised landscape. But who really cares about any of that, he’s very funny and it’s nice to see him do a tour.

[@robertgould1345]

He had the sanest and funniest response to the emergency questions.

[@RealBesty]

Such a nice guy as well as being funny 👌

[@mrman8868]

Limmy will have a copyright claim in against him if he uses the smart casual joke.

[@devout666]

Class bias? Surely not! FFS.