Entertainment
Hal Cruttenden on writing an Edinburgh Fringe show about his divorce: ‘It was a gift, comedically’-Sophie Laughton-Entertainment – Metro
He doesn’t believe any topics should be off limits in comedy.
The comedian recently split from his wife of over 20 years (Picture: Matt Crockett)
Hal Cruttenden on his Edinburgh Fringe show It’s Best You Hear It From Me – all about his recent split from his wife of over 20 years.
Has it been exciting going back to Edinburgh?
Edinburgh gets easier every time you go because the stakes are lower. When you’re younger you think it could be about to change your life so it gets really stressful.
But if you take part in it as a fun festival rather than a sort of trade show it’s much more enjoyable. The trouble is the punters are having a great time but the comics feel under massive pressure – I’m a lot more jolly about it now.
It’s also the first time I don’t feel guilty about being away for my wife for the whole of August! My kids are coming up with me though – it will be nice to have a guilt-free Edinburgh.
Your show is all about your divorce… does your ex mind you writing a show about it?
I run everything past her. About five minutes after she told me it was over she asked me if I was going to write jokes about it. Too f***ing right I am! But I wouldn’t do it if the kids were small or if we’d had a really messy divorce.
But it’s ten months in but we’re only just selling our house, and we still say hello to each other in the mornings. It’s quite good this is taking so long – maybe I’ll get two or three shows out of it!
Can divorce be funny?
It’s a fine line. If you’re too jokey about it people will sit there and think, ‘Oh god, this guy does need therapy’. But I think the best jokes are about the saddest stuff – people make whole shows about their dead parents.
There’s nothing more serious than politics, or going to nuclear war with Russia, but we still make jokes about those.
It’s a bit of a gift, comedically, to be getting divorced. I feel sorry for people who aren’t in the arts who get divorced. It’s such a good avenue to get your thoughts out.
‘It’s quite good this is taking so long – maybe I’ll get two or three shows out of it!’ (Picture: Matt Crockett)
Comedy’s a good form of therapy then?
It is, and I’m going to therapy as well. My therapist is providing me with plenty of material – her resting face is a look of shock. Fingers crossed she doesn’t come to the show.
What comedy reminds you is that you’re not alone. When you go on stage and talk about something and people laugh it means they’ve thought the same thing. I always dig out divorced couples at my shows, or the ones that have been together for 20 years and tell them they’re still not safe.
It’s a common humanity thing – I’ve been to shows about cancer and people are laughing because they’ve been through it. It would be quite awkward to do a show about an incredibly rare illness though…
Hal’s been watching ‘laid-back’ comic Sarah Keyworth at the Fringe (Picture: Robbie Jack-Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
Anything off limits?
There shouldn’t be! I joke about Putin nuking us – there’s nothing worse than mass death, surely?
People always have an idea that there are topics you can’t do jokes about – it’s about how you handle it. If you handle a topic badly then you shouldn’t joke about it.
They say white people can’t tell jokes about race – it totally depends on the joke.
Not afraid of being cancelled?
I think cancel culture is a right-wing construct to distract us from important stuff. I’ve not seen anyone destroyed apart from paedophiles… I was going to say sex offenders, but Louis CK [who has admitted to and apologised for sexual misconduct] is fine so clearly not!
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Favourite thing about performing at the Fringe?
The show. Edinburgh has all these pressures – the audience have already seen a bunch of shows already, you’ve got all these PRs chasing you and your agent hassling you. You’ve got to really love the show you’re performing.
Who are you most excited to see?
The audience. Comedians really do love their audiences – we’re such shallow people. In terms of other comics – well they can all rot. No I’m kidding.
I love Sarah Keyworth’s energy – she’s the opposite of me and I love laid-back comics. And also Reg Hunter – I just want to chill with him – and Jo Caulfield always knows how to deliver a great joke.
Hal Cruttenden’s new stand up show ‘It’s Best You Hear It From Me’ will be at the Pleasance Courtyard Two at 8.10pm until August 28. For tickets go to edfringe.com.
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