Scottish comic Gareth Mutch explores good intentions and social awkwardness in his new stand up show Means Well.
He tells Entertainment Now why, despite his best efforts, he frequently puts his foot in it.- although, as the title of his show suggests, he always has the best intentions.
Tell us about your show. Why should we go and see it?
My show this year is about what it’s always about, I suppose – my own failings and struggles with life. It’s called Means Well because I think that phrase is uttered around my life most: “Ach, he means well.” It’s a very funny, relatable hour that I think will have something for everyone, reliving those moments you wish you could forget, or just laughing and thinking, “Surely this can’t be real?” I’ll tell you now: it is.
What is your favourite thing about your show?
The lack of a message or stance. There is no agenda or hidden meaning here – I just really want to make you laugh and have a good time for the hour we have together. And there is one joke that, when I came up with it, I was like, “Look at me being a comedian and writing a proper wee bit.” I’m very happy with it.
Do you have a Fringe idol?
Tell you what, that is a good question. Rhod Gilbert was the first stand-up I ever saw at the Fringe, in 2009 I think. He set me on the path to wanting to be a comic, so I’d have to mention him. But I also became good friends with Sam Jay last year when she came over for the festival, and she absolutely knocked it out the park and got nominated for Best Show, so I’ll also shout out my buddy Sam Jay. She’s wicked, and I’m trying to get her to come back to the festival.
What three words best describe your performance style – and why?
Relatable. Self-deprecating. Storytelling. That’s technically four, isn’t it? God, maths never was a strong point.
I just think those words sum my style up best because it’s what I always seem to write. I think every artist is looking for something relatable in the human experience, and I always seem to be the butt of the joke that I hope the audience can recognise or see themselves in.
Who are you looking forward to seeing in Edinburgh?
It’s such a bad answer, but I usually just get excited to see my buddies who I gig with year-round put their shows together.
Robin Grainger is a good friend and never fails to have a well-put-together, funny hour with usually a lot of heart behind it. Marjolein Robertson can’t fail at the festival. Her shows are always wonderful – funny and so fantastically written it annoys me. But someone I’ve not seen before is American stand-up and podcaster Rick Glassman, who’s coming over for a short run. I’m excited for that too.
What do you hope to achieve in Edinburgh – what are your hopes and dreams?
All I want every year is to write and perform a better show than the previous one. I’ve been lucky enough to have been shortlisted for Best Show at the awesome ISH Awards for the last two years, which has been a real highlight of my last couple of Fringes.
But I don’t think you can go in wanting to achieve anything that’s outwith your control. Write a better show. Enjoy the experience. Come out a better comic. Focus on the things you can control. Awards, reviews and even selling tickets can sometimes be outwith your control, so there’s no point obsessing over them.
What are the biggest obstacles you face as a performer at the Fringe?
The obvious one – it’s just a lot of shows. Keeping the eagerness and spark to perform that show at the highest level every bloody day is difficult.
What do you hope the audience will take away after an hour in your company?
The only thing I hope they take away with them is that they’ve had a good time and a good laugh.
How do you plan to relax and recharge when not on stage?
I was thinking about this the other day. Twenty-year-old Gareth, who was an up-and-coming comic in Scotland, loved the festival because he could go out, party and have the best time.
Now 30-year-old Gareth likes nothing more than doing his show, going home to Livingston with his wife and relaxing. And let me tell you, 20-year-old Gareth is laughing at 30-year-old Gareth. And he’s right. But I am who I am.
What is your idea of a perfect Fringe day?
Seeing Gareth Mutch: Means Well at 4.20pm at The Stand 1. Then spending the remaining hours recommending to all our friends and family that they go and see Gareth Mutch: Means Well at 4.20pm at The Stand 1.
What a perfect Fringe day that is.
Gareth Mutch Means Well, 16.20, Stand One, August 5 – 31
https://www.thestand.co.uk/fringe/2914/gareth-mutch-means-well
