EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 2009: BWW Interviews Comedian Lee Fenwick

Your show is character-based - how do you go about devising a character?

Sometimes you just have an idea of how a character might look first then you create a personality that matches the appearance. Other times the personality comes first then you create their appearance based on the dialogue. The best characters can justify their being on stage in some way, otherwise it's just a sketch show. In my W.A.R.T (We Accept Raw Talent) show with Peter Slater we have created a whole community of amateur perfomers who have been offered the chance to perform on stage for the first time by a local arts group. So we have crap comedians, illusionists, poets and so on having a go - badly.

The character Mick Sergeant emerged out of another character who was a comedian having a nervous breakdown. Eventually we took away the comedian character and focused soley on Mick's life and how he ended up on stage. That meant we had to create a whole back story for him. His story runs from when he was an apprentice in the shipyard at 17 years of age. He is 49 now.

How does writing for a character differ from writing for yourself?

I only write character comedy. Writing for yourself is a personal exercise requiring a degree of soul bearing. I prefer fictional comedy with some real life experience woven in if it fits.

So how did you get into writing character comedy? It sounds a very complex process, and obviously as you're performing your material yourself, it must be quite psychologically tough - having your material and your performance judged at the same time.

I started writing character first as a open spot on the stand up circuit after my friend entered me into a competition, then as a writer for a sketch show I started in 1998. I met my writing partner Ben Traynor through this sketch show and we have developed a few characters together. I prefer writing as a partnership rather than on my own. There is someone to bounce ideas off and someone to either confirm or dismiss your ideas of what's funny. This also takes some of the pressure off as I don't take all the blame if an idea doesn't work on stage. Ben and I have a pretty good filter now for what may or may not work.. Of course some material we find really funny doesn't appeal to everyone else but we are usually confident enough to try it if we both like it. There is always a risk that the material won't work but at some stage you have to have some belief in your ideas and commit to them.

If the performance is rubbish then I take all the blame; if the audience don't believe in the character or like him then he doesn't really exist and it's just an actor on stage playing a part, which is really boring. If the audience believe in the character then I kind of forget I'm an actor and Mick really comes to life. Those are the best gigs, where the audience completely buy into the character's story and are happy to go along for the ride.

Do you plan Edinburgh shows differently from planning your ordinary gigs?

Yes. Our Edinburgh shows are one theme or idea explored over an hour. It's more theatrical, like a one-man play. An ordinary gig has to be short and punchy to keep the crowd's attention. I can't tell long stories in the clubs, but an audience in Edinburgh during the afternoon - and not drunk - will have the attention span to listen to something a little more sophisticated and challenging.

So what next for you and Mick after Edinburgh?

Mick is organising a benefit gig on the 20th September at the Customs House in South Shields to raise funds to help restore a 1920's Lifeboat. Sarah Millican, Seymour Mace and Alfie Joey are performing and Mick is hosting the night. We've sold most of the tickets for the 400-seater venue so Mick is very excited about that! Ben and I have written a Mick Sergeant sitcom script for TV and radio and we are hoping one of those will be commissioned.

Mick Sergeant is at The Stand Comedy Club II at 2.55pm until August 30.

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