EDINBURGH 2023: Steve N Allen Q&A

BWW Caught up with Steve N Allen to chat about bringing Alzheimer's? I Can't Even Remember How To Spell It to the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Alzheimer's? I Can't Even Remember How To Spell It.

There’s a pattern in my family. My grandparents had Alzheimer's. My parents had Alzheimer's. You can’t help but start to worry for the rest of us. There are loads of people in a similar situation. If you’re related to someone with Alzheimer's it’s natural to worry.

The show is about the times are memory lets us down. Well, the times I can remember, I suppose. I also look at what it’s like hanging out with someone who has dementia and the great times you can have.

I also talk about becoming a father and how that makes your worry about Alzheimer's in the family go even further.

Why do you feel it’s important to be able to find light in tough topics?

Every situation, regardless of how bad it gets, can have moments of light and laughs. It’s not by coincidence. You need to find the positives. It’s the moments of joy that let you fight on. It’s like dock leaves growing near nettles. The universe provides balance.

Imagine what it would be like if we couldn’t laugh as dark topics. You’d condemn anyone going through it to permanent downers.

I know I’m not the first one doing this. As a species we developed the ability to laugh doing bad times. We have the phrase Gallows Humour for a reason. They must have been tough gigs. But I suppose you didn’t have to worry about someone seeing your act twice.

Tell us a bit about your career background.

I started out writing jokes for radio presenters. I used to send a page of topical jokes every day to 30 stations across the country. The presumption was, if someone read the joke out in Yorkshire no one listening would know it was the same joke going out in Sussex. The internet would ruin that these days.

One day, I heard a presenter absolutely mangle a joke I’d written and I realised I had to step up and learn to deliver them myself. That’s why I got into presenting radio and doing stand-up. I’ve always done both. One requires early mornings and the other really late nights, so I’m pooped.

I got so used to doing jokes about the news it became a theme for my work. I’ve done Edinburgh shows in the past the reviewed the year and even ended up being on topical shows on TV like The Mash Report.

Having performed at the Fringe before, do you think you know what to expect from it?

You never know what to expect from a run at the Fringe. It depends on things like when you get the flu (because you will get it, the only issue is when), which day you get rained on that ruins your shows and which other shows kick out just at the right time to send people you way.

I always think of a run in Edinburgh like buying scratch-cards. You know it could be costly but you keep hearing about someone who gets lucky and you always believe it could be you.

What would you like audiences to take away from the show?

Firstly, that so many people are worried about the things you are worried about but don’t want to say out loud.

Secondly, it’s OK to laugh at Alzheimer's. Maybe not “at”, but also not “with”. It’s OK to laugh about Alzheimer's.

We need to learn to think about it differently. So many people in the future will have this or similar conditions, which means so many people will be related to someone with such a condition. The only way to prepare for it is to see this show. If everyone believes that claim I’d be OK for ticket sales.

Steve N Allen’s new stand-up show ‘Alzheimer's? I Can't Even Remember How To Spell It’ is at the Gilded Balloon Teviot – Billiard Room at 9pm from 2nd – 28th August (except 14th) for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

Photo credit:  Steve Ullathorne

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