We sat down with Alfie to talk about his show My Apologies to the Chef , about friends and enemies. Bon appétit. As seen on the BBC New Comedy Awards 2024. Writer for News Quiz (BBC Radio 4). ‘Effortless… a joy to sit through’ (ThreeWeeks). ‘Sharply observed standup’ (Scotsman). ‘Thought-provoking and hilarious’ (WestEndBestFriend.co.uk).
Can you summarise your show in two lines?
It’s stand-up in which we cover loneliness, friends, family, and enemies – and which of those I prefer.
You’ve described Room 5 as both a safe haven and a source of shame. What made you want to go back and unpack that space on stage?
Room 5 is a room I mention in the show. It was my school’s computer room and it was a formative place, in a way. Every school has one and they attract a certain kind of child. I remember loving going there to play nerdy games and so on, but I was also highly afraid of being seen as a nerd, so my visits were laced with shame as you say. I find that sort of situation quite funny.
There’s a beautiful tension in your work. How do you find the tone for a story when it could easily lean too serious or too daft?
Thank you, I agree I’m very tense and beautiful. The tone issue definitely came up in my previous show, which was about a bereavement. This current show is less plot-driven and more upbeat, admittedly with themes that some would see as downbeat. If I do say something unnecessarily sad, I’ll tend to follow it up with one of my several zingers.
You ask if we can choose where we belong. What’s your hunch now, after writing and performing this hour?
I’m going to be honest, I don’t think my show will offer a helpful answer to this question, but it’ll be fun anyway.
You’re a stand-up, a journalist, and a writer for BBC Radio – how does your writing brain change gears depending on the format?
Journalism ideally depends on facts and evidence, whereas standup is a nice outlet for me to spread misinformation. Writing gags for radio and so on is a bit more of a formulaic puzzle exercise. I find it easy to move between them because they’re not really using the same muscles.
What do you find most rewarding about doing a show that’s not just funny, but also personal?
The first show became inevitably personal because I was talking about my mum’s death. But there’s some autobiography in this new one too because that seems to be what’s coming out of my mouth at the moment. I just think it’s more interesting to include a mix of personal stuff and miscellaneous rubbish.
Ticket and info:
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/alfie-packham-my-apologies-to-the-chef