Laughter is the Best Medicine
If laughter were truly the best medicine, we might not need the NHS… but Max Harvey chatted to Nish Kumar ahead of a star-studded comedy show in Carmarthen celebrating it.
Whilst the human fear of clowns, especially on a hospital children’s ward, is legitimate evidence of how laughter is not in fact the best medicine, that hasn’t stopped the people at NHS70 putting from putting together some of the best comedians in the UK for a health-themed set to test the old adage. With a wide breadth of comedians, the Laughter Is The Best Medicine show will surely get at least one giggle out everyone, when it includes a bill as varied as Alan Davies (he of regular QI tomfoolery), local hero Elis James, who will be compering the night and ensuring it doesn’t descend into fun and games, and Nadia Kamil, an up-and-coming comedian who has also made a decision to start training as a doctor.
Perhaps the most high-profile name on the bill is that of Nish Kumar, who has recently shot to success on the back of The Mash Report on BBC2, a satirical show modelled on the success of its American late-night counterparts such as Stephen Colbert and The Daily Show. Buzz had the time for a brief chat with him.
You’re doing a set themed around the NHS – how important has it been to your life?
I was born on the NHS. So I mean, I’d say pretty essential. The letters also comprise 75% of “NISH” so it’s really important on every level.
Has it ever saved your life or of someone important to you?
Yep, on several occasions it has saved lives in my family and looked after more minor ailments in between.
If the NHS makes it to 80, what do you think it’ll look like? (As a side-note, it’s worrying that we’re writing the word ‘if’ and not ‘when’…)
That is worrying. It requires more funding. It requires a government to have the guts to tax people properly and commit to year on year funding increases to account for the increased demand on the service.
In an ideal world, where would you like the NHS to be when it hits 80?
Still thriving and still saving members of my family.
Are you and the other comedians at the event going to have to avoid making jokes about the NHS itself? How are you approaching the NHS-themed material?
I’ll probably steer clear of making jokes about the NHS. There’s no directive or policy, but it’s hard to make jokes about a worthwhile institution. No one wants to hear a comedian zing something that saves people’s lives.
In a world that feels almost ‘beyond satire’, has your stand-up material changed to reflect this absurdity?
It’s a challenge staying on top of things, given the speed and relentlessness of the “news cycle”.
As you do a lot of satire, have you ever felt redundant in recent years?
Yes, the world is seemingly beyond satire. If things get any weirder I may have to get a real job.
We spend a lot of time laughing at the awfulness of the world, but where’s the line between what can be poked at and what needs to be taken seriously?
It’s a tricky one. The aim is to deal with subjects in a way that is hopefully funny without undermining the seriousness of the issues discussed. It’s a hard line to walk, and I don’t always get it right.
What springs to mind when you think of Wales?
The hills. The Machynlleth Comedy Festival. Elis James. Ryan Giggs. In that order. Sorry Giggsy, Elis has you beat.
Beyond Edinburgh, what can we expect from you in the coming months?
Touring nationally and then another series of The Mash Report on BBC Two in the autumn. Also just being a great guy all over the shop.
Laughter Is The Best Medicine, Lyric Theatre, Camarthen, Sat 21 July. Tickets: £29.50/£27.50. Info: 0845 2263510 / www.theatrsirgar.co.uk