As he sets off on his last standup tour, famed punographer Stewart Francis chats to Oliver R. Moore-Howells about new beginnings, old endings, and why we shouldn’t expect any Sinatra-style comebacks.
If he were a cartoon character, he’d be Pun-Occhio; if a rock band, Puns N’ Roses. And yet, when that final curtain falls, the last giggle dwindles and the applause dies away, Stewart Francis – as you know him – will be no more. Still, never say never?
“Nope. It’s very much the end. One hundred percent… the end! There’ll be no Frank Sinatra here,” says Francis, emphatically. Besides, his upcoming tour Into The Pun-Set kind of says it all. So what’s next? “I’m quitting standup to become an actor. Most of my creative juices will go towards that. I’ll do voiceover work and write some screenplays too.”
Having starred in the UK sitcom Not Going Out, and undertaken a more serious role in An American In Canada, acting is by no means alien to him. But will comedy play a big part? It appears not. “I want to be taken as a serious actor – I’d love to get dramatic roles. Casting directors can sometimes get a bit lazy and think, ‘oh, he’s a comedian – let’s not cast him.’ I want there to be a distinct separation between me being a comedian and going for dramatic parts. Whatever comes my way, I’m open to new challenges.”
Still, he’s not gone yet. Looking back over his career, one has to wonder if there is, or ever was, much room in the one-liner comedy bunkhouse for the likes of him, Jimmy Carr, Tim Vine and Milton Jones? He doesn’t hesitate. “So far, yes. We’re all doing well. There’s plenty to go around, especially since I’m stepping away.”
And rivalry? “No. Anyone with any competence doesn’t have any ill feelings. I wish them all well.” He claims he doesn’t even watch other comedians for fear of comedic cross-contamination. “I don’t want to step on any of their material or be distracted from what I’m doing because we have a similar way of approaching comedy. I’m a real purist so I kinda removed myself from that scene. As of December 8, however, I’ll be watching everyone and loving them!”
Who then, does he admire? Surely there’s someone who set Francis’ comedy bus on its course to Giggle Street, as he likes to call it? “I didn’t know I wanted to be a comedian until later adulthood, but I remember watching the Johnny Carson show. Rodney Dangerfield, I just loved watching him – he’s a joke machine. That must have planted a seed.”
As for his stage routine, Buzz wonders how Francis goes about the whole writing process. Does he undergo a particular ritual beforehand, say, taking a hot bath whilst clutching a whisky? “I do enjoy a hot bath, though that’s unrelated to my routine of writing jokes,” he laughs. “As a one-liner-guy, I start with the punchline and work backwards. Things tend to come to me through the day, over the course of weeks and months. I might be watching TV, or hear a turn of phrase, and then I’ll go into my brain and shift some words around and see what I come up with. I’ve only ever sat down and consciously written two jokes. They were good. I should have done it more often.”
When he isn’t pursuing comedy, Francis possesses not just a funny bone but a big heart too. Though tight-lipped about it all, after his farewell tour he plans to work with his country’s First Nation people and set up a charity to repair relations between the two groups – natives and immigrants.
“Canada’s a wonderful country, and I’m very proud of it, but we do have a dark history. I want to actually draw up my sleeves and get things done – to help with education and resources. To raise funds and stuff like that. It’s the method I’ll be employing that’ll be kinda unique.” But pressed on what method he remains tight-lipped, so that may be an interesting space to watch.
So, the end is near for Stewart Francis the comedian. However, one thing’s for sure – it‘s not gonna be as much pun without him.
Stewart Francis: Into The Punset, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Fri 7 June. Tickets: £25. Info: 029 2087 8444 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk