An Interview with Damo Brogden

Burnley’s funniest stand-up comedian is returning to the Fringe with not one, but THREE shows

Hello Damo can you tell us where you’re both from, & where you are living today?
I’m a Burnley lad, but have been living in Scotland for 20 years this October

What got you into the comedy scene?
Well, to tell you the truth, it was reviewing it. After spending ten years watching hundreds of comedians at the Fringe, I’m like I can do that, some of these folk only think they’re funny & are making careers out of it. So last year I did a free show during the last week of the Fringe – it went well, I think

Can you tell us about the birth of Damo Brogden?
Well, I guess there’s one principle impulse behind my creation of a pensioner-comedian. Firstly. I’m a poet, like, a serious poet, & back in 2011, near Delphi, under the slopes of Parnassus, I wrote this sonnet;

CASTALIAN SPRING

So, this is the heartbeat of poetry,
From holy Parnassus, uprising sheer,
These magi-waters of empyrean,
Pulse down from such a theatre of stone,
Them pouring thro’ the depths of my studies,
Where in a sketch I see gargoyle faces –
Perhaps by Hobhouse in Lord Byron’s ‘Life’ –
Who came up, too, to taste this ancient spring
Upon his very famous ‘Pilgrimage,’
While mine is ended here… I sup the mead,
Faint hint of minerals, revitalised,
I swear to all my Muses I shall be
A poet still, & if they ride with me
To Scotland, I shall build them temples there!

The main theme is that I would basically, y’know, worship all the muses thro my creativity. Thalia is the muse of comedy. I generally spend most of my time with my other girls, such as Clio (history) & Calliope (epic)… but it’ll be nice to have a whole month with Thalia.

Where does the name Brogden come from?
Aw, that’s my Grandma Joan’s maiden name. I proper loved her, like, she was well sound. Thro’ her line, I can trace my family lineage to the Brogdens who farmed the slopes of Pendle Hill, Clitheroe side, in 1600. On t’other side of th’ill lived the Pendle Witches – but they would have definitely known each other

Your comedy has been described as being racist, homophobic & misogynistic – in 2024, really?
Why not – if there’s no malice intended, & a joke’s really funny, just say it. If the listener doesn’t have a sense of humour, that’s not your problem. Also, like I said, Clio’s one of my girls, & I want to create some king of museum for dodgy jokes, delivered by somebody who you’d expect to revel in such humour – i.e. a member the older generation, who knew an imperial Britain for example

You’ve got three famous comedians (dead or alive) coming round for dinner. Who would they be & what would you cook; starters, mains & dessert?
I’d probably whip up a chilli, or summat, follow’d by bourbon biscuits. As for the guests, I’m not really a fan of stand-up, per se. I’m more into sit-coms. Alongside our poetry & songs, the British are absolute masters of the hilarious sitcom. Blackadder, Peepshow, Abfab, they just roll off the tongue. In fact, I’ve an idea fermenting to turn Brogden into a sitcom. I still visit Burnley, mainly for the bingo, & there’s some talented, funny folk down there…. watch this space

You’re bringing a trilogy to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, what’s all that about?
Well, I’m an epic poet at heart, and a saga is better than a short, kinda vibe… so why not a trilogy. The first part is last year’s show, TAKE MY WIVES, in which I chat about my 5 wives up to that point. Part 2, Fumblebees & Tinderwolves, starts when Wife Number 5 leaves me, after which a 77-year old Brogden goes internet dating for the first time. Finally, in part 3, I finally get with the one who got away most of my life, Wife Number 6 – its movingly beautiful that one

How has your act improved in the past year?
Well, I’ve got a brilliant fake beard – last year I was spraying paint on a real beard & it was all a bit chemically. Plus I’ve got fake eyebrows now too – proper suspension of disbelief!

When you visit Edinburgh, what are you looking forward to most about engaging wit, both through the Fringe & in the city itself?
I’ve a good time slot, at the heart of the afternoon, so I’m gonna check out as much action as I can – maybe nick a few jokes… always working!

Nicking jokes – is that where you get most of your material from?
Not quite, but a lot of my material is old skool. All last year I was studying joke books from the 70s through to the 90s. The other day I was watching Tommy Cooper DVDs – maybe one joke in 20 was useable. I then put on Chubby Brown, where the ratio dropped to about 1 in 8.

What is your last-minute routine before stepping out on stage?
Getting dressed up as an old man

You bump into somebody in the streets of Edinburgh & have 20 seconds to sell your show – what do you say?
Sorry about that – cos I’ll be in my mobility scooter plugging the show

themumble.uk