Comedian Matt Green talks life in West Hampstead and Camden Fringe

Q Tell us about your shows LIVEs in Camden?

A It’s all about the stresses of living in London, my feelings on the state of the world, and some of the ways I’ve tried to take my mind off those things, including disastrous holidays, cinema innovations, cheating at mindfulness and embarrassing Tai Chi! It’s full of jokes and stories that will make you laugh and make you think – hopefully about how funny they are.

Q So have you given up on Edinburgh?

A The Edinburgh Fringe is amazing, I’ve performed there many times over the last 20 years including six solo shows. I haven’t given up on it, but don’t feel the need to go every year now. This year (as in 2015) I decided a short run at the Camden Fringe would be a better idea.

Q Is Edinburgh still vital for a comedian’s career?

A It’s still very important within the industry and a good way to get seen, but it also takes a lot of time and work and is quite expensive. It’s also now important to work on things such as online content. I have a video series called Gympressive and we’re working on a new video right now.

Q Is the Camden Fringe good for those who can’t get to Edinburgh?

A It’s a great way to see new comedy. Lots of comedians use it to try out new ideas which is always exciting to watch. You might see jokes that will end up on Live At the Apollo - or never said out loud again ever. The venues are usually more comfortable than some of the Edinburgh sweat-boxes too!

Q What is your best heckle?

A It’s a bit of a myth that stand ups deal with a lot of heckling, but you do occasionally get someone shouting out, unfortunately often just drunken nonsense. The best heckles are those that react to a joke or improve on it: one or two have gone straight into my set the following night!

Q How long have you lived in Camden?

A I’ve lived in West Hampstead for nine years. It’s right out on the edge of the borough, so if I want to sound cool I say I live in Camden, hence the title of the show. I love the diversity in Camden, but I also live in a quiet residential street, so I get the best of both worlds. I love Camden Town, but I’m a light sleeper.

Q Where did you live before?

A Islington - eventually the bright lights of Upper Street began to pall. Plus it was way too expensive, and as I’m not a City Banker I began to feel I didn’t fit in.

Q What are your favourite things to do in the area?

A Sunday lunch at our local The Alliance is always a treat. There are loads of great bars and venues in Camden, but my job means I’m out performing most evenings so when I have a night off we tend to relax with one of the many excellent takeaways near us such as The Tiffin Tin and Schnitzel. See my TripAdvisor profile for details. Actually you can’t because it’s secret. Some of my reviews are harsh.

Q What do you like about performing in Camden?

A Some of my earliest gigs were at The Enterprise, The Etcetera Theatre and Camden Jongleurs. But possibly my favourite is the excellent (and air-conditioned) Camden Comedy Club, where I’ll be performing this year.

Q How does it feel to be performing in your home town?

A I love performing in London in general and Camden in particular. You always get a really good crowd from all over the world and they tend to have great taste in comedy. What I’m saying is that if you are thinking of coming to my show that says very good things about you and your personality.

Q What’s after Camden Fringe?

A I’ve got a busy August including festival shows and a secret project that I’m not allowed to tell you about but might get me in the papers (if it all goes wrong).

camdenfringe.com mattgreen.org