First Gig, Worst Gig: Kyrah Gray

It was the first of times, it was the worst of times.


This time we're looking ahead to a noteworthy event on Saturday, at London's Union Chapel. No Direction Home celebrates Refugee Week with an actively varied range of performers, from Lemn Sissay OBE to our guest today, Kyrah Gray. The London-born comic and TV writer is no stranger to sharing stages and writing rooms with big personalities - Tom Davis, Romesh Ranganathan, Rosie Jones - and this should be a memorable one.


Hosted by organiser/comedian Selam Amare, it's a fundraiser for community projects in Sudan, Congo, and Ethiopia; the comedy bill also features Dane Baptiste, Kate Cheka, Elle Pea, Nancy MacDonald and Musab Desai. Meanwhile there's live music, poetry and other inspirational folk, like Sissay, plus an intriguing announced-on-the-day mystery guest. For Gray, this is an important part of the comedy vocation.


"I think it's important to represent and stand up for those who feel like they're not being heard," she says. "The world is a horrible place and our job as comics is to not only help people escape that whilst we're on stage, but give a voice to those whose voices get lost in the noise.


"It's easy to feel helpless and out of touch, but shows like this help to raise awareness and show solidarity to everyone who is suffering around the world."


Doing their bit, by doing comedy bits. But now, let's head back to the late 2010s.


First gig?


First gig, I did a module in stand-up in my final year of university. So technically my first show was an exam!


Favourite show, ever?


I don't think I have one single favourite gig but one of my favourites is definitely the Christmas show that I did at Catford Theatre last year, the energy in the room was insane and the line-up was 10/10.


Worst gig?


Worst gig has to be the time I performed in a pub in Twickenham. I walked in and saw a man with an oxygen mask in the back and immediately knew this was not going to end well. It's always difficult doing new material gigs but that one nearly sent me back to my retail job.


Which one person influenced your comedy life most significantly?


I would say my grandma, she's always been the one that laughs at my jokes. I honestly felt like her own personal jester, she would make me retell my stories and call people in the room to make me repeat it again. I probably didn't realise at the time, but she was the first to show me that I could put a smile on people's faces.


Any reviews, heckles or post-gig reactions that stick in your mind?


The heckle that stands out to me the most is the last time I was hosting Beat the Blackout at Up the Creek. There was a young guy at the front who kept interrupting the show so I told him off and he then mumbled that he thinks he's in love with me. A strange interaction but definitely a memorable one - ha!


Your next big thing?


I've just released Gagging For It, a new dating show on Sky, and have a few exciting things lined up!


How do you feel about where your career is at, right now?


I feel super grateful about where I am in my career so far. I feel like I've accomplished a lot, things that I never thought I would be able to, but I still have so much that I want to do. I'm just really grateful that I'm in a position where these aspirations all feel within my reach.



No Direction Home is at London's Union Chapel on Saturday 21st June. Tickets


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Source: Comedy.co.uk (UK)

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