How To Convert Interesting Family History Into Comedy

When Nick Capper discovered "how interesting [his] family history is" he decided to write a show about it. "For years I've tried to build jokes from the ground up," Capper reveals, "then other comedians starting saying, 'Why don't you just start doing stories from your life?' I tried some of the stories out in clubs and they went well so I started developing them into a show." He says Parallax Capper basically tells "three stories": "How my parents met, how my grandfather left England after World War II to go to Africa and where I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere."

According to Capper, his friends "pushed [him] into" comedy. "I always wanted to be a musician but couldn't play any instruments," he tells, "so I decided to give stand-up a go. It went well and just became a hobby that spiralled out of control and became too demanding to hold down a full-time job." Capper's made us laugh for a long time now and reckons "the best thing about comedy" is that "there are no rules". "I don't think there is a right and wrong. You've just got to be honest with yourself."

While you're laughing, Capper reckons you may learn a few things from Parallax Capper, specifically "about Idi Amin (The Last King Of Scotland), England post-World War II and Australian outback life". He also hopes his show will illustrate "that taking chances and travelling can lead to good things", mysteriously recommending it's wise "never to make friends with an emu egg".