Interview with Elena Kombou

Comedy Blogedy: How long have you been gigging in stand-up?

Elena Kombou: I started stand up at the end of October 2010, so about one year and two months. It’s something I wanted to do for ages and I started writing material when I was in my teens but was too nervous and too worried that I wouldn’t get any laughs and then that would ruin comedy for me forever so I kept putting it off. It was going to the Edinburgh Festival last year that gave me the kick I needed to do it. I enjoyed the festival but wanted to be more than just a member of audience and promised myself that the next year I’d be there as a performer.

Comedy Blogedy: How would you describe your comedy?

Elena Kombou: I would describe my comedy as mostly observational but also about things that annoy me, the situations I get myself into as a result of my social awkwardness and how my anxiousness, neuroses and tendency to over think things impacts on most things I do. When I started I wanted my comedy to be more like big rants about things but whenever I got on stage I was never in a bad enough mood and when I’m put in front of a microphone it’s more natural for me to project a nervous and anxious person and it seems to work okay for me so that’s what I’ve stuck with.

Elena Kombou

Comedy Blogedy: Which comedians influence your comedy?

Elena Kombou: When I started getting into comedy, I was a massive fan of Russell Howard, Michael McIntyre, Jon Richardson and Lee Evans. I would say right now, my biggest influences are Job Richardson and Lee Evans. Watching Job Richardson is like watching a male version of me a lot of the time so I can relate to a lot of his material and Lee Evans has so much energy and he can take ordinary objects and everyday tasks and make a joke out of it in a way that always makes me think, ‘why didn’t I think of that?’

Comedy Blogedy: Did you always want to go into comedy?

Elena Kombou: I’ve wanted to do a lot of things growing up. If I’m honest, I thought it was just a phase and in a few months I’d get over it and move onto something else. However, once I started it, I realized that it’s something I’d love to do as a career, whether it’s performing or writing.

Comedy Blogedy: How do you go about writing your material?

Elena Kombou: I just write things down as they come to me, whether it’s through a conversation I’m having with someone, something I’ve just seen/heard or just something that has annoyed me or frustrated me. I write material down in note form then build around that. Sometimes it helps me to talk to myself and through that conversation I can link ideas together and develop a set.

Comedy Blogedy: Do you gig as a stand-up full time or is it more of a part-time hobby? If so, do you find that your main job influences your material?

Elena Kombou: This is a part time hobby at the moment but with a view to doing it full time….eventually. I have found that the main job I do has influenced me a little but because of the nature of the place in which I work there’s not that much comedy there to be honest. There’s a little but not as much as I’d like.

Elena Kombou Comedy Blogedy: What do you find the most enjoyable and frustrating parts of the amateur comedy circuit?

Elena Kombou: The thing I find most enjoyable is being able to meet so many different people that you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to meet. The thing about it that frustrates me is that there’s isn’t much opportunity to progress and move forward. It’s a good circuit to do new material on and try things out but it’s not really going to get you very far until the right people see your set and invite you to do their gigs and then hopefully they will pay you eventually but it’s getting noticed first. There are some nights out there that can help you to move up but there are a lot that don’t and it’s just finding the right ones to do.

Comedy Blogedy: What’s your favourite type of audience to perform to?

Elena Kombou: I like a mixture of old and young really, male and female. Some people get my humour, others don’t. I guess an audience that don’t take themselves too seriously because what I talk about is far from serious.

Comedy Blogedy: Have you been heckled a lot since you’ve started gigging? Do you enjoy being heckled? What’s the best heckle you’ve had?

Elena Kombou: I’ve never been heckled but I’ve have someone give me some input before. I made a comment about something and one guy in the audience at the front made a comment about something he’d seen that day. It was the first time I’d had that and I didn’t really expect it but I think I handled it well. I engaged in a little conversation with him then moved on. I will get heckled at some point and I’m not massively looking forward to it but you have to get it and you learn from it. It helps you try to be funny on the spot and in the moment.

Comedy Blogedy: What advice would you give to new acts thinking about starting out in comedy?

Elena Kombou: Go for it, if you don’t try then you’ll never know either how good you could be, how much you could enjoy it or who you could meet. I’ve made some good friends through comedy and had I not started I wouldn’t have met them. Also, don’t be disheartened if you don’t get many laughs when you start out. It happens to us all and you do learn from it. Someone once told me it takes about a year to find your voice and what kind of comedy works for you so it’s just trial and error. Keep at it and it’ll pay off.