Jude Simpson on life in government, the pains of growing up, and the lowdown on stand-up poetry
	Stand-up poet Jude Simpson wonders what it means to be grown up, and why anyone would want to be grown up anyway. And you know, sometimes I wonder that too. Which is why we wanted to find out more. Jude premiered Growing Up Games at last year’s Edinburgh Festival and brings the whole show to Komedia for the Brighton Fringe this year. ThreeWeeks gets acquainted…

ThreeWeeks: You’re billed as a “stand up poet”. Does that mean you do a bit of stand up and a bit of poetry, or is it more complicated than that?

Jude Simpson: Well, that’s broadly right, my act is a fusion of poems and comedy. But it also means that the poetry itself is focussed on being funny and entertaining, with the energy of a stand-up performance rather than the worthiness of highbrow literature! In many ways it’s just comedy that rhymes.

TW: I’m told you used to be David Blunkett’s private secretary. What was that like, and did life in political circles prepare you in anyway for taking to the stage?

JS: Funnily enough, working in the civil service taught me to write well, and in terms of seeing human nature, getting that close to the inside of politics is fascinating! I’m not sure it prepared me for the stage, because you have to be quite anonymous as a private secretary, the invisible person behind the Minister. I think that’s what pushed me on to the stage in fact, because after a while I wanted a bit more of that attention for myself!

TW: Poetry used to have a bit of a bad reputation among a mainstream audience, but I get the feeling that’s changing; would you agree, and if so, why do you think that is?

JS: Many people still say to me after a gig, “I never knew poetry could be like that!” because all they’ve experienced is being forced to recite dull poetry at school! I do think that’s changing, because there are more and more poets around who are good at performing to an audience, creating work that has immediate impact, and lots of comedy value. People are being exposed to that, and they’re loving it and coming back for more!

TW: You have won three “slam poetry” competitions. For the uninitiated, what is slam poetry?

JS: A poetry slam is a live poetry competition. You get three minutes to “slam” a poem, and you are marked by judges or the audience on the quality of your writing and performance. There are usually two rounds, then a head-to-head final, and it’s very much the energetic, engaging, fizzing side of poetry, often with lots of humour, satire and bite. It’s brilliant entertainment and the audience is very involved too.

TW: Where did the inspiration for Growing Up Games come from?

JS: I found that even those friends I had who seemed to have everything you could want in life would often use this phrase, “such-and-such made me feel really grown-up”, and I realised that we all have this child-like part of us which treats life like an adventure and still gets excited by small things; wearing high heels, or deciding to grow our own vegetables! I wanted to explore that, but also to challenge some of the assumptions we can so easily buy into about what really matters in life.

TW: What are the best and worst things about growing up?

JS: The best thing is listening to grown-up radio stations without embarrassment (and the fact that all the DJs from my schooldays are now on Radio 2!). The worst thing is when people you used to babysit get married before you do...

TW: Has the show changed in any way since its Edinburgh premiere?

JS: Yes, over the Edinburgh run I tightened it up and played with the format and added a new prop! I am also unveiling a new poem, originally I had a love poem to Jose Mourinho in the show, but he went and left English football (how dare he!) so I’ve put a new love poem in, but I won’t tell you who it’s to... you’ll have to come and find out.

TW: This is your first time at the Brighton Fringe. Why have you decided to perform here this year?

JS: I came last year as an audience member and loved it, so decided it was definitely something I wanted to take part in. Also, I think my show is in great shape right now, so I felt this year was the right time to come.

TW: Who are your personal comedy heroes; past or present?

JS: John Hegley, Victoria Wood, Joyce Grenfell, Milton Jones, Matt Harvey, Bill Watterson (who writes the Calvin & Hobbes cartoons). I love comedy which is quirky, sparkly and has lots of personality, but I also like it to have a little bit of depth and compassion, a sense of “we’re all in this together” rather than only laughing at other people.

TW: What next? What have you got planned for the next year and what are your long-term ambitions?

JS: I’ll be busy touring the show for a while; I’m doing the Camden Fringe in August then some dates in Northern England in September. I’m also promoting a book at the moment. Then I’ll be writing a new show and developing the gig I run in London, Poetry Shack. My long term ambition is to live each day as it comes.

TW: Describe your show in three words

JS: Froth with bite.

Jude Simpson stars in Growing Up Games, Komedia Studio, 25–26 May, times vary, £7.00 (£5.00), fpp 17