What inspired you to write your show, Paul Campbell: The Lost Tapes of Somerfield?
Well, my general interest in comedy has leaned towards self contained hour long shows and I really wanted to write one. I’d thought for a while of potential topics and stories to tell, but they all felt forced.
About a year ago I was at a gig with another comedian, Annabelle Devey, and telling her how I was obsessed with Somerfield as a teenager. She suggested that would be a good idea for a show. Out of politeness, I agreed, but then I reflected on it and it made total sense. I then set about trying to adapt the real details and events into a comedy show.
I was soon really excited as it feels like it explores me as a person in a way I hadn’t ever looked at for my comedy. I’ve gone through phases of fandom for various things over the years, mainly drink, sweets and TV show but as my Somerfield obsession has some kind of narrative to it, it felt like the best example to explore in show form.
The show explores quite a vulnerable time from your youth. How are you feeling about sharing that with so many strangers?
I’m generally fine with it because I try to share vulnerabilities in my stand up and I think a lot of the bits I’ve written and shared with audiences since I started stand up has covered similar topics. I feel, if anything, putting a lot of my experiences, especially the vulnerable ones, in an hour show somehow makes it more satisfying when it goes well.
What is your process for finding the funny side of bittersweet memories?
I don’t have a set process for it. In an ideal world, I’d be able to find humour in all of the tough moments in my life, as I love comedy that finds humour in sadness, but when I have tried to create comedy from various sad moments in my life, it often doesn’t work. I think for this show, I have tried to take a step back and find the absurdity in my behaviour in response to feeling anxious and socially isolated.
With this show, I have done several drafts so have tried to include facts about why I sought sanctuary in a supermarket and hoped that gradually with each draft some funny moments appear.
Has creating this show helped you to process what you went through?
Yes definitely. In general, it takes me ages to process things and process my feelings and I feel like with this period of my life I had pretty much forgotten a lot of this.
I think overall it has helped me process more of who I am as a person because it was about a very formative period of time where I had left school and was starting college. I feel like in many ways my pattern of behaviour of feeling disillusioned and then throwing myself into some kind of interest or hobby has replicated itself throughout my adult life.
What made you want to include mementoes and recordings you’ve kept from the time? How do you feel the use of these props enhances your show?
Many of the mementos were purchased recently, but when I was sent them from ebay I got butterflies of excitement, which confirmed I was doing the right thing writing this show. I think the props help jog people’s memories of Somerfield.
For those who weren’t aware of it the logos and bags, etc., it helps give them more of a visual idea of what it was like. I have recently discovered some really rare photographs of Somerfield related objects and I was shocked at how excited I was for them to exist. I am curious what other people think of them.
Also, on a practical level, I think it’s good visually to have some stage decoration and having parts of my show which looks at the mementoes and recordings helps give the show some variation.
What do you hope people take away from the show?
Well I really love the idea of people appreciating how great a store Somerfield is, but I realise if I’m putting in all this effort, I should aim for more than to advertise a store that’s no longer in existence.
I’d ideally want people to have an amazing time laughing etc., but also to engage and hopefully relate in a weird roundabout way in terms of feeling isolated, becoming an extreme enthusiast for something niche and also enjoying supermarkets. Someone said that my act was both hugely unrelatable and hugely relatable at the same time and I’m hoping it is the case with this show.
What are your hopes for the show going forward?
I had planned to take it to Edinburgh this year, but due to financial restrictions that won’t happen. But I think it’s probably a good thing, as I should be able to go up next year and it will give me more time to develop it.
Ideally I’d like the show to feel like it’s some form of a success but, without being pretentious, I really want to make it as good as I possibly can do. Hopefully I can learn a lot from the process in terms of improving my writing and performing. So far in the process I think I feel like I’ve gotten better at expressing myself more authentically through comedy. I am hoping the more I develop the show the more breakthroughs I’ll get.
What advice do you have for other people hoping to create similar shows?
I guess the process works differently for different people, but for me I very much had to take my time with it to let the show develop organically in my head. Gradually I started to understand what it was about which then helped me develop it further.
For me to write a show I think it’s also important for me to really engage with the subject and connect with the idea emotionally, as remembering how I felt and the truth of situation has really helped guide me when I’ve been uncertain how to develop parts of it.
Paul is performing a preview of The Lost Tapes of Somerfield on Monday 6th May at Gullivers.
