Tom Lenk

Is there anything specific that you have or think you will have to change for UK audiences in this show?

I think I should be taking a gay survey, to see if people watch things like Project Runway, the American one.

I’m sure people will have seen it. We have a UK version with Kelly Osbourne.

Oh, really? It’s the one with Heidi Klum. So, yeah, I have to change some stories and reference points so I can talk about whatever the British version of that is. My act, the whole point of it is that it’s very hodge-podge, on-the-fly and whatever city I open with; something that brings local stuff into it. There’s a lot of stuff I do make up that’ll only be there for the audience that night, a lot that’s improvised. It’s all true stories, but sometimes I’ll find myself on a tangent that has come to me right there.

It’s about working on Broadway - is all of it true or have you embellished?

It’s sadly and shockingly and mortifying all true stories. It’s a stand-up show, but it’s more of an alt-comedy story telling, so I haven’t crafted a bunch of punch lines and jokes. I talk about things that maybe shouldn’t be talked about. One of the reasons I did the show was that a friend of mine said that there was no one, not in the US anyway, who was talking about this kind of nerdy stuff. In some places I’ve been calling the show a nerd-gasm, because it’s about being a drama nerd and playing nerds on TV. I don’t know if there’s been anyone who has been willing to talk about all this stuff, but also (chuckles) a lot of the humour is very inappropriate.

Is there anything that you couldn’t include that you wanted to?

Oh [chuckles] I cut a story. I mean, I’ve been doing a two-hour show with an intermission, but for this space and to hopefully do it later this year at the Fringe festival you have to get it down to about an hour, so I’ve cut a bunch of stuff that...I can’t even talk about it here because it’s so... [sighs]. It’s just so vulgar.

Vulgar is good.

Maybe if I get a little extra time or there’s nobody after me I’ll tell it.

We look forward to that.

I’ve found different audiences are into different things. Also I’ve been talking to a director because I’ve been thinking about filming some of the live shows; there are certain things that I will enjoy sharing with a live theatre audience, but I don’t know if I’d want it captured on DVD. It is shocking, but then I guess that’s the beauty of editing. At the same time I don’t want to censor myself and see what the difference between the UK and US audiences are.

Are we right in saying you use a lot of props within the show?

[Eyes light up somewhat] Oh yeah, there’s a lot of artwork that happens. I don’t know how it started happening, but I get a little bored watching stuff so I have to keep myself entertained. There are a lot of visual aids, not that it’s like a Carrot Top show, but I do have a lot of stuff that I use and some of the audience gets involved. There’s interesting stuff with the artwork, there’s a running theme. I draw; I’ll talk about stuff and draw it there for you. Other people use stuff they’ve drawn as a display, but it’s more fun doing it there.

Demetri Martin does some stuff like that.

Yeah, I hadn’t seen his stuff until after I’d started doing my show and I was like ‘Oh.’ He does artwork but his whole thing is a super basic drawing with a label, and he says stuff that is so smart and well thought out. I’m not very well thought out (laughs). It’s a whole other side when using artwork and photos and other physical props.

Do you have any favourites?

I do enjoy showing the audience what a dance belt is. Not a lot of the audience know. Do you know what a dance belt is?

We definitely do not know what a dance belt is.

It is an undergarment that dancers must wear. If you go and see something like The Nut Cracker ballet, that Nut Cracker is wearing a dance belt to keep everything up and away. That’s how they get that sort of mystery smooth package. I do a whole demonstration of some adjustments that I’ve made, and additional pieces.

Within/upon the dance belt?

Within the dance belt, I’m about to patent my own. That’s one of my favourite props.

Is there much song and dance?

There’s some sporadic singing throughout the show. It’s sort of book-ended, with a beginning, middle and end. There’s also a musical bit that’s an improvised song with artwork and the audience, it’s very...

3D plus? Or 4D?

I love that I went to go see a stage show, I can’t remember, but they were like ‘Live before your very eyes at the theatre: 3D!’ I just thought, but you go to the theatre because it is 3D. You go to see actual people, but now you’re saying I can go and put glasses on and watch a screen.

They’ve done that with some of the pantos here, advertising 3D sequences.

[laughs] Yeah, there’s this thing called theatre that’s actual.

They could actually hit you if they wanted to.

Exactly. So my show is 3D and more! I might just touch people. I might grope – no, OK now.

But if it fits with what you’re talking about.

I do bring someone up on stage for the dance belt demonstration.

Is it just you on stage, or do you have anyone else?

It’s just me and a guitar player. Whatever city I go to I just hire a guitar player, that’s another part of the challenge; I have no idea if they can play and I just give them the music.

Will any of the characters you’ve created in various YouTube videos be making appearances?

No, I’ve done one-man sketch shows before and I decided to just be myself for this one. I mean, I’m channeling some characters at points during the show, but there’s no wigs.

No costume changes?

Well, there’s actually a little bit of a costume change at the beginning of the show, I won’t ruin the surprise.

Intriguing.

Catch Tom Lenk Live! at the Soho Theatre in London between 6-8 January 2011. £15, concs £12.50. 020 7478 0100