ONE of the rising stars of the British comedy scene, Hal Cruttenden, will be at Burnley Mechanics later this month.

Hal, who recently appeared on BBC’s Mock the Week, brings his show Tough Luvvie to East Lancashire as part of a major UK tour.

“I suppose the show’s the best way to describe me,” said Hal. “I think people are slightly fooled because I am a bit of a luvvie and have a southern accent. I do occasionally get compared to Michael McIntyre but it’s not something I agree with. Don’t get me wrong, he’s great but somehow he manages to be that nice all the time. I have a much harsher edge.”

Hal has supported a number of major league comedians, including Rob Brydon.

“It’s a great experience to be a support on a big tour,” he said. “You are under no real pressure and you’re also playing to big audiences.

“The only time I had a problem with Rob was in Scarborough and I was booed as I went on stage because the audience just wanted Rob — it was quite fuinny really.

“Now the pressure’s on me but I have to say that so far it’s been going really well.

“The show does have some structure to it but I have been known to deviate off on tangents at times. It’s a fairly personal show, with my thoughts on things ranging from politics to my family, but it ends with a series of stories about three things when I’ve actully been proud of myself by standing up to things.”

Because he is well spoken, Hal admits that some audiences take some winnning over.

“I think people do make assumptions about a comedian based on their accent,” he said. “What you have to do is to get them to listen to what you’re saying, to look past that initial impression. When that happens and you start to get real laughs that’s great.”

Hal’s profile is beginning to really take off with various TV appearances. But he admits that, for a comedian, it can prove a double-edged sword.

“The strange thing about appearing on TV is that it is great exposure for a comedian but it actually reduces your live audience,” said Hal. “But for this tour I’m playing ideal sized theatre venues wjhere you can really connect with an audience.

“I’ve never had the problem of whether to do an arena show or not yet. My first reaction would be to say no but then the thought of just doing a handful of shows which would allow me to spend more time with the family is appealing.

“It’s getting quite busy for me at the moment as not only have I got the tour, I’m also writing a radio series and looking at doing a TV show.

“I’ve just looked at my diary and I’ve got four meetings tomorrow about different projects. But you’ve got to put all the work in because you really don’t know which of the projects will take off.”

  • Hal Cruttenden, Tough Luvvie, Burnley Mechanics, Friday, October 18. Details from 01282 664411.