“You get certain areas that really go for your stuff.
Ayr is definitely one of them.”
Gill Sherry
Stuart Mitchell wears a smile and a Super Ted T-shirt for our Zoom chat. He’s clearly a man who doesn’t take life too seriously. Given his line of work, that can only be a good thing.
Born in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, Stuart grew up in Linlithgow in West Lothian and went on to study Economics at the University of Stirling.
“I don’t think I use my degree whatsoever now, but never mind. I don’t even know what it is. It’s in that folder… your record of achievement that everyone got in school.”
Yep, I know the one!
At 19 years of age, he said a few words at his father’s birthday party, receiving a great response from friends and family. But it was another ten years before he acted upon his apparent gift for comedy.
“I did a stand-up comedy writing course in Glasgow, and the tutor said to me after the little showcase at the end, ‘You should stick at this’ – probably because at the time I was terrible! But I think he thought I had something. That’s when I thought, I’m going to go for this.”
He recalls performing in a comedy competition called Laughing Horse in Edinburgh, where there happened to be a reviewer in the audience.
“I made sure I was prepared for it, and it seemed to go well. They gave me a good review, which was nice. But I never actually made it through the competition. They decided to put someone called Iain Stirling through. I don’t know whatever happened to him!”
This is said with a wry smile and an admission that it was a gig he would never forget.
Since then, there have been plenty more memorable moments. Including one at Barlinnie Prison.
“That was my worst gig! People don’t realise but for mental health reasons, they do offer some forms of entertainment to prisoners if they’ve behaved themselves. I used to always wear a suit jacket because I was a big fan of Jimmy Carr, and before I even said anything, a prisoner shouted, ‘What’s with the suit jacket?’ and I replied, ‘I don’t know what you’re all talking about, you’re all wearing the same T-shirt!’ and they all just went mad and heckled me. I had to walk off stage. It was a disaster! I’ll not get that in Ayr, hopefully!”
He’s referring to his upcoming show at The Gaiety Theatre on 7th February next year. But that’s only one of a host of shows planned for 2025/2026, including dates at Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre (17th October 2025), and Glasgow Armadillo (28th February 2026).
“I’m really pleased,” he says, when I mention the amount of shows already sold out. “You get certain areas that really go for your stuff. Ayr is definitely one of them.”
A reminder to buy your tickets early if you don’t want to miss out.
Having already mentioned his worst gig, I ask which was the best.
“I supported Stewart Francis, a one-liner comedian, at King’s Theatre in Glasgow. For me, that was a highlight gig. I hadn’t been going for too long and to be asked to do that was absolutely amazing.”
His gig at the Armadillo next year is the final date of his tour and one he’s particularly looking forward to.
“It’s quite sentimental,” he tells me, “because that was the last gig I went to with my dad, to see Jimmy Carr. To be playing that venue on the last date of the tour is amazing. I’m really buzzing to do it.”
He now refers to himself as an orphan, having lost both of his parents by the age of 32. But it’s memories of his childhood and his family that form the bulk of his stand-up shows.
“I think you evolve as a performer. Everything I say on stage is true… it’s all about my family and my upbringing. I share a story from a childhood accident, all the way up to the present day. Nostalgia is a big thing. I think people, particularly in the last few years, feel a bit uncomfortable in the world, so it’s great to think about the happy days, about growing up and about when we had less problems to think about. I think that’s really resonating with the audiences.”
But Stuart’s talents extend way beyond entertaining live audiences. He’s one of the UK’s top TikTok stars, is the longest running panellist on BBC Scotland’s Breaking The News, and has starred in his own series on Radio 4. Which leads me to ask, does he have a preference?
“I do enjoy live environments. Obviously, TV and radio are great, but I think where I do my best is in front of a crowd. You just cannot beat live comedy. Everyone seems to want TV and radio these days, but I think through TikTok and social media I’ve created my own path. I’ve found my own route, and I’m really fortunate that people are enjoying seeing the clips and then coming along and spending their hard-earned cash to buy a ticket to come and see me. It means a lot to me that people are making that commitment off 90 seconds online.”
His online presence is a vital tool when it comes to promotion, as Stuart explains: “TV is limited now. There’s so many people doing comedy that not everyone can get a shot. These days, you’ve got a phone that’s got great capability in terms of sound and video quality. You can just create your own stuff. That’s what I’ve done. I’ve made sure that I’ve invested.”
He admits to having a good business mind, which has helped him climb the ladder in terms of moving out of the comedy circuit and creating a name for himself. Much of that is also down to his writing and, if all goes to plan, there’s more of that to come.
“I’m actually writing a pilot chapter of a book at the moment. That will be the next thing… I’m writing my life story. I had quite a tragic upbringing but I’m turning that into a positive. And I’d love to write a sitcom as well, that’s on my to-do list in the next couple of years. Whether it will get picked up or not is another story!”
Just when I think the news can’t get any better, he drops another bombshell: “I’m opening my own comedy club in Glasgow next year, which is exciting. I’m taking over a room at Blackfriars, so every Friday and Saturday it will be Stuart Mitchell and Friends. That’s an exciting project!”
It sure is! But if you can’t wait that long, he’s doing three one-hour shows at Barras Art & Design (BAaD) later this year.
“My dad used to take me to the Barras. It’s iconic in Scotland in terms of the characters that you get there. So I thought, why don’t I do a show called Banter at the Barras where it’s just me running through new material, testing out new stuff and having a great audience that are up for a bit of banter?”
It’s certainly a busy time for Stuart who has recently performed at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the 15th time. It’s a reminder to those people who believe Stuart to be an overnight success, that he’s worked hard for to get where he is.
“I used to get the Megabus all over the UK, and overnight buses to London for a five-minute slot, so I’ve done my apprenticeship!”
Fortunately, he no longer has to travel long distances to find an appreciative audience.
“I’ve toured in England, but I think my audience is predominately Scotland based. I’m very much a family person so my family comes first. For me, it’s making sure I’ve got that time for my daughter. Unfortunately, my dad was always saying, ‘We’ll do this in retirement’, but he never got to that age.”
One thing they did do together was watch Jimmy Carr. Am I right in thinking he’s Stuart’s favourite comedian?
“I would say Lee Mack is my favourite. I’ve had the privilege of meeting him as well and he’s just as likeable off stage. When you meet one of your heroes you really don’t want them to be a horrible person, and he was everything I wanted him to be. If I had to pick one person, Lee Mack would be my inspiration.
”
And what about TV? What makes him laugh on the small screen?
“I grew up with Rab C. Nesbitt, Naked Video, Chewing The Fat and… and Still Game of course. That was the stuff that made me laugh. That was my era… such great humour. Hopefully one day I’ll create something like that myself. It would be nice in five or ten years to sit back and be watching something I’ve put together.”
Wouldn’t it just?
In the meantime, he’ll continue to entertain his audiences from the stage.
“I can guarantee them a great night of laughter. It’s a real feel-good show and I’m really proud of it. I’m delighted and excited to be sharing it with everyone.”
Tickets for all of Stuart’s live shows can be purchased at
www.stuartmitchellcomedy.com
