Told with Style: A Tale of Stand-Up & Podcast Glory
Andrew White is a respected stand-up comedian, producer and outfit extraordinaire; steadying the ship that is the Trusty Hogs podcast, and gracing many a stage supporting big names.
Where to start with Andrew White? He’s a respected British comedian, podcast producer and outfit extraordinaire. I was impressed by his panache, so we arranged an interview.
On his stand-up style… Andrew performs with a relaxed confidence that immediately reassures; telling irrefutably strong jokes. He’s then known to add witty asides, little side thoughts with an actorly flavour — flashes of camp and cheeky madness.
His 2024 show But Not in a Gay Way1 is the premiere example. In his most playful moments, White brings a spirit of silliness to match his fun attire. For me, his best material.
That’s on-stage Andrew. He also produces one of the UK’s biggest comedy podcasts: Trusty Hogs, hosted by Catherine Bohart and Helen Bauer. He’s supported them both on tour… Not to mention Troy Hawke and Kiri Pritchard-McLean.
*Audio below the article
How did you find your unique comedy voice?
Only the audience can tell you how you’re coming across. That’s important. I test lines that aren’t an obvious joke — to see what people laugh at. It’s about what they’ll accept from you.
I’m talking about little asides that get laughs. Those laughs have more to do with my personality than the joke’s structure. I look back on them and try to figure out why they worked. I think, ‘Perhaps it was because I was being camp and devious and that’s why they liked it, which tied in with what I wore on stage.’
They’re a big part of your comedy voice. This leads to my next question:
It’s great when you briefly change how you speak and do your silliest material. Silly little ideas like how you might have gone about seducing your childhood babysitter; you almost become someone else. How do you feel about those bits?
The main feeling I have; is that I’m having fun and playing. When the audience is having fun too and it’s all silly, you’re on top.
I used to act and do musical theatre, so it’s nice to slip into those techniques. It’s not exactly Brecht or Stanislavski, but the playfulness resonates with the crowd.
It’s like being tickled.
Yes, exactly, ha-ha.
But Not in a Gay Way (2024) was your first openly gay hour of comedy. Were you inspired by anyone in particular?
Oo! Good question. Yes, indirectly. There are lots of LGBT stand-ups out there being themselves. They paved the way for me to do this, but nobody made me feel like now was the time.
I’m not purely inspired by gay comedians.
“Joan Rivers wasn’t gay but she was open and brash and embraced all sorts of people, and she had a lot of gay fans. I’m standing on the shoulders of the many performers that came before me.”
I’m in a bubble where I can be comfortably out.
What advice would you give to comedians planning to come out as LGBT?
I’d reassure them. The world seems horrible right now and you will get horrible online comments, but that’s very rarely my experience at gigs. Even the most remote, rural, seemingly backwards places are very open to hearing about your life experiences; and are open to receiving you as you are.
I do lots of gigs in the West Country in tiny little pubs, the land that time forgot. But I go and do my stuff and they enjoy it, if anything they enjoy it more because it’s something they’ve not necessarily seen before.
“The only practical advice I can give is to go out there and be yourself, and not to get stuck in a bubble.”
If you’re only gigging in London, Brighton or Bristol, they’re such liberal places and they’ll instantly understand a lot of your references and cultural touchstones.
I’d say, think about your audience understanding you, but don’t dismiss an audience as homophobic just because they didn’t get your Ru Paul’s Drag Race reference. So, don’t change yourself, translate yourself. “How can I invite you into my world in a way that’s accessible?”
Brilliant, that’s a great answer.
What’s the best part of working with Catherine and Helen on the Trusty Hogs podcast?
We laugh a lot and have fun. When we start recording it’s a continuation of the fun we were having beforehand.
What do podcast subscribers want from an episode of Trusty Hogs? What are the key ingredients?
A bit of chaos and something unexpected.
Catherine and Helen have a contrasting dynamic that works very well.
A great guest can be a welcome ingredient. They might gravitate towards Helen’s energy or Catherine’s. They become a foil, an antagonist to play with.
“Some guests just have a pleasant chat, but ideally, you want someone who puts the cat amongst the pigeons and creates a bit of light-hearted drama. The banter is a lot of fun.”
I think they like a bit of sincerity too, a nice moment of problem-solving and a genuine insight into who they both are… Heartfelt expressions of genuine feelings.
How do you plan an episode? And is that something you all work on?
We consider when the episode will come out i.e. “Okay, this episode is going to come out at Easter so let’s think about Easter topics we can discuss.” But ideally, we record an episode and release it a few days later. In that instance, it’s pretty much a catch-up and we don’t necessarily plan.
Are all 3 of us involved? Yes, but it’s mostly Helen and Catherine. They’re the main dynamic and sometimes they’ll meet for a coffee beforehand.
The only thing I pre-plan is that I get the listeners’ problems ready beforehand. Sometimes. Sometimes I forget and I’m scrolling through the emails last minute.
What do you wish you’d known when you started stand-up?
I wish someone had told me not to plan too much, and to not hang my expectations on certain things. When I started there was a clear progression ladder to TV. Now there’s very little TV and not much of a ladder to get there.
I’d love to have been on Mock the Week, but now that I’m at a point where I could be in those auditions, it doesn’t exist anymore.
“I wish I’d known to be more adaptable and take things as they come.”
I’ve done that on the whole, but I’d have benefited from knowing that earlier.
If it’s something you can personally achieve i.e. let’s do an Edinburgh Fringe show or let’s film a special. You can do that off your own back. So, have that in mind and go for it but if it’s gatekept in any way, and requires funding from a TV channel or a producer to say “yes”, don’t hang all your hopes on it.
Good advice. Can you describe something you think or feel about comedy that other comedians don’t seem to?
I’ve got very strong opinions about MCing for comedy nights.
I think that’s broadly the same for my peers, although they don’t necessarily act upon it. My main thought about MCing is that it’s not important to be funny. I think it should be the lowest priority.
The most important thing is reassuring the crowd, making them feel warm and welcome and setting down the rules. It’s about setting up the night so people can have a good time.
If you have a chat with an audience member and it’s merely pleasant and there’s not a joke at the end of it, that’s fine. Half the audience doesn’t know you’re a comedian, they think you’re just the host. Don’t worry about being funny.
What’s the craziest comedy idea you’ve had that paid off?
Good question. I wish I did more of those nowadays.
Before, I did loads. I had a loop pedal bit, I did a mime routine, a big musical intro, and I’d even play the piano. I’d just do anything that I thought was funny.
I’m trapped in this idea of “the circuit” and this progression ladder that doesn’t exist. It’s about getting booked. The most important thing to a promoter is reliability. They’ll book someone who does okay every time over somebody who’s taking risks.
Now that it’s my job, you have to think about money.
Why did you move away from Bournemouth?
I moved to London after Bournemouth. I wanted to get in with the London clubs and try to get seen by people. I got a new agent.
“It was my career year, it was worthwhile.”
Bournemouth was nice but a bit isolated. Plus, I was commuting for 2 hours to do gigs and the podcast. Now that I’m in Portsmouth it’s 1 hour and 20 into London and much more viable.
What role do clothing and style play in your life?
I’d like them to play a bigger role. I’m in the process of moving house. When I’m a bit more settled I’d love to sort out my wardrobe and pick gig outfits.
“When I’m at my best there’s a powerful outfit at the heart of my performance. I feel the most comfortable with some sort of sparkly suit, sparkly heels or a faux fur coat. I like to dress up and make an effort.”
It feels good
I think the audience appreciates it
It also plays into my persona quite nicely. It gives me authority.
It should play a much bigger part. At the moment it’s on the back burner.
You have to be practical at times I suppose.
Especially if you’re in the back room of a rough and ready pub. You feel weird in sparkly shoes. I’ve got toned-down versions for those occasions.
You want to look like one of the regulars, I reckon.
Yeah, ha-ha.
What was the last item of clothing you bought and why did you buy it?
In terms of stagewear, I bought a white suit. It’s a textured jacket and trousers. I wear it with a black top, earrings and heels.
I bought it because it’s different to my other smart clothes. I’m often in velveteen black evening wear. White isn’t colourful but it’s a contrast; I enjoy variety but it photographs well to have various outfits.
Some of my stand-up clips show me in a black suit against black curtains, which doesn’t make for the best footage. It’s not a constant consideration but visual interest is so important on social media. It affords you a few more seconds of intrigue when shown to strangers on the internet.
It’s basic colour theory, isn’t it? Once you learn about it you see it everywhere.
Exactly that, once I’m settled I might get something in a primary colour.
What tips would you give to someone unhappy with their wardrobe? Say they want to spice things up a bit.
Get the perspective of someone you trust on style.
I got very lucky in finding my partner, who I’ve been dating for 3 years now. They’re very fashion focused and have a great eye for it. They steered me in a good direction.
I had an idea of what I wanted, something a bit more ‘granny chic’ than it is now. I was thinking about sparkly cardigans and they were able to say “I can see what you want. You’ve gone for a cheap charity shop route, but if you make these small changes it’ll be great.”
“Style is the same as stand-up, you have to keep trying new things, and if you like what you’re wearing that’s the important thing. Don’t let other people’s negative comments get you down.”
Absolutely.
Can you tell me about the origins of your production company Kerfuffle?
It started in 2017 when I was getting into comedy; because we only had one comedy night in Salisbury and it was a “pro night” that I had no idea how to get on.
I decided to run an open mic night at a pub, where we had a budget and were able to get a pro act on board. After that, I started setting up loads of nights across the city. Then lockdown hit and Catherine Bohart approached me to run a Zoom gig, which evolved into the Trusty Hogs podcast.
What about your personality makes you a good producer?
I can do many different things at an acceptable level.
“When we started Trusty Hogs I was publishing it, making the artwork, promoting it… I was editing the clips, editing the audio, recording the audio. I’ve since brought in people who are much better at those things.”
Having those abilities allowed me to get something out there. Lastly, I work well under outside pressure. I’m much more motivated.
You seem very busy and you’ve done a lot of things. Does it feel that way to you?
Yeah, it has been very busy. I gig 3 or 4 times a week and I have my radio show.
“When we started Trusty Hogs I was staying up till 3 or 4 AM editing the podcast.”
It’s manageable now. I laid foundations.
A comedy website lists your achievements but it’s so random I can’t believe it’s all true. Were you on Jonathan Ross as a musical performer?
I think I know what you mean.
There’s another Andrew White involved in music production, and our roles have been collated by accident. Some of the things I’ve supposedly done happened when I was 7.
Sometimes I’m listed at events as “the musician Andrew White.” It even happened at the Boat Show in London. People turned up saying “Oh, we thought this was a folk gig” and it was me doing comedy.
Ha-ha-ha, the thing is it’s half plausible because you can sing.
I don’t want to correct the website. I’d like people to think it’s all true.
In which ways do you hope to surprise audiences this Spring?
That’s a really interesting question. I have some lovely, established gigs coming up in my gig diary. I hope it opens them up to a new world of comedy. Maybe they’ve only seen TV comedians, and they’re not aware of the circuit and all these hilarious acts who don’t have a big profile.
I also hope they see me and get a ticket for my November tour. Plus, I hope that in going to more conservative places, audiences will take to my gay style of comedy.
Lastly, how do you structure your setlist for an hour-long show?
I have a solid 10 minutes at the start where I establish who I am, building a relationship with the audience and proving I’m funny with tried and tested material. Then I go to something more in-depth, maybe a story.
Once they’re in my world, I explore jokes that I might not get away with in a 20-minute performance. Everyone talks about the ‘45 minute lull’ where you might kill off a parent or have a big musical number. On my last tour, I had a very specific story for that slot.
Finally, it’s quite American to end with your biggest laugh. This is good advice but it’s perhaps more important to tie everything together with a denouement of sorts. Something that makes it feel complete. Done well, it’s very effective. Next year I’m looking at ending with a song.
The wise words of Andrew White. It’s been wonderful to have such an outrageously funny guest. You can follow him on Instagram here. Tickets are linked in his bio at the top.
I encourage you to like, comment on and share this post, as it drives engagement. But not only that, I love to hear from you!
Audio
His 2024 show But Not in a Gay Way.
this one was great and i got a new podcast to listen to.
also this is a longshot but andrew if you do read this then 1. you have an amazing sense of fashion, holy shit you have great outfits. 2. where did you get that yellow cardigan i need that cardigan.
Great stuff Dan!