At the time of our interview, Steen was in the UK filming Top Coppers – a ‘70s cop comedy – alongside my favourite international comedian from last year, the bizarre John Kearns. Starring alongside Kearns and The Mighty Boosh’s Rich Fulcher is a huge deal for Steen, but it’s not like anyone is surprised by his success following his 2013 best newcomer nomination at MICF.
“John plays an alter ego and is hilarious…Rich Fulcher was a comedy hero of mine growing up. I loved Boosh and particularly his various characters. It was pretty surreal the first couple of days. The man is a maverick, you always have to be on your toes because he’ll change one word slightly and have you breaking character for minutes on end.”
One of Steen’s recurring characters is a Greek priest who reviews blockbuster movies like The Avengers. An inside source (my grandma) told me that if a Greek priest spills the wine in church, he has to lick it up and burn the carpet. I haven’t bothered to verify this, but I wondered if Steen had any weird Greek church experiences.
“Well, I’ve only ever been to Greek church for weddings and christenings, and I always found it funny that the priest sang and chanted with the back up,” he laughs. “It was like a fully formed religious boy band. For me, Greek Easter reminds me of the cracking of the red eggs. One year my brother and I made eggs three weeks before and then put them in the freezer. It didn’t work at all; they were cracked by the first round.”
Sketch comedy has its own category at MICF this year, and I told Steen that I strongly believe he’s a big reason for the genre’s popularity.
“I’m very flattered but I can’t accept that,” he says humbly. “Groups like Aunty Donna, Fancy Boy, Max and Ivan and Susie Youssef have been smashing at the recent festivals and deserve a lot of the praise. I think sketch has always been appealing and exciting for audiences and performers alike. It’s pretty amazing to see a performer or group of performers change characters with a single prop or none at all. It showcases their talents not only as performers, but writers also.”
The title of Steen’s new show, Character Assassin, isn’t as funny as last year’s title, I’m Wearing Two Suits Because I Mean Business, but don’t be fooled – every Steen show is a fun ride.
“I’m excited as it’s a brand new slate of characters. There is only one maybe two recurring characters from previous shows, but it’s mostly new stories and new forms of audience participation. With the previous two shows, I’ve always placed small nuggets for people who attended previous shows. It’s a small gesture/joke for them to say thanks. However, there is more seeding in this show and I’m most excited about the ending. I’d tell you now but, you know.”
The idea of new forms of audience participation is exciting. I was dragged onstage at Steen’s last show where I played an interviewee at a job interview. After he asked me about my current job, I began to answer only for Steen to turn on a nearby blender. Had anyone in the audience ever reacted in an unexpected way?
“Definitely,” he explains. “I’ve had two girls fight in front of me in my first show. I was just thinking of insurance costs if one of them hurt the other. I’ve had a guy kick me on the floor and I’ve had a 65-year-old Scottish lady ride me like a horse when all she had to do was apply sunblock to my back.”
