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Interview - Tom Deacon

(originally published by The Student)

     “We've been killing a lot of zombies”, the comedian and bouffant-haired Tom Deacon explains from the notably zombie-free Brooke's Bar upstairs in Potterrow, “and I'm not really getting any thanks for that.”
     Alas there are no awards for control of the undead, not like there are Chortle and Student comedy awards, which Deacon has no trouble in collecting. Away from the zombies and his beloved Xbox (“the most important thing in my life”), Deacon has his second hour-long Fringe stand-up show, a weekly Radio 1 show and a new comedy play to keep him occupied, all of which is a far cry from the dingy student pubs he was playing in just a few years ago.
     Deacon is living a non-stop month this August on both sides of the border. In the day time, he performs in Joe Bor's new play Who Killed the Counsellor?, and finds the hormonal 17-year-old within. By turns huffy, boastful and sensitive, Deacon grins as he tells me he gets to snog his family counsellor and does a bit of light stripping on-stage. With a shrug, he says “and that always gets the biggest laugh...”
     His new show, Can I Be Honest?, has been filling seats in the Pleasance all month long, and the opportunity really means a lot to Deacon. “It's another year to try to make my voice clear- I want to be distinctive, not like every other comic you're here to see, which is challenging and it's rewarding too.” The show draws on his experiences from gigging around the UK and a variety of 'awkward moments' that he met along the way.
     Finally, when not on-stage in front of fans in Edinburgh, he's back in London broadcasting with BBC Radio 1, then jumps on a train to race back up north the following day. “I don't have a day off this month.” He sighs. Any student can appreciate the understatement when he says, simply, “It's tiring.”
     But aside from this understandable fatigue, it's clear Deacon is enjoying every minute of this month and is doing exactly what he wants to do. “Stand-up's always been my love- it's amazing”. He sits forward, comfortable and excited about talking about his profession. Though considered a young comedian, he's far from a festival fresher- this is his fifth jaunt up to Edinburgh since starting out in comedy, and considering he was putting on sell-out shows back in 2009, his swift upward trajectory can only bring him to real comedic greatness.
     Deacon's spare time seems to be shared between seeing shows, big and small (he holds a particular passion for physical theatre), and seeing as much of the city as he can. As we sat down in Brookes Bar he was asking for recommendations for cafés, having made his way to most of the tourist traps and big bars. “When I come up to Edinburgh I try and make sure I see it all”, he explains, “now I'm trying to look for new things to do”.
     Deacon's stand-up, theatre and radio careers all look promising from here, but it's all taking it's toll on other areas of his life. “I'm worrying about my Xbox skills...we didn't get past level two the other day.” So it may be that, in the interests of humanity and clearing the streets of the living dead, comedy might have to take a backseat one day. But, if we're honest, it won't be any time soon for Tom Deacon.

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