Miss-Delectable
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Bromley Times
There is only one deaf comedian in the UK, according to Steve Day, and if there are any others, he hasn't heard them.
Steve has developed a career in writing and performing comedy which almost defies belief.
At first, he says, not being able to hear the heckling was an advantage, but with increased success he now wishes he could join in a little more.
He talked to your Times following his sell-out performance at Bromley Comedy Club. He said: "I started in 1998. I have always wanted to be a comic, but thought my hearing meant I couldn't, because of hecklers and interaction, but really I was just scared and used deafness as an excuse.
"I used to do that a lot. I left full time work three years ago. I've got a family of five kids so it takes a lot of money to survive. It is the best experience waking up every day thinking this is what I do for a living."
"I try to interact with the audience. It's not always easy but it's the thing I've worked most on. I regret that I can't hear audience comments - I'm 70 per cent deaf, though sometimes I say 75 per cent for a touch of Las Vegas. I rely heavily on the reactions of people on the front tables to know how it's going. My hearing has been a bit of an advantage comedy wise as it's quite unusual, and the words 'get off' sound exactly the same as 'encore'."
Day lost his hearing at the age of 18, but he has never found out why it happened. He now lip reads when others are talking.
He is quite comfortable with making jokes about his deafness, but says that others are not always happy with that.
He said: "Mostly the feedback is positive, but I do get some hate mail as well, mainly from profoundly deaf people. It's very political, the deaf world. I'm classed as deaf with a small 'd' because I'm not totally deaf, but there are people who are profoundly - 98 or 100 per cent - deaf, who are classed as deaf with a big 'D'. There's a sort of snobbery and elitism from the big D brigade.
"My most distinguishing feature is my big jug ears - ironic really. Neither of my parents was a performer in any way, though they both make me laugh, sometimes intentionally. I have two brothers. One is a professional jazz musician, and the other is a social worker, so both are related to comedy but each in a different way."
As well as regular appearances at the Edinburgh Festival, Day also writes for various BBC radio comedies. His most recent material concentrates on art, and the show is called A Night at the Pictures.
He said: "I speak from the heart about my passion for art but I'm honest about my lack of formal knowledge of the subject and how art has taken me on a voyage of discovery, about art and myself.
"It always seems to be presented in a kind of stuffy elitist and if I may say so, poncey, way. It's not, and there's a great deal of humour in it."
"I've been lurking in galleries for about 15 years. Great art is often created by a collision of light and shade. In comedy, laughter comes from a dark place too, it's the light in the darkness. If you want to know more, buy a ticket."
Mike Fox, creator and director of Bromley Comedy Club said: "Steve was hilarious, and the night was a massive success. He really is a great comic and we look forward to having him back again soon."
There is only one deaf comedian in the UK, according to Steve Day, and if there are any others, he hasn't heard them.
Steve has developed a career in writing and performing comedy which almost defies belief.
At first, he says, not being able to hear the heckling was an advantage, but with increased success he now wishes he could join in a little more.
He talked to your Times following his sell-out performance at Bromley Comedy Club. He said: "I started in 1998. I have always wanted to be a comic, but thought my hearing meant I couldn't, because of hecklers and interaction, but really I was just scared and used deafness as an excuse.
"I used to do that a lot. I left full time work three years ago. I've got a family of five kids so it takes a lot of money to survive. It is the best experience waking up every day thinking this is what I do for a living."
"I try to interact with the audience. It's not always easy but it's the thing I've worked most on. I regret that I can't hear audience comments - I'm 70 per cent deaf, though sometimes I say 75 per cent for a touch of Las Vegas. I rely heavily on the reactions of people on the front tables to know how it's going. My hearing has been a bit of an advantage comedy wise as it's quite unusual, and the words 'get off' sound exactly the same as 'encore'."
Day lost his hearing at the age of 18, but he has never found out why it happened. He now lip reads when others are talking.
He is quite comfortable with making jokes about his deafness, but says that others are not always happy with that.
He said: "Mostly the feedback is positive, but I do get some hate mail as well, mainly from profoundly deaf people. It's very political, the deaf world. I'm classed as deaf with a small 'd' because I'm not totally deaf, but there are people who are profoundly - 98 or 100 per cent - deaf, who are classed as deaf with a big 'D'. There's a sort of snobbery and elitism from the big D brigade.
"My most distinguishing feature is my big jug ears - ironic really. Neither of my parents was a performer in any way, though they both make me laugh, sometimes intentionally. I have two brothers. One is a professional jazz musician, and the other is a social worker, so both are related to comedy but each in a different way."
As well as regular appearances at the Edinburgh Festival, Day also writes for various BBC radio comedies. His most recent material concentrates on art, and the show is called A Night at the Pictures.
He said: "I speak from the heart about my passion for art but I'm honest about my lack of formal knowledge of the subject and how art has taken me on a voyage of discovery, about art and myself.
"It always seems to be presented in a kind of stuffy elitist and if I may say so, poncey, way. It's not, and there's a great deal of humour in it."
"I've been lurking in galleries for about 15 years. Great art is often created by a collision of light and shade. In comedy, laughter comes from a dark place too, it's the light in the darkness. If you want to know more, buy a ticket."
Mike Fox, creator and director of Bromley Comedy Club said: "Steve was hilarious, and the night was a massive success. He really is a great comic and we look forward to having him back again soon."