Q.: Will this be the last series of Nighty Night, or do you think there's more of the story to tell?
RJ: You'll have to ask Julia that one!
Q.: Tell us a bit about the improv group you were in with Julia, More Fool Us.
RJ: It was started in Bath in the early 90s by a guy called Paul Z Jackson who was brilliant at teaching us the ins and outs of improvised comedy. The golden rule was "yes, and..." - can't really remember why!
Anyway, Rob Brydon was in it too - he introduced me to it (Rob and I were in school together and have been close friends since). We'd say things to the audience in a really chirpy voice like "Can you suggest to me a household object please!" followed by, "And now can you suggest a style of music please!" and they would and then we'd go, "Ok I'm now going to sing a song about a cheese grater in the style of a Gregorian chant."
I used to love doing it. It was just like playing. Sometimes we were really funny. And other times we were painfully bad. Thing is, there's no way I could do it now. I used to say to Julia when we were filming, "God, can you imagine having to do an impro show now?" I would die of nerves. Oh yes, and other people who were in it were Jane Roth, who plays Karen Pole the depressive at the Trees Therapy Centre and also Toby Longworth who plays Glen's psychiatrist, Dr Pinder.
Q.: Who are your comedy heros / heroines?
RJ: Julie Walters, Larry David and Max Boyce.
Q.: Did you have a 'moment' where you knew you wanted to be a performer? If so, can you tell us about it?
RJ: I never really had any moment of revelation. I know I always liked showing off - when I was five, my uncle bought us a tape recorder and my dad tried to record us kids talking and singing, stuff like that. I listened to the tape the other day, and there's really quite a lot of me in a really Welsh accent going, "Can I tell a joke? Can I sing a song?", really annoying and brattish, and then there's my poor dad dad sort of sighing and going, "Well maybe it would be nice if your brothers had a go." And then he's talking to my baby sister, trying to get her to gurgle and make baby sounds, saying stuff like "Now then Maria, what have you got to say for yourself?" but she doesn't get a chance cos I just start singing some hearty Welsh hymn. Really, really annoying.
Q.: Linda works for a monstrous woman - what's the worst job you've ever had?
RJ: All the people I've ever worked for have been really friendly... I do think though, that people like Jill really exist. Someone actually said in front of me the other day, "Well if I ate out every night I'd be as fat as Ruth!" Great. Thanks. But she was completely serious. And it's the sort of thing Jill might say of Linda!
Q.: Do you think that this is the golden age for British comedy, like some people are saying?
RJ: I don't really think I'm qualified to make that judgement. Comedy is so personal and taste in comedy is so subjective - there'll always be something that will appeal to one person and not to another. God I'm sounding a bit worthy now - time to go!
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