The hilarious Iliza Shlesinger on her new stand up tour and Netflix special

Virgin Radio

2 Nov 2021, 11:47

The comedian joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about her world tour, having the balls to say what she wants and being seven months pregnant with stand-in host Sam Pinkham.

Talking about performing in countries across Europe, she shared: “You don't want to come in too hot with political takes you don't fully understand, so you do one or two jokes about local food or something but they're there to see the act and they're my guinea pigs because this act is going to be the next Netflix special.

"So we're just touring it, I'm going to shoot it after I have my baby and then that's what people are gonna see on Netflix.

"I don't know what I'm going to call it. All I know is the material which some would argue is the most important thing but as a woman I'm like, no costumes, lighting and the way I walk out there... so I gotta think about that one."

On her creative process, she said: "I just tour and I build the hour and then I call Netflix when I'm ready and I say, hey, I’d like to do this and then we figure out a time frame to do it and so that's what you're always working towards is that hour that you can show people and then tour it and then throw it all away and start over again. I toured during the bulk of Corona and I threw all that away because no one wants to talk about this virus anymore and so this is all brand new stuff."

Talking about her love of stand up comedy, she explained: “It’s like a weird path that finds its way and I finished college and I moved to LA and I started doing stand up and it's this weird thing where you just do it because you love it because you love making people laugh and then eventually Netflix became a thing and I got in very early. I think I've been doing specials with them now for many, many years and I think it's all about having a great act so that you can take it anywhere so you get to do 14 cities in Europe while you're pregnant.

“Everybody has these deep thoughts and everybody has these secrets and a comics job is to get on stage and say the thing that nobody has the balls to say out loud or the thing that you didn't think you were allowed to say, to air out your grievances or to hold a mirror up to society… to say the thing that nobody felt emboldened to say and to point out stuff.

"And if you don't like it, oh well, I'm just the comic. I'm not running for mayor, who cares? And I think that's been a bit silenced lately, but I think you get up there and you can only speak from your perspective and the more you do it, the more steadfast you are and you have your audience and you're speaking to them, I'm not trying to entertain everyone because you can't. 

“For a normal comedy show there's this agreement that you're there to be entertained and I'm there to entertain you. And you're sitting in the dark and especially when I think about after COVID people coming into shows I'm like, we need to be around people, you couldn't wait to sit in a dark room and breathe on someone and share a communal toilet. Humans want this experience and it's your job to give it to them."

American comedian Iliza Shlesinger continues her Back In Action world tour with 2 night’s at London’s Eventim Apollo Hammersmith tonight and Wednesday (SOLD OUT). For tickets go to iliza.com

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky, weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.