Sandi Toksvig comedian, novelist, actor, broadcaster and international treasure continues her smash hit solo tour, after a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, when she heads to Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre on Saturday 12 October. The long-standing host of Radio Four’s News Quiz and Excess Baggage and regular QI panellist, Sandi will be performing her uniquely witty evening of stand-up, stories and fascinating facts. After the show she will also be signing copies of Valentine Grey and Peas and Queues, her brand new guide through the Minefield of Modern Manners.
Born in Copenhagen, Sandi Toksvig began her comedy career at Girton College, Cambridge University, where she wrote and performed in the first all-woman show at the Footlights. Sandi performed at the first night of The Comedy Store in London and was part of the famous improvisational comedy team, The Comedy Store Players. She has appeared on a variety of TV programmes including Mock the Week, QI and Have I Got News for You, and is a familiar voice for BBC Radio 4 listeners. Her playwriting credits include Bully Boy, which focused on PTSD among British servicemen and premiered at the newly built St James’ Theatre in London in September 2012; a musical Big Night Out and Pocket Dream, which transferred to the West End.
Sandi recently said of her latest live show, “I decided to call the tour “My Valentine” because it’s my valentine to life. I have a passion for life and honestly feel that we should all just bloody well get out there and enjoy it. Spike Milligan once said that jokes should be available on the NHS and there’s something in that. My intention is that people will come and see the show, have a laugh, enjoy themselves and, hopefully, walk out of the theatre feeling a little bit better than when they arrived.”
Where did you get this ‘passion for life’?
“When I was 21, I was seriously ill. I don’t want this to sound too dramatic, but it was touch and go for a while. I’m not a religious person, but that whole experience changed everything for me. I’m determined to be cheerful… determined to seek out all the interesting stuff that the world’s got to offer.”
Most people probably know you from Radio 4’s The News Quiz or TV shows like QI. How does it feel to be back on a live stage?
“Performing live was where it all started for me. I can’t believe it was 32 years ago. In this age of tabloid headlines, it’s very easy to get cynical about the job I do, but there’s a wonderful simplicity to being on stage. If the audience is enjoying what you’re doing, they will laugh. If they’re not, they’ll tell you to push off.”
You’ve also got a new book out at the moment, Peas & Queues: The Minefield Of Modern Manners. Do manners matter in 2013?
“They matter more than ever. You’ve only got to look at the recent rows over Twitter to see what happens when there are no set rules about how we behave. It’s a bit like the Wild West of manners out there. When my partner, Debbie, came to London from Lancashire at the age of 18, she brought two things with her… an A-Z and Debrett’s Guide To Etiquette. In life, we all need to know how to get around and how to behave. I hope it isn’t one of those pompous books that tells you off for using the wrong spoon or anything like that. It isn’t a-me-on-my-soapbox book. I’m just trying to offer a little gentle guidance.”
Do you find writing easy?
“I don’t always like the process of writing, but I like seeing the end result. My father was a journalist, so he was always writing and, rather bizarrely, he compared the process to eating fish. He said: ‘First you must land the fish. Then, you fillet out the rubbish and enjoy the tasty bits’. There’s a section of the show where I talk about why I write and encourage the audience to write… we’ve all got a story to tell. No matter how many Kindles there are out there, people will always love books. Books can change lives. If George Bush had just read one book about Afghanistan, the world might be different place. Actually, the world might be a different place if George Bush had just read one book.”
You’ve also written plays, you’re Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth, you’ll be appearing in the Christmas edition of Call The Midwife… how do you choose the projects you get involved in?
“It’s either got to be something that makes me happy, like playing a grumpy polio nurse in the wonderful Call The Midwife, or something I care about, like education. My generation has done a huge disservice to the current generation by forcing them to pay for their education. I feel a lot of rage about that and I guess that I’m trying to give something back. I help out with staff training days at the university and, last July, I personally graduated and shook the hands of about 4500 students.”
We can’t let you go without mentioning The News Quiz.
“Did you know it’s now a worldwide phenomenon? I’ve actually been invited to perform in New Zealand and Australia next year, partly because of the success of The News Quiz down there. I like to think people enjoy the show – and I’m told it’s Radio 4’s most popular panel show of all time – because it’s not nasty, vile or personal. Yes, we make jokes, but it’s a very inclusive show. In that sense, I suppose it’s a bit like My Valentine. Every night of the tour, there’s me and a couple of thousand mates having a bit of a laugh with each other. We get the audience on their feet, we have a history quiz… there’s even a Q&A session.”
What’s the best question you’ve been asked on stage?
“Some of the questions are hilarious. A woman in Bradford wanted to know my bra size! I couldn’t actually remember, so she had to come up and have a look.”
How would you like this tour to be remembered?
“People came, they laughed, they went home again smiling. That’ll do for me.”
Join Sandi Toksvig at Eastbourne’s Congress Theatre on Saturday 12 October at 7.30pm. Tickets priced at £20, to book call the box office on 01323 412000 or online www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk