Award-winning stand-up comedian Chris McCausland might also be recognisable to those who enjoyed his portrayal of Rudi the Blind Market Trader in BBC's 'Me Too'. He tells us what motivates him...
Chris's story:
Some of our readers with young children might recognise you from children's television - how did you get into acting?
I was asked to play the part of Rudi the Market Trader on the children's show Me Too back in 2005 as a result of being spotted doing stand-up. We spent nine months filming during 2006 during which time I continued to gig of a weekend which was fairly exhausting. I'd previously never done anything like that but don't really see it as acting really, rather saying things enthusiastically in a big purple coat!
Could you tell us a little about your sight? Were you born blind? Or did you lose your vision later on?
I have Retinitis Pigmentosa which is an inherited degenerative condition so my sight deteriorated steadily from birth. I am now 34 years old and to all intents and purposes totally blind with most of my useful sight going when I was about 20-25.
Did you have any difficulties getting your first break given your disability?
All of the difficulties I have experienced have been logistical really. There is a lot of travelling about and performing in different locations each night and this was fairly problematic. Luckily when I started doing stand-up I had the help of a lot of friends to help me get started.
So when did you decide to make the switch to comedy?
Comedy was just something I dared myself to have a go at really. It wasn't something I decided to do as a career change. I was working in a call centre at the time and just had the hare-brained idea of having a go. This quickly became a hobby and before I knew it I was being paid a few quid here and there. It took about two years before I was able to take the plunge and ditch the day job to go full time, which believe it or not is actually pretty quick in comedy.
Stand-up must bring its share of challenges for a blind comedian. Are there aspects of the job you've had to work around, or do differently to others on the circuit?
I have to have somebody guide me up on to the stage and also help me from the stage once I have finished. I also have to tackle the blindness when I first start a gig as it is the ice in the room that needs breaking before I can move on. I think there is a great deal of tension sometimes before I deal with it and show that I can make fun of myself. Also I have learned a lot of tips and tricks for travelling alone and spending weekends in different hotels around the country. This is something that is obviously easier for sighted people but you can always find ways of doing things that at first seem very daunting.
I imagine you need a lot of confidence to stand on stage alone? Would you say that you are a confident person, and has your disability made a difference to this?
Yes, you do need a lot of confidence to stand up on stage alone and try to make people laugh but confidence is something that can be learned just like anything else. Back when I did my first ever gig you could have knocked me over with just one finger I was so nervous.
I didn't eat all day and delivered the jokes that I had written in a very slow and nervous monotonous tone. Luckily enough they laughed at enough bits to make me want to have another go.
Where does your humour come from?
My sense of humour comes from my family and also being a fan of British comedy since my parents bought me a Rowan Atkinson Live DVD for Christmas when I was about 10. Since then I have always been a fan of live stand-up. My own routine material comes from life really. Stuff that happens to me, situations I find myself in or things that I have read in books or the news. It is important to write all of your own material as being a comedian is also about the ideas being true to you rather than just the performance of them.
What reactions do you get to being blind in your line of work from other professionals, and from audiences?
I think there are a lot of preconceptions from audiences about what I do before they see me do it. A lot of them think that this is just going to be a load of jokes about being blind - guide dogs and braille and all that. I can understand this as I think that a lot of people do play to the stereotype and make the most of what makes them different. I think the audience quickly forgets about this though and enjoys my comedy just as they would any other comedian's. I think that other comedians respect the approach that I have to not dwelling on being blind as this is often the easy route for a comedian who has something about them that makes them a little different.
So do you draw on your blindness within your act at all?
I don't necessarily avoid talking about it, I just reference it very sparingly. Very often the blindness can allow for too many easy punchlines and I like to avoid these instead choosing to use it when the situation is a little more original. I also think that people are genuinely interested in your different perspective on the world and if you only give them a little bit then you leave them wanting more rather than boring them to death with it.
What advice would you give to a young blind or partially sighted person wanting to follow a career in comedy?
There isn't room for two of us so find something else! Ah… only kidding. Basically just remember that there is far more going on in your head than just being blind so make your comedy as much about all of that other stuff that makes you you and not just about the obvious.
What's your motto in life?
It's your round, I got the last one.
Further information:
Follow Chris at http://chrismccausland.com/
This inspiring article was first published in Insight magazine.