Joe's Magical Oddity

9:30am Tuesday 27th February 2001

February 27, 2001 14:48: Joe Pasquale can't give much away about his new touring show, which starts tomorrow and comes to Hayes next week but he has a very good reason for that.

"I don't know what it's all about really," he reveals cheerfully. "It's always like that when you start a new show it starts off one way and by the end of the tour it's completely different!"

2001 A Magical Oddity is a brand new venture for the helium-voiced comedian, but he's no stranger to hitting the road with a brand new challenge.

"Every show covers new ground, really," he says, "and there's always a mental shift from the start to the finish. Bits that you think are funny when you start rehearsing turn out not to be funny, and vice versa!"

One thing he can reveal, however, is that the show has a futuristic bent. "It's based on the 2001 film, the alien idea, all that kind of thing disguised as the usual cack," he explains, adding bafflingly, "But there's magic, bird-eating spiders, bird traps...oh, it's hard to describe!"

Joe can afford to be cagey. Despite his TV success he's still hailed as one of Britain's top live comedians, true to his holiday camp roots, and enjoys sell-out tours every year.

With this tour, he'll be attempting 'some real magic, also disguised as cack' and will be joined by his old friend and fellow comedian, Kevin Devane. "I've known Kevin for many years," says Joe. "We worked together on the Richard Digance show in the eighties. It's great to have a mate to go on tour with!"

'Cack' is his favourite word when describing his acts, though with success like his, there's no room to be modest. Since his early beginnings as Entertainments Manager at a leading East Coast holiday camp, he's starred in four Royal Variety Performances, made numerous television appearances, including his own specials, and recorded four videos.

He still enjoys the live scene, though, and embarks on tours and summer seasons regularly. In fact, his Beck Theatre visit next week is one he's especially looking forward to.

"I recorded one of my videos there," he remembers. "I have very fond memories of it. I'm never worried about doing a show there because it's a cosy theatre, really you're almost on top of the audience. You can see the whites of their eyes!"

Despite this, he admits he'll be 'flying by the seat of my pants' for the first few gigs. Despite this scope for improvisation, he can confirm that it'll be good, clean stuff. "There's nothing in there I wouldn't like my kids to see!" he smiles.

In fact, Joe is a great favourite with younger viewers, partly because of his distinctive and trademark squeaky voice, which he claims is there for the simple reason that it never broke.

His vocal oddity has been an asset to his comedy, but Joe's keen to do more acting. He was bitten by the bug after a successful run as Rick in the critically acclaimed play The Nerd in 1999, and he's also appearing in the second series of the Michael Barrymore sitcom, Bob Martin. Next Autumn, he hopes, will see him embark on his first film role.

"Acting's much more of a challenge because you have to stick to the script," he says a real challenge for someone who admits to enjoying doing shows which evolve and change throughout their stage life.

Whatever he does next, though, life is going the way Joe planned it. "Acting or comedy are both fine with me. Even when I didn't know what I wanted to be, I always knew I didn't want a proper job which involved getting up in the morning. That's something I still can't do!"

2001 A Magical Oddity at the Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes on Tuesday (March 6) has now sold out, but Joe will be returning for a second appearance on Tuesday March 13. The show is at 7.30pm and tickets are £12.50 and £10.50. Call the box office on 8561 8371.

By.Vienna Leigh

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