Benn is back in town (From Croydon Guardian)

Benn is back in town

4:43pm Thursday 9th September 2010 in Freetime By Graham Moody

Musical comedian Mitch Benn returns to Croydon Clocktower next Wednesday with his new tour, The Rhyme Lord. GRAHAM MOODY caught up with him discus what he's been up to, touring without a new album to promote and the history of police boxes.

Graham Moody: You were in Croydon two years ago Mitch, have you been busy since?

Mitch Benn: Fairly yes. Just last week I was in India doing the Comedy Store there which was an eye opener on many levels. There was this additional level of excitement because you are getting laughs out of people from a different country who have grown up very differently. Comedy club are a whole new thing for them too so they are extra-excited.

GM: Excited about the new tour?

MB: Yes, I love touring. We had a wonderful time last year and it's the most satisfying of the things I do. We have the most incredible mix of people coming to the shows. I am the only person I know apart from Paul McCartney who gets teenagers coming with their parents and most of the time they have discovered me independently, the parents have listened to me for years on the radio while the kids see me at student union gigs.

GM: It's called The Rhyme Lord Tour, are you a big Doctor Who fan?

MB: I am an appalling Doctor Who fan, always have been and I am loving it now. I had the idea of having myself photographed in front of the police box before we came up with the tour. It's an actual police box in front of Earl's Court police station but not an original one, the only original Tardis-like ones left are in Glasgow. The last one in London was demolished in 1990, the one in Earl's Court was built later.

GM: There's no new album with this tour is there?

MB: No, for me to get a new album out this year I would have had to rush it and I didn't want to do that. It's going to be a bit of an experiment to see if the tour still works without having an album to plug so we know for future years if we always need an album. I'm equally a comedian and comedians don't have to have a new album every time they go on tour. I'm pretty optimistic about it and we will still be flogging the old albums.

Mitch Benn, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, September 15, 8pm, £12. Call 020 8253 1030 or visit croydonclocktower.org.uk.