David Cox
Jun 25, 2025
A trip to the New Theatre, Cardiff to see Nick Mohammed - Show Pony (also on at this year's Fringe) gave us the opportunity to be impressed by newcomer Ben Pope who gave us this lovely interview about this year's show, and his history with the festival.
Firstly, may I say how much I enjoyed your short set supporting Nick Mohammed at the New Theatre, Cardiff and loved your unusual use of language and look at life.
Thank you so much! That was a dream gig. Probably the most people I've ever performed to at once.
Your show this year " The Cut" is fairly self-explanatory. I won't ask you what is about so I will ask you why should we come to see it?
Because even though it's quite a specific story (about the time I got an elective circumcision) - the themes are very relatable! It's really all about having the confidence to take your health seriously, and examining the weird taboos we all have about our bodies, often out of a stubbornness or sense of pride. Basically if you have, or have ever had, a body - this show is for you. There's also loads and loads of jokes!
We are two months away from the festival. Is the show fully formed yet?
I'd say it's about 85% there. Touch wood. (No pun intended). It just needs a little polishing. (Still no pun intended).
Your show is at 5.05pm. How will you pace your day?
Erratically, knowing me. But, ideally, it's a late start if I want to be firing at all cylinders at 5pm. So a lie in, read a book and a big early lunch. Then flyering until showtime. And then (the joy of an afternoon show!) I can go and see everyone else's shows, guilt- and anxiety-free!
You were President of the Cambridge Footlights. Was it hard adjusting to being a solo performer as opposed to being part of a group?
Well, I was always doing a bit of stand-up in parallel with sketch stuff - so it was not like going off a cliff-edge. But I'd be lying if I said that I don't miss having a few folks around more often - getting the train back from Cardiff at 10pm on a Saturday night alone except for a packet of Quavers and your own reflection in the train window can be an existentially challenging moment.
Is it hard entering the world of comedy following such an illustrious band?
I think I can hear the tiniest violin in the world playing? But, yes - it was very intimidating, honestly. There's obviously all the big dogs hovering in the past (your Fry & Lauries, your Mitchell & Webbs), but even when I first arrived at university there were a whole group of big-hitters floating in the vicinity: Phil Wang, Pierre Novellie, Emma Sidi, The Pin, Ahir Shah... It can quite easily be a ludicrously tall yardstick to measure yourself against.
What actually does the President of the Footlights do?
From what I remember (it was over a decade ago now) - they send a lot of emails.
What was it like touring America with the Footlights?
I was very close with the team that year - we're all still good friends - so it was honestly a once-in-a-lifetime delight, and a frankly unrealistic vision of what the rest of doing comedy for a living would be like.
Who were your comedy heroes growing up?
The big two were Bill Bailey and Dylan Moran. Bailey for the playfulness. Moran for the poetry.
Who are your comedy heroes now?
You get to meet a lot of the people you admire on the UK circuit, so hero-worship, like the horizon, recedes the closer you get to it. As such, a lot of the acts I now look to for inspiration are American: Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney, Maria Bamford, Kyle Kinane, Rory Scovel. That said, on this side of the pond, I always make time to see shows by John Kearns, Ivo Graham, Sarah Keyworth - who I just think are sensei-level acts. Katie Norris also makes me cackle.
My first Edinburgh festival was way back in 1986 and my first show was watching Rowan Atkinson. You have been coming to the Scottish festival for quite a while. Can you remember your first impressions?
I first came up when I was 19 to watch some shows, and returned the year after to do 3 shows a day for the festival. I had the absolute time of life. I couldn't believe the place existed, architecturally but also creatively. I was exhausted and deeply, dramatically, gothically in love with it.
What is it like being a support act on tour?
It can really go either way. It depends very much on who the main act is and how well matched you are to their audience. I always like to treat it the same way I treat MCing club gigs - with the idea that I am there in service to the person I'm about to bring on stage. It's good to think of yourself as 'warm-up' rather than 'support' sometimes. You're there to get the fire going. You're not there to do the BBQ.
Tell us something we wouldn't now about Nick Mohammed.
All I'll say is I was watching a lot of his magic tricks from the side of the stage and I still can't work out how he does them. Some dark magic at play there.
What is the most "Showbusiness" thing you have done?
I think when I was 5 I went into school wearing a spangly gold sequined waistcoat and refused to take it off. The clues were there.
We are currently preparing our list of shows for this year. Have you worked out who would like to see this festival?
I haven't done the deep dive research yet. But off the top of my dome, I'm excited to see shows from - Christopher MacArthur-Boyd, Lou Wall, Lara Ricote, Ian Smith...
Cheers for this Ben. Hopefully we can meet up during the festival. If so, what are you drinking?
Yes please, I'd love that! Make mine a Guinness!
Thanks to Ben for taking the time out to answer our questions, you can catch him daily at The Box at Assembly George Square at 17.05, ticket details at the link below.