BIG INTERVIEW: Comedian Andy Hamilton does stand up for the laughs

And there in lies the difference between people who think they are funny and a comedian.

A comedian explained Andy looks at the world in a different way, they look at it askew and see the humour in even serious matters.

The serious matter for Andy has always been comedy and his CV if he needed to produce one would be an impressive read and contain a number of popular shows either written by him or with others.

Andy is co-creator / writer of Outnumbered (BBC1), What We Did On Our Holiday (BBC Films), Ballot Monkeys (Channel 4) and Drop The Dead Donkey (Channel 4), star of Old Harry’s Game (Radio 4) and regular guest on The News Quiz, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, Have I Got News For You, QI as well as numerous other TV and radio credits.

He began writing scripts in 1972 when he wrote for the Radio 4 show Weekending and the rest is history, certainly comedy history in the UK.

Now he is taking his comedy writing skills and verbal dexterity on the road and will bring his brand new one-man show Change Management to Somerset when it arrives at the Cheese and Grain in Frome on May 30.

Explaining the concept of the show, Andy said: “This is an evening of laughter and that is the most important thing.

"I take a look at the social changes which have happened during my 60 plus years on this planet.

I don’t cope well with change (laughter) I accept change as it is inevitable but there is quite a lot of uncertainty and I do not know if that feeling is age or a personality thing, maybe both.

"I do not think we every get consulted in change and this is true of biological, physical and political.

"Most change is change for changes sake as are some changes to a certain degree.”

Change or the attempt to change can produce great comedy.

Anyone who has watched television comedy has their own favourite show or shows.

Andy is no different and one of his favourite shows in Steptoe and Son which was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson about a father-and-son rag-and-bone business.

It starred Harry H. Corbett as the son and Wilfrid Brambell as his dad.

The bitter sweet comedy was compounded as Harold wanted to escape, he wanted change, he wanted to leave his dad but Albert, his dad, holds him back time after time.

Talking about his favourite comedy sit-com, Andy said: “Harold is one of the great comic tragic figures.

He wants his life to change, he wants to go and write poetry and be intellectual but he is stuck in the rag and bone trade.

“He is held back and a lot of comedy is set with characters who are trapped in lives stuck with another.

“I do not have a take on what is good comedy, what matters is good comedy is good.

"I get asked to talk about a golden age of comedy in documentaries and say no.

"What I remember is Steptoe and Son but while this was on there was a lot of dross around and nobody remembers that and rightly so.

"I don’t have a take on good comedy all I know is when I see it I know.”

When I interviewed Andy last year ahead of him appearing in the town as part of the Taunton Literary Festival he explained the first book which got him interested in reading was Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.

This is an interesting fact when you look at it in conjunction with Andy’s latest show Change Management and the topics he talks about in the show.

In November, Andy explained this book Catch 22 by Joseph Heller was ‘the one’ which got his creative juices going.

An example of a Catch 22 is “How am I supposed to gain experience [to find a good job] if I’m constantly turned down for not having any?”

Recalling this fact, I asked Andy if he thought there were too many Catch 22 situations in our modern lives?

He said: “Oh yes, there are probably lots of things by which we are hedged in by, a lot of stuff.

There are lots of ways in which we are tied up by bureaucracy.”

To buy tickets call 01373 455420 or go online to cheeseandgrain.com