Laughter is so important in life. I try and do something every day that makes me laugh and I love to make other people laugh too. Whether with a quick witted remark or just being extremely embarrassing in public. My top 10 things that make me laugh are:
Aaron Calvert by Richard Milne
Bad jokes. The ‘worse’ the joke the more hilarious I find it. You’ll know the ones I’m talking about, they’re normally so bad they don’t warrant a smirk but they really get me. Not just hearing them, I’ll tell them and laugh at them myself…
Puns. Every opportunity I get I’ll get in a pun and often compete with friends to get as many out as we can. Similar to the bad jokes they don’t have to be good to make me laugh. Like if I dropped some milk, ‘don’t try and milk the situation’ or ‘should have gone the udder way’ would both cut it.
Luckily my girlfriend has a similar sense of humour and loves the same jokes. She never fails to crack me up with hilarious faces or silly dance moves out in public. Always good to laugh together.
The Hamish and Andy podcast. I listen to podcasts a lot on the roads, as I travel a lot being a performer, and also when I’m in the gym. I’ll spontaneously burst out in fits of laughter, I must look like an absolute manic laughing away to people in the gym or other drivers.
I love live comedy, if I’m sad I go and watch a live comedy show. That’s partly why I love performing at the Edinburgh Fringe for all of August, there’s great comedy all around and I can go and see someone amazing day or night. Some top favours who’ll have me crying in the audience are Lee Evans, Patrick Monahan and Stephen Bailey .
Lots of TV programmes crack me up. I’ll often leave them on in the background whilst I’m doing admin work and tune in for the good jokes. The IT Crowd season 2 episode 1 has seen me wake up a house of 8 people before. It just gets me every time.
Highly inappropriate jokes in a bad or morbid situation. This comes from working as a doctor, you end up with a warped sense of humour to try and get you through the day. Too many situations are laugh or cry and it’s much better to laugh.
Similarly to that, situations where I know I shouldn’t laugh. If I know I should not laugh under any circumstances the tiniest thing will set me off giggling like a child and nothing including pinching myself or biting my tongue can stop me.
On stage performing when something unexpected happens. Normally I’ve performed a show hundreds of times and I know everything that can or will happen. Sometimes volunteers do something utterly unexpected for no reason, and try as I will, any decorum leaves and I burst out laughing. I love moments like that in my show.
The word sponge. I can’t say it without a smirk crossing my face. Go on… try and say it to yourself without smiling. Sponge.
Aaron Calvert: Declassified is at Edinburgh Festival Fringe from August 1st– 26th
Tickets https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/aaron-calvert-declassified
Tagged in Edinburgh Festival Fringe