Comic in a ‘Stew’ over his killer puns

His stand-up tour, ‘Pun Gent’, has attracted a phenomenal response since it started in Spring.

But as killer gag follows killer gag, there’s one faculty he will be relying on more than any other to deliver.

“Remembering all the gags and in the right order is the tricky part. I approach it the way I do a script so there are chunks that lead on to other bits while one joke will tell me I’m at the end of a certain chunk.

“But the beauty of being a one-liner guy is that while there’s a flow, I could still pop a joke in from the middle of nowhere that I might have forgotten to do earlier!”

After writing and performing for 25 years, the UK-based Canadian knows a think or two about how to structure a live comedy show. “It’s nice to have an arsenal of gags and it’s comforting to know that, when the show is more or less ready, I’m closing in on the magical hour.”

Moving to the UK permanently marked a turning point for the comedian. “Coming to the UK eight years ago was the real turning point professionally for me. I’d been coming over for years as a part-time player but being here permanently lifted me to the level that I always felt I was destined for,” he said.

When not touring, Stewart has been working on sitcom scripts with the hope that they will be picked up for television. “It’s like a live version of ‘Family Guy’ and very silly.”

Stewart Francis’s ‘Pun Gent’ tour is at the Victoria Theatre on Saturday, February 13. Tel: 01422 351158.