WHO TO WATCH: Graham Chittenden

Chittenden

Do you like Muffins?  Do you like comedy?  If you like both, then you are in for a treat to watch Graham Chittenden perform!  Chittenden is coming to Ottawa this coming weekend, and please let us tell you why he is WHO TO WATCH!

Chittenden first took the stage in 2005 in Brantford Ontario.  Chittenden did not like anything else he was doing his his life at the time, and wanted to try comedy.  He finished high school, went to university, and regularly changed his field of study.  He always thought he would do something in math, then switched to film school, which he did not enjoy.  Two years into film school,  a professor asked Chittenden to really think about what he wanted to do.  Stand up comedy came to mind, and he was encouraged to give it a try. He began on an amateur night at Yuk Yuk’s, and his first time went pretty good, and he just kept doing it.  He was a young lad of 22 at the time, and now, at age 28 he is already a headlining act!

Chittenden says most of his comedy comes from his actual life, so he started with jokes about his parents as he was still living at home at the time.  He thought parents make fascinating comedic subjects because they are fascinating in that they are not that interesting at all.  One of JH5’s favourite parts of Chittenden’s act is about old people.  He acknowledges that was inspired from his grandfather, who no matter what time he arrived, he would always have a suit on.  In fact he says he really likes the elderly; whenever they are in the audience they are in fact dressed up and wearing a suit.  Some comics worry about old people in the audience because they may get offended, but old people were once young and likely had sex.  Plus older people have a much better attention span than the young and likely won’t be texting during the show!

Chittenden considers himself a good  story teller, but an awkward writer.  He strives to find the balance in his joke writing.  Often he will need to try something out on stage and then take that back and try to edit to make what works orally work in written as well.  (Note, Chittenden is a guest blogger for JH5 and do not find his writing awkward.  Come back Wednesday to see his latest blog)

Chittenden acknowledges his career at Yuk Yuk’s started fast because he had a car.  Sure he was a good talent, but there were many other good talents, and when they needed someone to do a noon show, he was available.  If they needed someone to drive in a remote part of Ontario for little money, he was available.  He grew as a comic from all these experiences, and was eventually signed to be part of their roster.  Chittenden had a lot of fun on the road; he was young, single with no kids, the world at his feet!  Years later it does not have the same appeal as it did, he still has no kids, but is getting to an age that taking a road trip to Sault Ste. Marie is not as exciting as it once was.

Chittenden filmed his first Comedy Now special, set to air this year.  He is asked where he wants to take his comedy, and right now he just wants to keep getting better and see where it goes.  He admits though that he was always wanted to host his own late night talk show!

Chittenden says Toronto is a great place to begin comedy.  He enjoys his  peers and mentors.  Mark forward has been very good example of what great comedy is, and he is supportive of other talent, giving encouragement when needed.   While growing up Chittenden was obsessed with Eddie Murphy just for showmanship, and then moved on to the standards such as Seinfeld.  Seinfeld is not edgy but can create strong jokes out of nothing, he has the right timing, the right words, and is exceptionally clever.  Chittenden also looks up to CK Louis, because he can take a subject and look at it from an angle no one has thought of before.

Chittenden advises new comics to get a lot of stage time, hone your craft,  and then be really good at the business side of comedy.  He thinks people need to become strong comedians, and pretend that people need you. A professional appearance will give people the sense that you are worth the money they are going to pay for you.  He laments one mistake that comics make is putting bad video’s of themselves on Youtube.  They may do it when they are younger and then forget about it.  When someone is going to choose to hire one of two comics and google’s them, they are going to go with the one with a polished website with great video clips.  Comics can’t expect people to have faith in them as a comic when their is not information out there to demonstrate they are a great comic.

Chittenden has a very good website and has a marketing gimmick.  He has a punch card, and for every time you see Chittenden, he will punch your card, and every 8th time you see him, you get a free Muffin.  He worried that comics may take advantage of this as they are often poor, but he laments that while comics are poor, they are often “lazy”, thus not organized to get regular free muffins!  It is an interesting marketing plan, but this, and the hard work he is putting into comedy is paying off, and he is definitely WHO TO WATCH.  To catch him in Ottawa this weekend, call 236-5233 and tell them JH5 sent you!