Stories from the Spectrum: John Pendal
In this Stories from the Spectrum interview, we spoke to John Pendal.
Meet the comedian, John Pendal.
John has performed over 1,000 gigs across the UK, as well as solo shows across North America as well as Berlin, Melbourne, Oslo and Rome.
John tells us about why he’s talking about autism in his new stand up show (2019)...
What is being autistic like for you?
I’m a huge fan of lists, so here goes…
- At school, I really couldn’t cope with other kids not following school rules. I loved following rules, for example I was always on time and ready for every lesson with every book in my bag. I’d be upset when other children turned up late, disrupted lessons or hadn’t brought the right books with them.
- I’m physically uncoordinated. I can’t catch a ball and avoided all team games at school. Teachers said I was stubborn and uncooperative in sport, but they didn’t teach any sports you could do by yourself.
- I’m highly organised and plan all my trips out with military efficiency. I buy train tickets 12 weeks in advance to get the cheapest fare and then book the train before the one I need in case it’s cancelled or delayed. I really struggle with the thought of being late for a gig. Other comedians will book two or three gigs a night in the same city – I only book one because I can’t bear the thought of being late for the second or third one.
- I’m okay if plans change due to circumstances outside everyone’s control – then I’ll take charge and work out a back-up plan. But if plans change because someone hasn’t done something simple (like confirm a booking) then I really struggle. That’s why I tend to confirm everything myself.
- Throughout my life I’ve been plagued by conversations going wrong, and other people getting angry at me, without knowing why. With the help of my partner and a counsellor I’ve been learning why other people think I’m occasionally rude.
- I carry a rucksack with me everywhere I go, full of everything I might need. I don’t understand how people can leave a house with just a few items in their pockets.
As I wasn’t diagnosed as autistic in childhood, I learned to mask some of my autistic traits due to social pressures, but the traits I don’t mask I now see as an advantage. Although my friends make fun of me for carrying a bag everywhere I go, they appreciate it when I have headache tablets when they need them.
How did you get into stand-up comedy?
Comedy is the perfect job for someone who is shy or socially awkward, because the room goes dark and you’re the only one who’s talking! When a gig goes well and I make people laugh, I feel like I connect with people. I attended a comedy course in 2010 which ended in a showcase for family and friends. That was a great way to start because it means your first gig is a very friendly environment. The second gig was where the hard work began. I think a stand-up routine is like a conversation you can practice night after night until you get it right.
Why have you decided to talk about autism in your new stand-up comedy performance?
There can be a perception in society that autistic people “don’t get jokes” – we do, but we laugh at different things. It made it harder for me when I started comedy because when I wrote jokes the audience didn’t always agree with my sense of humour.
I can’t do “observational comedy,” because my memories of events are different from the rest of the audience, so what I can do is try and bring an audience into my world.
By embracing my differences and explaining how I see the world audiences are more likely to laugh with me, rather than be confused. That has been a big strength for international gigs and led to solo shows in in Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Edmonton (Canada), Fort Lauderdale, Melbourne, Oslo, Rome and West Palm Beach without having to change my material. I still have moments where they turn into “staring and blinking” at me – but hopefully those moments are getting further apart.
