I was a real comedy nerd growing up – as soon as I turned 18, I applied for a bar job in my local comedy club, and it was there I met someone called Becky who told me about open mic comedy, and specifically a gig at Cardiff’s Chapter Arts Centre called The Drones Club.
A couple of years later, I plucked up the courage to ask for a gig there. I told no-one, but my girlfriend at the time (who is now my wife) turned up, we shared a bottle of rosé, and it went quite well. I was addicted.
BBC Radio Wales
I saw an advert for new comedians to take part in a BBC Radio Wales topical panel show. It was called ‘What’s the Story?’ and was produced by Ruth Jones’ company. I went along and was asked to be on the writing team for the next series.
That was the first bit of topical writing I’d done, and it’s influenced pretty much my whole career. I’ve worked on just about every topical comedy show in the UK now, in various forms, and it all started from replying to that advert.
Michelle Huggleston
Tom Wrigglesworth’s Open Return Letter to Richard Branson
Starting comedy outside of London, I think I was sometimes ignorant of the wider scene and industry.
I wasn’t aware of the Edinburgh Festival until about three years into doing stand-up, and when working at the Glee Club in Cardiff, a show toured there which changed how I thought of stand-up.
It was Tom Wrigglesworth’s Open Return Letter to Richard Branson, which had just been nominated for the main Edinburgh award. It was such a funny, beautiful, heartfelt show, and I adored every moment of it.
My worst gig
I’m often asked my worst ever gig. It’s this one. 2014. My first paid 20-minute spot for Jongleurs, in London. I got the Megabus from Cardiff, which was delayed, and I turned up at 7.59pm, thinking I was in the middle section, on stage around 9pm.
I wasn’t. I was opening. On stage at 8.10pm. The front row was a stag do. Second row, stag do. Around the corners, stag dos. I went up, and as I walked on stage, another stag do walked in late. I died on my arse so badly.
I got booed off after 13 minutes, but not before a) a man in the crowd walked to the bar, and bought me a beer to pay me off. And b) one of the best men audibly apologised to the stag, as I was clearly the final nail in a very bad weekend for him.
Michelle Huggleston
2019 Edinburgh Fringe
My 2019 Edinburgh run was a really special one for me. It was an incredibly stressful month, as it usually is, but more so as my wife was eight months’ pregnant, so there was a real bit of peril that a) our second baby might be born in Scotland (no insult meant to the fine Scottish hospitals, more so that we lived in London at the time) or b) by the time she’d gone back home, I would miss the birth.
Neither did, but what did happen was that I felt like I finally found ‘my voice’ in comedy. The show was a love letter to three men in my life – my Dad, my son, and my best friend, and I felt I could talk about societal issues and politics which I cared about.
Snip Snip, Bitch
Last year, I filmed my tour show ‘Snip Snip, Bitch’ (it’s on YouTube), and I did so at my hometown comedy club, the Glee in Cardiff. The same one I worked at for many years.
It also sold out. Which was mind-blowing.
It’s a big old room, and the first shift I ever worked I saw Lee Evans perform there. I saw incredible shows from Sarah Millican, Frankie Boyle, Jack Dee, Katherine Ryan, Gina Yashere. And it felt like a beautiful full circle to film it there.
I’ve got another date in there on the current tour. It’s nearly sold out again, so we’ve added an extra date. It never fails to astound me that people are coming to see me – little old me – and it’s my name on the ticket. What a privilege.
Robin Morgan: The Spark tours until 9 February 2025 – dates here. This show is my most honest yet: it’s also incredibly silly, and I’m loving performing it.
