INTERVIEW 19
I’ VE NOT SEEN SNAKES COMING OUT OF PEOPLE OR LEVITATION OR ANYTHING, BUT I HAVE CREDIBLE FRIENDS WHO SAY THEY’ VE SEEN THINGS LIKE THAT. I HAD A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE FOR SOMEONE ONCE AND HE LITERALLY THREW HIMSELF AGAINST THE WALL. I DO BELIEVE IN THE SUPERNATURAL FOR SURE, BUT THE STUFF I DO IS JUST TRICKS. the Boy’ s Brigade but it was this dead church – so boring it put us all off. Hearing the gospel in a way I understood, I thought this is either the biggest load of rubbish I’ ve ever heard or it’ s true. If it’ s true I need to do something about it. I remember at the end of this wonderful week in Devon at the camp, I got home and got down on my knees in my bedroom and said‘ God if you are real, come and change me.’ I figured if it was rubbish nothing would happen, and if it was true, I’ d start the most amazing adventure. And of course it is true and it changed my life.
JS How does your faith make a difference to the kind of performer you are?
I was serving at Spring Harvest as a steward a few years later, still working at Barclays Bank, and someone was talking about God calling people and I felt God tap me on the shoulder and say,‘ I’ m calling you to tell other people about me.’ I’ m first and foremost an evangelist. Some people say to me,‘ Isn’ t magic and comedy just a gimmick?’ but it’ s got me so many places I would never have been able to go – live telly, I’ ve preached the gospel at occult festivals, been all over the world – it has been absolutely amazing. I love making people laugh, and making them think as well.
Once I performed in Mexico City around the Day of the Dead. Such a buzz. It was a last-minute, spur of the moment thing. I was there working with YWAM. I did an altar call at the end and 300 people responded – meeting the Lord of life at an occult festival. It was very bizarre. Coffins, people in black. I had a photo taken of me on one of the coffins.
The other way my faith effects things is that I strongly believe as Christians we need to be really good at what we do, and not let people down. I’ ve turned down really good jobs because I’ m committed somewhere else. My word is my bond.
JS You perform in churches and in other places, comedy clubs and pubs and so on; any differences?
Christians need permission to laugh. I’ ve seen people looking at the minister, almost as if they are checking it is OK to find something funny. That’ s really sad. Laughter is wonderful. Churches are harder audiences. Lots of Christians don’ t go out enough – they wouldn’ t go to a comedy club or to the theatre. When I do gigs, I say look, you’ ve got to charge £ 5.00 or £ 10.00 a ticket, because particularly if you invite non-believers and its free, they think it’ s going to be rubbish. Christians sometimes have a problem because they’ re not used to going out.