KEVIN BEETLESTONE
comedian, English teacher and writer
Interview by Andrea “Tjuren” Terziani
{Content Creator}

Hi Kevin, I’m happy to meet you. Some of our readers may have been lucky enough to meet you because of one or more of the many activities that have seen you involved in or that you’re still doing now. Could you briefly tell us what you do?

Hello! Sure. I’m really a bit of a jack of all trades. At the moment I’m an English teacher and public speaking trainer and I also work as a comic actor, and I’m working on my channel: “Kevin Beetlestone Presents Comic Shorts”.

From a teacher’s point of view, how do you see Italians?
I have noticed that many of them are terrified of making mistakes. Probably because of what you call “brutta figura!” (meaning ‘to make a fool of oneself’). In each course I try to make students understand that mistakes are not a problem because they are part of learning and if that doesn’t work, violence works every time! (Laughs ☺)

Is there anything specific that convinced you to come and stay in this country, more importantly in Milan?
I believe that Milan is a magnificent place to live and work, because there is everything that you would expect to find in large cities but, at the same time, it is not so large that there is the risk of becoming too anonymous or lost in it.

Did you find it easy to find your way around?
Yes, I had no problems. I love Milan but, one thing they don’t tell before you come to live here is that in summer there is a lot of humidity and annoying blood-sucking mosquitoes. As soon as I arrived here in Milan, they immediately saw me as fresh meat! (Laughs☺)

Tell us about the Zelig: The English Comedy Gang experience. What was it about?
The English Comedy Gang was a cabaret show on the stage at Zelig with various artists engaged in stand-up comedy, magic shows and some sketches.
Thanks to Carol Visconti (actress and comedian) for creating the group!

Kevin Beetlestone with coactor Carlo Onado

Let’s move on to the characters you play: what led you to create them?
When I was young, I loved British comedians like Benny Hill, Kenny Everett and The Young Ones, and I think they somehow inspired me a lot, but in reality, it all started with writing. I write the plots, the sketches and the jokes and also the costumes are very important. When the look is perfect, the character comes to life all by itself.

Correct me if I’m wrong: the main characters you created are Ronald McTrump, Randy Escobar and Vincent Magpie. Could you describe them?
RONALD MCTRUMP is an extremely childish creature.
In the creation of the character, I did not worry too much about creating an exact double, but rather a stupid caricature. The great thing about “The Donald” is that the jokes are 90% ready-made – only the remaining 10% have to be invented!
RANDY ESCOBAR lives in a world of fashion, sex and superficiality.
I think he’s a sort of Frankenstein of many people I met in fashion – and I’ve seen some horrors, I can tell you!
VINCENT MAGPIE is an unscrupulous funeral director.
He could profit from any tragic situation. He’s a bit like a car salesman, but there are no cars: only coffins! (Laughs☺)

Photo by Paolo Bellesia – www.paolobellesia.com

We know that you collaborated with a British celebrity who was very much loved by the Italian public, I refer to the sadly deceased John Peter Sloan.
John had the Midas Touch when it came to selling courses, publishing books and creating comedy shows. If he entrusted you with a project, it was because he trusted you fully. John’s death was a shock to all of us who knew him. He was a great guy and we’ll miss him very much.

Covid19 was devastating for artistic productions and the work of those who perform live. From this point of view, how do you see the future and, if already defined, what are your future projects?
I was extremely productive during the Covid19 lockdown. I worked a lot on writing in general, on jokes and on new characters. In September, I’ll be working on the production of new videos for my comedy sketch channel and I’m also planning to return to the stage (with shows in both English and Italian).

What could be the biggest stumbling block for comedians who perform in an English-language show in our country?
The difficulty of a comedy show in English is due to the fact that the audience should have a decent grasp of the language in order to find it funny; however, there are many ways to reach your audience, with mime, with sounds and visual elements. So far, I’ve managed to get by merely simplifying the language I use for the audience.

Do you think that your efforts will pay off economically and in terms of personal satisfaction?
Today I’m doing comedy, I am sure that I will continue to study it tomorrow and I will continue to do it in the future. I believe that when you enjoy the process, that’s already the reward. If money comes too, that’s fantastic, but it’s not the be-all and end-all.

Do you find it better to follow the tastes of the audience and adapt to them, or to follow your own inspiration and go in search of an audience that can appreciate it?
Of course, what the audience thinks is important, but I’m still at an early stage and I don’t have a following as such. As my audience grows, I’ll think about it more. The important thing is to produce something that’s of good quality and that makes people laugh.

Let’s move on from the audience to colleagues: who do you love to work most?
The best projects I’ve worked on were those where there was a strong sense of belonging and collaboration. I can’t stand being surrounded by ultra-competitive people.

Regarding the countless number of talents trying to get known, the spaces granted by television seem relatively few. How do you think new solutions can be created to showcase talent?
The Internet is a wonderful place to find an audience, so I decided to start there, however your material can easily go unnoticed if you don’t have a strategy. In the end, I’m just a small fish in a large pond. Whether “Comic Shorts” grows or not, it’s not a problem. The important thing is to get up and do something and show what you can do.

Thanks, Kevin, for your time, we all eagerly look forward to the release of the next episode of “Comic Shorts”.

Kevin Beetlestone