Amos reveals his soul

If there's one thing that slick and loveable stand-up Stephen K Amos excels at, it's making his audience feel good. But lately, after a decade-long career, he's buzzing more than ever. The reason is down to All Of Me, his

'I've had such good feedback,' he says. 'People
laughing, people crying and people coming up to me afterwards and telling me what they thought of the show has given me such a new lease of life. I can't explain it.'

All Of Me runs through Amos's family memories and his back catalogue of experiences as a middleclass gay man of Nigerian extraction. The
homophobic murder of his friend was the catalyst for this soul-baring tack, and has left Amos with a sense of responsibility as a stand-up. 'A couple of things happened that made me think, "What's life about?" Comics have a unique
position where we have an attentive audience and so can actually say whatever we like. We've got that opportunity, and I'm thinking, "Don't
waste it". I now know, having been in this game for ten years, that I'm funny. I've now got a different energy about me - I've got a
different agenda.'

Nevertheless, honesty hasn't been easy. On his first preview for All Of Me, Amos baulked, and didn't get out half the new material he planned
to do. 'In the past, I've never actually had an axe to grind or something I've wanted to say - I thought, "Let's just be funny". To do and say stuff that is real and has resonance in your own life is so difficult.' Now he reckons he's got so much to say, he'll do another show in a similar vein.

But if All Of Me was a scary proposition, it simply represents another hard step in this workaholic law graduate's life. He originally turned down his part in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest with Christian Slater because he wasn't a 'West End actor lovey type' but now admits that accepting it was the best decision he's ever made. And these days, he's no stranger
to doing an exhausting three shows a night at Edinburgh. What has eluded him, though, is a Perrier - now if.comeddie - nod. If the rumour mill is to be believed, he's the shortlist's nearly man. Amos is flattered but
nonplussed by awards talk.

'It's very nice to be recognised by people
but I do what I want to do. I want to make sure my audience laugh and maybe it'll change their lives in a little way. That, for me, over the course of Edinburgh, is far more important than being nominated or winning an award. I'd like to leave my success in the hands of the people who see the show. They'll let me know.'

Tonight until Sat, Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street W1, 9.45pm, Tel: 0870 429 6883.
www.sohotheatre.com
Tube: Tottenham Court Road/ Piccadilly Circus