Amy Mason
“I loved my show in Norwich last time! They are just the most welcoming, warm, fun audience."
Comedian Amy Mason is returning to Norwich this month, as part of her 2026 UK tour: ‘Behold!’’ She is set to perform at the Arts Centre on the 9th April, with the show marking the twenty-first stop of a busy thirty-two date schedule.
“I loved my show in Norwich last time! They are just the most welcoming, warm, fun audience. I had such a nice time. It was one of the first shows I did on my last tour, and it was just incredible. I’m so excited to be coming back! I love touring and I love meeting audience in places I don’t go often. It’s a total joy,” Amy told Outline.
The show is based around a recent experience the Bristol-based star had after being hacked; receiving some unexpected mail to her house.
“It’s about me trying to investigate this very weird occurrence, while I was in a slightly off-kilter state of mind, and find out what was going on.”
This is Amy’s second stand-up hour show, and she explained that she prefers to devise her material with just a few notes, working with a crowd.
“I have had a few things happen to me which I think could spark a show. In front of an audience, I’ll just talk about it and see what’s funny and from then I’ll work that up into more complete jokes. I try and keep the process lose, because I feel I’m someone who’ll really procrastinate if I sit at a desk.”
Aside from her comedic endeavours, Amy is also a successful author. Her novel, The Other Ida, won the Dundee International Book Prize in 2014. So, what inspired her to take up her chosen career path?
“I always wanted to perform, but I could never see a way that I could fit in. I did some theatre stuff and wrote a book… When my eldest daughter was 10 months old, I did an open mic comedy night in London; just a five-minute set. I really enjoyed it, and from there I just carried on.”
Amy’s grandfather, Lionel Jeffries, was a legendary actor and comic of his time. Perhaps performing is in her DNA?
“We definitely have a good sense of humour. My Grandad was really funny. I lived close to him and saw him at least once a week when I was a child. My parents didn’t work entertainment jobs and I didn’t do performing arts stuff as a child. Having someone in your family who’d had that kind of success, and had a career in the arts… you can’t underestimate what that does; to know that it is a possibility at some stage, to be able to do that. I think it helped.”
Social media has allowed for a new way for comedians to build and connect with their audience. Amy has embraced this technique, reaching over 2 million views on TikTok and regularly posting short form content across her online platforms.
“For many people, so much comedy is commissioned from London. There’s always been this pipe-line where you have to do Edinburgh Fringe; you have to do gigs in London, to get on the radar of television commissioners. Social media has allowed a lot of people who aren’t tied into that world, who might have other responsibilities so they can’t gig all the time. It’s allowed them to build an audience and show what they can do, without the gatekeepers. I think in some ways it’s really exciting. You’ve got a lot of voices. People who aren’t necessarily traditional comedians, who’ve built a platform online and selling out massive venues. And good for them! Why not?”
‘Types of School Mums You Meet in Bristol’, a short 35 second skit, has over 76,000 likes on TikTok. A parent herself, Amy explains that she tries to observe the characters of different mums who she feels are under-represented in media around motherhood.
“I live in Bristol, and I look at the kind of women who are mums who may have been missed out of conversations: ex-ravers and the hippies, you know?”
“I often give a short little introduction into what Bristol’s like, to kind of route who I am, and who I’m writing these jokes for. Most cities, and most places in the world, have a version of Bristol. They’ll have a little suburb, or a neighbouring town.”
Aside from her grandfather, then, which comedians does Amy admire the most?
“I love Tig Notaro; how she’s clearly having fun, but not afraid to talk about her breast cancer diagnosis in a really innovative way that opened the doors for so many comedians to talk about that stuff on stage. Basically, a whole genre of comedy emerged from that. I also love the way Maria Bamford talks about mental health, and the surrealism of her work.”
What’s next for Amy Mason?... after her performance in Norwich and finishing her UK tour, of course.
“I’m making a new show!”
