An Interview with Liz Carr

Comedy chameleon

Liz Carr is a comedy chameleon. As a columnist she writes entertaining, achingly funny observations about her life. As a broadcaster she is the jovial co-host of the BBC's disability radio show (and a regular contributor to the refined schedules of Radio 4). As a stand-up comedian she performs no-holds-barred material that is so rude and unflinching, it makes your eyes water. As a performer she has been involved in burlesque (‘Peelers on Wheels') and a spoof all-women wheelchair-using line dance troupe (‘The Rhinestone Rollers').

Her irreverent attitude to disability has made her a vibrant spokesperson for disabled people, and her razor-sharp observations cut right through any sentimental or patronising attitudes to disability. But beneath the clever and caustic wit is a warm and friendly woman. Just don't tell her she's ‘inspirational'....

The Basics

1.    Name

Liz Carr

2.    Web/Blog address

www.lizcarr.co.uk

www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/podcast/

3.    Where do you live?

a.    Are you from there originally?

b.    Where else have you lived?

I live in London. I'm originally from a place called Bebington on the Wirral which is in the North West of England - it's a peninsula between North Wales and Liverpool so I was always surrounded by water - doesn't stop me being terrified of water though! I grew up there but left when I was 18 to study law at Nottingham University. After graduating, I knew that if I went back home, I'd end up never leaving my parents' place and so I stayed on in Nottingham. That was fine until everyone I knew seemed to move away and to me Nottingham was just a bit boring... a bit too nice and apolitical. I was lured by the bright lights and high cost of living of London and moved there in 2004. I love it here, no plans to move although I'd love to live by the sea again... maybe one day.

4.    What is your living situation?

a.    Partner?

b.    Kids?

I live with my partner, Jo. We haven't got any children or cats. We do have a Nintendo Wii though so that's fine.

5.    Job?

a.    How long?

b.    What other jobs have you had?

I'm a stand-up comedian, a writer and broadcaster - but to be honest I do a little bit of a lot of things and like it that way. I am the co-host of a disability talk show for the BBC disability website available at www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/podcast.  I perform stand-up on the UK comedy circuit and this year toured my first one woman play both nationally and internationally. I write and comment on issues relating to disability, comedy and current affairs. I used to be a disability equality trainer, run courses on assertiveness and was a legal advisor for many years.

The Tough Ones

1.    Summarize your entire life in 10 words or less.

Live, love, laugh

2.    Tell us what your typical day is like currently.

There really is no typical day - I'm not a '9-5 job' type person but there are some commonalities to my days or how I'd like my days to be. They usually start as late as possible - I'm a night person as I work many nights, but even if I'm at home, I like pottering until 2, 3, 4 am. I'll spend too much time on the internet, checking e-mails, wasting time on Facebook and prevaricating about deadlines. In the evening I'll be gigging - locally or anywhere in the country. If not, I'll be out with friends or enjoying cooking and vegging at home with my girlfriend. 

3.    Tell us about the person that has had the most profound impact on your life:

a.    During the last five years

b.    From the very beginning

a)  I met my partner Jo just over 2 and a half years ago. She worked at the BBC and so did I but I'd never really noticed her. Apparently she'd noticed me. Until that time, I'd always dated men and indeed was in a 6 year relationship with a lovely man when Jo made her moves. She has turned my life upside down. I never imagined loving someone the way that I love her. I never thought I could share my life with someone. I just never thought I would have the kind of relationship that I now have. I realize now that before Jo, I always felt there was something missing in my life. I always felt a sadness, an emptiness that since meeting her, has disappeared.

b)  This maybe a cliché but my parents have inevitably had a huge impact on my life. My dad is very funny, confident, smart and good with words. My mum is funny in a comedy sidekick kind of way - she's shy, she's patient, generous and one of the kindest people you'll ever meet. I'm lucky to have inherited their best bits and am a real combination of them both, although I'm probably more like my dad - we're both perfectionists, quick witted and control freaks!

4.    What is the greatest trauma you have ever experienced in your life and how did that impact you?

I became ill at the age of 7 and a wheelchair user by the age of 11. Perhaps surprisingly however, the greatest trauma I've ever experienced in my life was losing my best friend and soul mate, Sue Croshaw in 1999. Sue was another disabled woman and although she was 13 years older than me, when we first met we both said it felt as though we'd met ourselves. She died at the age of 40, totally unexpectedly. My world collapsed and I felt such a great sense of loss and hopelessness for well over 2 years. On her desk, when I went through her things, she had a notebook of quotes and ideas that she'd write down to remember. The first thing on the first page said ‘the purpose of death is to remind us to live.' Little comfort at the time but it's something that lives with me every day of my life.

5.    What is the greatest joy or achievement you have ever experienced in your life and how did that impact you?

I hate it to sound soppy but it's probably been falling in love...it gave me hope. Within the space of a weekend, my whole life changed. As a ‘glass half empty' type person, I always considered how life might change for the worse when you least expect it. Falling in love taught me that life can also change for the better when you least expect it.

6.    Let's pretend your life is a blank slate for 1 year - no partner, kids, job, baggage of any sort. You can reinvent yourself completely and take a year to do exactly what you want without any consequence to your current life. How would you spend that year?

I would travel around the world with my partner and do a regular radio travelogue from each country. I'd like to do something that combined my love of travel and my love of radio.

7.    What (if anything) are you able to do better now than at any other time in your life?

Well, I'm definitely a better lover than I've ever been...a better comic and writer and cook...but I think most significantly, I think I'm getting better at living for now whilst also planning for the future. It's a difficult balance but I'm getting there.

Rapid Fire

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