Kiell Smith-Bynoe: ‘I’d love to do that storyline for a new Ghosts’
And he would love to see a crossover with the US version.
From smash hit comedy Ghosts to the ‘ridiculous’ sketch show Red Flag to the riotous reality series Taskmaster – Kiell Smith-Bynoe has done it all.
‘I remember standing in the streets of Edinburgh asking people if they wanted to come to an improv show at 11 o’clock in a dungeon somewhere, and just hoping that people weren’t throwing the flyers straight in the bin,’ he tells Metro about the good ol’ days of comedy.
Now, the landscape has completely transformed with Kiell in awe at the power of social media.
He adds with a hint of nostalgia in his voice: ‘That just doesn’t happen anymore. No one flyers. You get information because you follow the person, or because you’re getting ads, or because it’s word of mouth.’
There’s no need for word of mouth where his improv show – Kool Story Bro – is concerned, however. That is to say that the acclaimed cast, rave reviews and star-studded guest line-up speak for itself.
The show – also featuring Starstruck’s Lola-Rose Maxwell and Nic Sampson – draws inspiration from the weird and wacky tales told by packed-out audiences to recreate an improvised tale – with something different every night. Seriously.
The Taskmaster star is taking his hit improv show – Kool Story Bro – on tour (Picture: Elliot Huntley)As the 30-year-old star reminisces about the time he had to play a dictator-turned-pastor, General Butt Naked, who used to commit war crimes without his trousers on, the show can always ‘go off the rails… and sometimes stay off’.
Past guests have included the likes of Lily Allen, Charlotte Ritchie and Guz Khan with the hopes of even more surprises on the upcoming tour – although it’s not without its hiccups.
Taskmaster’s Gregg Davies is on tour at the same time, an affliction for many comedians, and according to Kiell, Big Boys creator Jack Rooke accepted his invite to join the Norwich show on live national TV (Sunday Brunch) before texting that he had actually clash… whoops.
‘It was a roller coaster,’ he adds.
How to get ticketsKool Story Bro is touring across the UK from 10th April until 22nd May and at Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets are available from https://www.koolstorybro.co.uk/
Perhaps the role he is most fondly remembered for is as Mike in BBC Ghosts, Alison’s (Charlotte) bumbling husband who must deal with disaster after disaster when his wife gains the ability to see ghosts after they move into an old country estate.
Kiell appreciates its lasting legacy with a whole generation – with some kids watching it throughout their schooling career.
‘It’s a really defining [show]. I remember shows that I was watching during [college] like Phone Shop. That’s a real defining show from my youth. It was something that I was watching and going “I would love to be in something like this”.
Over a year since BBC Ghosts ended, its legacy is as strong as ever (Picture: BBC/Button Hall Productions)He continues: ‘All generations, from grandparents to younger kids who are shy to meet you because they recognize you from TV, it’s really got a multi-generational fan base.
‘Every time someone says that they enjoy the show, it really fills me with joy.
‘When you’re in this cold old house in the middle of January shooting this thing, not quite sure exactly when it’s going to go out and if that joke will resonate, and then people are still quoting it years after you’ve done it. It’s a really great feeling.’
And although the show seemed to come to a definitive conclusion, there are now rumours of a movie version – and Kiell has one pitch for the BBC that he would love to see come to life if it does return.
‘American Ghosts did an episode where the husband gets possessed by the other ghosts and I’d love to do that. That’d be fun. I’d love that if you (the BBC) are listening.’
And even Kiell is unaware of the show’s impact, only realising there is now an Australian spin-off in the works as we’re chatting, and excitedly googling to confirm.
He would love to be possessed by a ghost – and have a crossover with the US (Picture: BBC/Monumental Pictures/Guido Mandozzi)‘Oh, wow, yeah. I’ll look into that. I’ll see who’s playing my part,’ he says, distracted by the fresh reboot.
And it seems like Ghosts has made a nice little ‘community of dead people’.
He’s even in touch with his American counterpart, Utkarsh Ambudkar, who he was already aware of through their mutual friend, Jamie Demetriou.
‘Now we just have more to share because they’re doing similar episodes that have similar storylines, things like that. So hopefully there’ll be a crossover at some point. I’d love that.
‘But even just to meet them. I met Brandon [Scott Jones], who plays [Captain Isaac Higgintoot] and he came to see The Government Inspector when me and Martha were doing that so there was a little bit of a link up there.’
Last year, he picked up a new skill – presenting – when he stepped in for Sara Pascoe to host The Great British Sewing Bee.
He felt ‘pressure’ stepping in for Sara Pascoe on The Great British Sewing Bee (Picture: BBC/James Stack)He explained: ‘I don’t really feel pressure in my work, but I did feel pressure then because I’d never presented before. No one was actually putting pressure on me, but I was putting pressure on myself to really prove that I could do it, but I think I did alright.
‘I guess it’s very similar to improv. Just chucking me in and talking to the contestants and finding out what’s going on and none of it’s scripted. You don’t have time to script it because it’s all happening in the moment.’
And although Sara is now back for the new series, he did say that he would return ‘if they ask really nicely’.
As for the rest of reality TV, it turns out, Kiell has already thought it all through. After starring in Comic Relief’s Traitors sketch, it seems the comedian is more reluctant at the idea of actually appearing in the celebrity version.
His panic starts showing, as he explains: ‘The thing is that it would be a lot of pressure because I would be aware that I’m supposed to be good at it because I’m an actor, and then I might end up double bluffing myself and forgetting who I am – if I’m a Traitor or not, I would think about it very carefully. I’d practice at home first.
As for whether he would do Celebruty Traitors – the jury’s still out (Picture: Dan Rowley/BIFA/REX/Shutterstock)‘There’s a potential to overthink it. If it was a one-day thing, I’ll give it a go over a couple of weeks, I might get tired of playing the same character.’
One show he would join without hesitation? Hunted.
In fact, it’s the only thing left on his career bucket list. ‘I just reckon they won’t catch me. They’ll never get me,’ he says confidently.
But for now, he has plenty to be working on with his tour, and his upcoming Channel 4 sketch show with David Mitchell and Robert Webb as part of the ‘next generation’ of comedians.
He teases: ‘We’re really having a lot of fun and making each other laugh, and it’s still funny, and that’s what’s important because we’ve gone through the writers room. We’ve gone through doing read-throughs in front of the channel, then a read-through in front of all the cast and crew, and then we get on set – some of these sketches we’ve done maybe five or six times now.
‘But if you’re still making people laugh when you’re doing it, then you know that you’re onto something. And there are a lot of those sketches that are doing that. So we’re really looking forward to sharing it.
As for what fans can expect, he remains coy.
‘I was dressed as an Army General the other day, but I did have trousers on.’
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