AYOADE BAMGBOYE TALKS SNL UK, SKETCH COMEDY AND FINDING HER VOICE

Ayoade Bamgboye is a British Nigerian comedian and writer working across stand up, sketch and performance.

Following critical attention for her Edinburgh Fringe show Swings and Roundabouts, Bamgboye is now part of the inaugural cast of Saturday Night Live UK, the live sketch series bringing together a new generation of British comedy voices including Hammed Animashaun, Larry Dean, Celeste Dring and Emma Sidi.

As the series begins to carve out its own identity, Bamgboye reflects on moving from the solitary world of stand up into ensemble performance, adapting to the relentless pace of weekly live television, and the influences shaping her approach to comedy.

Please introduce yourself …
Leo, Nigeria, born in London, lives in Lagos, currently southwest London.

Describe your life in one word or a sentence …
Dynamic.

Why are we here?
I think we’re here to have a good time. I think enjoyment and pleasure is why we’re here. Pleasure is riding the line between commitments and detachments.

What does this moment feel like for you personally, and for UK comedy?
Personally, it feels like the beginning of something really hopeful and abundant. For UK comedy more broadly, I’d probably say the same. Industry-wise, it’s been a really tough couple of years and there’s definitely been a sense of contraction and scarcity. But now, it finally feels like there’s some abundance coming back.

This is the first ever UK version of a format that’s shaped global comedy for decades. When you stepped into the process, what was it about sketch comedy or this particular opportunity that made you say yes without hesitation?
I think it was the opportunity to experiment. There’s obviously a huge legacy behind the format and decades of history attached to the institution, but we also had the very rare privilege of being the first to do it in this way. So for me, it was definitely about experimentation and the excitement of doing something new and fresh.

Who would you love to see host the show, and what’s been the most exciting part of working with such a wide mix of creative voices each week?
I’d love to see Issa Rae host. I think it would be so much fun to bring her genius and perspective to the show. Obviously, she has that African American background, but she’s also very connected to [her] African roots, so I think there’s something really exciting in that diaspora link and what she could bring creatively. What’s been really fun overall is working with so many different voices. I think that’s one of the biggest strengths of the show. Everyone throws ideas at the wall and sees what sticks, and that mix of perspectives and energy creates something really unique.

With the show building its own rhythm through the weekly pairing of hosts and musical guests, how does that decision making process shape the overall feel of SNL UK compared to the US version and do you feel it’s starting to develop its own distinct identity that you can actually characterise at this stage?
I think it definitely will. It’s a natural progression and, bizarrely, even though it feels like we’ve done so many shows already, we’ve only had seven episodes. So it really is just the beginning of something. The show constantly evolves week by week depending on the host, the musical guest and even the news cycle. It’s such a beast; and what we’ve done really well is prove that we can get it on its feet while giving it its own distinct voice. And even as that voice changes, we leave enough space for the hosts and for what’s happening in the world to shape the show as well.

What do you think British sketch comedy brings to the format that makes it different from the US version?
British sketch comedy is just so prickly, and I love that about it. It’s really sharp, it has corners and edges to it. You kind of stub your toe on it. There’s a curmudgeonly edge to British comedy that makes it feel really distinct, and I think that’s exactly what makes it so special.

⁠⁠SNL is built on high-pressure, fast-turnaround comedy, written, rehearsed and performed within a week. What’s your natural relationship with that kind of pace, is it chaotic, creative, or both?
A bit of both, for sure. My relationship with the pace is, I don’t have a relationship with that pace. I’m a leisurely girl. I love to potter. I like slow, I like gradual. I actually like glacial. That’s my process, quite a slow writer and a slow performer. So it’s been crazy to work like this, but, such an important learning curve for me. It’s taught me that you actually can go faster than you think.

⁠⁠You come from a stand-up background but are now stepping fully into ensemble sketch performance. What’s been the biggest adjustment?
The biggest adjustment has probably been learning to ask for help. Stand-up is such a solitary thing, so in those first few weeks I kept feeling like I had to solve everything by myself, write everything myself and carry it all on my own. Then I realised I didn’t actually have to do that. I could lean on other people and ask for help, and that’s been a really important shift for me.

The SNL UK cast is such a mix of distinct voices what’s the chemistry been like inside the group so far?
It’s electric. Honestly, I’d die for these people. There’s such a generosity between everyone, whether that’s with time, performance or support. It really feels like teamwork with a capital T, which sounds corny, but it’s true. We genuinely have each other’s backs.
What’s amazing is that something which could feel really difficult suddenly becomes so much easier because you know there are ten other people ready to pick up what you’re putting down. It’s just been such a gift, honestly, working with all of them.

You made a name for yourself in stand-up, notably with Swings and Roundabouts at the Edinburgh Fringe, what did that period teach you about your voice as a performer?
It taught me that you really just have to say what you want to say. I realised there’s a responsibility in communicating honestly and doing it in your own way and in your own time. There’s no point trying to respond to some imaginary audience before you’ve even stepped on stage. You have to search within yourself first, and then once you’re actually in the room with an audience, you respond to them in real time. That was such a fun and important thing for me to learn.

You’ve spoken about comedy heroes like Julio Torres, Jamali Maddix, Patti Harrison, Kristen Wiig, Chris Morris and others, when you think about those influences, what kind of space do they take up in how you approach performance?
For me, it’s really about listening. All of those people approach performance in a way that feels less about forcing the joke out or being overly didactic. Instead, it’s observational and rooted in a kind of quiet strength and confidence. It’s about holding a mirror up to people and situations rather than hammering a point home. What I really respect in all of my comedy idols is the precision. There’s such accuracy and care in what they do, but also a sense of play. I think that balance between precision and playfulness is something I’m always drawn to in performance.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what? Oh shit. Oh, a librarian. I just really love books.

What’s made you sad, mad, & glad this week?
 Sad – series one [of SNL UK] coming to an end. Mad – the state of the local elections. Glad – that I’m going to my first BAFTAs, yeah, amazing, nuts.

What are you watching?
 I am currently watching Rivals, Season 1.

What are you reading?
 I’m reading Philip Pullman’s Book of Dust series, The Rose Field: The Book of Dust Volume Three.

The last film you watched?
 Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.

The last play you saw?
 Not Your Superwoman, by the lovely Emma Dennis-Edwards.

The last live music event? SNL UK. Could you imagine that? Isn’t that nuts?

What’s currently on your playlist? I’m listening to old artists like, Mo Hit’s Records. It’s a Nigerian label, but I love Wande Coal’s Bumper to Bumper.

What’s on your bucket list?
 I wouldn’t mind going to Patagonia.

Where’s your happy place? I think my happy place is with people, like it’s in people like my other twin sister, she’s my happy
place, and then my brother, my boyfriend and I like hanging out with my friends.