Discover the many voices of Felix Dexter at The Alban Arena (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Discover the many voices of Felix Dexter at The Alban Arena

12:34pm Monday 17th January 2011 in Interviews By Melanie Dakin

Talking to yourself, so they say, is the first sign of madness. But comedian Felix Dexter confesses to regularly wandering around his north London home speaking in different voices, some of which he will be airing in his new stand-up show, Multiple Personalities in Order.

Felix honed his craft on The Fast Show, Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge, Have I Got News For You, The Lenny Henry Show, Grumpy Old Men and Absolutely Fabulous.

He is best known for the award-winning Radio 4 spoof phone-in show, Down The Line, created by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson, where he first developed his unique set of characters. He also received cricical acclaim recently for his characters and performance on BBC2’s Bellamy’s People.

Now Felix is taking his creations on tour, so audiences can get up close and personal with Early D, a Jamaican-born entrepreneur who loves nothing more than name-dropping famous musicians.

Felix’s other alter-egos are Julius Olufemwe, a hotel management student and admirer of all things English; and Aubrey Dubuisson, a public school, Cotswolds-based architect.

Felix was acting in the play One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest alongside Christian Slater, when the characters came into being. “We were in rehearsals when Paul [Whitehouse] and Charlie [Higson] called me up about this radio project. They told me they were looking for a posh black guy and wanted to raise certain issues, so I came up with Aubrey.”

I try out funny voices on the train

Felix Dexter

So how does Felix develop each character’s individual voice?

“I have to get the sound of the character’s voice first for me to build up a persona. My ears are the critical thing.

“I’d like to say, I did copious and thorough research, spending hours trawling the streets of Britain for ideas, but all I do is sit at a table with cup of tea or traipse around my house talking to myself. I like putting on funny voices and if it makes me laugh, I’ll use it.

“I try out funny voices on the train, thinking I’m alone in a carriage, only to have a head pop up and I can see they’re thinking 'that guy must be a nutter'.”

Felix comes to The Alban Arena on Friday, January 28 at 8pm. Details: 01727 844 488