We were lucky to catch up with Allan Sidley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Allan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

During the pandemic I published the book Daddy Issues: A Fatherless Comedian’s Original Jokes, which was an Amazon #1 new release, led to a couple of radio interviews, and a live Fox 5 DC news segment. This was an incredibly meaningful project for me that only happened under several unique circumstances all coming together- my comedy style, the pandemic, and the life events that shaped me.

I am a prolific writer of jokes, many of which are one liners, puns, and word play. My jokes aren’t confined to the stage, many of them are designed to be read and through this format will still have you laughing (or rolling your eyes) at the witty punchlines, or visual wordplay.

With the stage no longer an option during the pandemic, and getting very little personal satisfaction from virtual shows, I decided to put all my creative energy and enthusiasm into this book. The isolation and confinement to home allowed me the space to finally reach for this back-burner project. It took countless hours to organize and transform thousands of jokes from notepads, text messages, and sticky notes into a naturally flowing joke book that can be consumed like a written comedy album.

As the title of the book indicates, my father tragically passed away when I was 11 months old. I have always used humor as an attempt to fill that void and make sense of the tragic impact on my life. Although I never got to know him, he was brilliant in mathematics, computers, and was always pursuing entrepreneurial ventures. There’s an obvious irony that my Dad is dead and I’m an expert in dad jokes, so I “deadicated” this book to him.

When you look at the cover of Daddy Issues, it’s described as edgy, provocative, corny, genius, and stupid. Just like me, it’s a living contradiction – a lot of personal with a little bit of impersonal mixed in, and I couldn’t be prouder of it. My goal is to have this book on every coffee table and bathroom in America. Just don’t read it in one sh*tting!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I loved comedy growing up and watched everything from stand-up specials by famous and unknown comedians, to satirical movies and TV. Being told I was naturally funny, I always dreamed of one day becoming a comedian.

Through college I chose to focus on academics, athletics, and getting a job in a down economy. In 2013, after about a year of working full-time, reality and depression sunk in. I had to find a creative outlet and do something else with my life. Since I had crippling stage fight, my comedy journey started with an improv class at the DC Improv. To this day, my first-ever show at the end of that class remains one of my favorite performances because I proved to myself that I could perform on stage and people would love it.

I eventually tried stand-up, and my first show was admittedly cringey. I bombed hard, yet felt a sense of conviction and motivation to keep going, and I never looked back. I continued to perform improv and stand-up, and started producing my own shows as a way to work on my material and make extra money. The 9-5 was still killing me though, I remember at one point going to therapy and explaining to my therapist the intensity of my dread growing as I would walk towards my office building. It was unbearable. A few more years passed, and with a half-baked idea of doing corporate comedy shows and classes, I gave my employer notice.

For the next three years I was a full-time, not-famous comedian and producer in Northern Virginia, but I made enough money to eat food, pay rent, and do what I love. My business grew from hosting one show a month to producing over 200 shows a year. I took advantage of every opportunity, growing to the point of building a team to support the business’s rapid growth.

By performing on these shows, I got very comfortable on stage and found my style. I was a comedian in the classic sense: I built tension with my set-ups before releasing them with my punchlines, making people laugh, groan, feel tricked, or just feel something. I sprinkle in witty and sophisticated word play to my audience’s delight (or dismay). With the right audience, my style yields one of the highest laugh per minutes and average laugh lengths in the business. (I work in data).

Coinciding with my published book Daddy Issues: A Fatherless Comedian’s Original Jokes, I decided to make another bold move. After not being on stage for 16 months during the pandemic, I performed a one hour special in my hometown at a club. It was amazing seeing friends, family, and strangers laugh and have a good time again. The show was recorded to be pitched as a comedy special on streaming platforms.

Because of the pandemic, I had to go back to the 9-5 grind, but I still make time to perform comedy and put on some great shows. No matter what people are going through individually or in the communities we’re a part of, comedy is essential. The energy and laughter from comedy is a healing reprieve, and I want to provide it everywhere from comedy clubs, to basement bars, to the book on your bedside table.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Life moves fast and we’re constantly bombarded with entertainment and stimulants. We need to practice slowing down and being present. When you’re at a show, be all there. Put your phone away and save the scrolling for during work, on the toilet, or instead of falling asleep at night. Live entertainment is still the best medium out there and one of the best ways to have a unique shared experience with friends, strangers, and the artist.

Also, when you like someone’s work, follow them on social media. It costs nothing and provides endless entertainment while helping artists and performers build a following.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Connecting with people from the audience after a show who tell me I brought them joy after a horrible week is so rewarding. On a larger scale, having a connection with an audience while on stage and hearing them laugh and have fun because of my performance is a fulfilling feeling like no other. I know I’ve made the ultimate connection when someone buys my book after a performance, as if to say, “I want more!” Comedy is personal to me- not only a source of income and my creative outlet, but how I process life as it unfolds. I want to keep giving audiences, and myself, more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sidleystandup.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidleystandup
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/sidleystandup
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkAQWG74sjM1BEJACLWDLFA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@allansidley

Image Credits
Jeff Hancock – Busboys & Poets, and Jammin Java Photos