Tom Allen | No Shame (FULL EVENT)

'When I was 16 I dressed in Victorian clothing in a bid to distract people from the fact that I was gay. It was a flawed plan.'
Tom Allen's unique style of sharp, acerbic wit and camp, riotous storytelling has seen him become a household name in the UK. But you might not know that the working-class son of a coach driver, and the youngest member of the Noel Coward Society, grew up in 90s suburbia as the eternal outsider.
To celebrate the release of his memoir No Shame, join Tom in conversation with Viv Groskop as he shares hilarious, honest, and sometimes heart-breaking, stories about his life and career. From observations about his childhood and adolescence, to the family he still lives with, and his attempts to come out and negotiate the gay dating scene, this is Tom at his most candid.
With his trademark caustic wit and warmth, this event will entertain, surprise and move you in equal measure.
A Night In with Tom Allen was originally broadcast on Sat 14 Nov 2020.
To discover more Fane events, visit: fane.co.uk/whats-on
00:00 Introduction
2:38 Writing for Page vs. Stage
5:28 Making People Feel Less Alone
6:50 Eradicating Shame
10:47 Tom's Childhood
14:30 Fitting In and Standing Out
19:58 Discovering Stand-Up
25:00 LGBT Representation in Media
31:53 Has Tom Ever Been In Love?
36:00 Moving Back In with His Parents
42:40 Media Exposure
45:02 Britishness and Shame
49:19 Currently Reading
51:00 Closing Comments
#TomAllen #Comedy #UKComedy #BritishHumour #Interview

[@david-reason]

Tom Allen - When I lived in China for 6 years, I really appreciated how difficult it was dating in China and being gay. I was a straight middle-aged English teacher but I met a group of girls in a strange bar in Chengdu - (Home of the Giant Panda). Later, I twigged it was a lesbian bar. This led to a number of new experiences: one of my young students "came out to me" and even brought her girlfriend to our next class. I visited a boys gay bar and another girls gay bar. I met a female estate agent who was gay. Then I became good friends with Andrew, who was always alone on Chinese New Year, after his father rejected him - so we'd meet up and go out drinking before the fireworks at midnight. These people managed to overcome the language barrier and accept that we're all different and to listen and support each other as a community - without shame. Best wishes from Bangkok.

[@ESL.MsClaire]

Absolutely love listening to Tom and looking forward to reading his book 🙂

[@cuzned1375]

I enjoy Tom’s standup a lot, but not quite as much as i enjoy his appearances on panel shows and in interviews like this. Just speaking extemporaneously, he’s a full-on delight.
Now to search out the book!

[@markcassle3828]

So nice to see the other dimensions Tom. He’s such a delight.

[@natashalyons1392]

Love, love, love tom allen x