Ronn Vigh, this weekend’s headliner at Comedy Plex, was traveling in London this week, but we were fortunate enough to track him down and have him regale us with tales about the U.K., working with Joan Rivers and his brief stint as a flight attendant for Take 5.
You're currently in London. What is the funniest thing you've seen over there?
There is nothing funny about London. They are very serious people.
You wrote for Joan Rivers' E! series “Fashion Police.” What was she like?
It's amazing to hear the jokes that you wrote delivered by such a legend. She was also known for her plastic surgery and honestly, I'm 46 now and I get 195 units of Botox for migraines. That's a shit-ton of botulism too close to my brain. It's meant for medical purposes, but my forehead is also super, super smooth and it shaves years off of me ... so I get it now.
You also worked briefly as a flight attendant. How did you get that gig, and did it provide a lot of moments of humor?
I applied with my resume. I went to the interview. They looked at me and said, "You're gay, you got the job." I used to do a lot more jokes about it than I do now but it did give me a lot of things to make fun of and be grossed out by. Passengers would walk into lavatory with no shoes on. That's disgusting.
They say comedy is a craft. How do you hone your craft? What do you do to improve?
You just keep going. I've been doing this for so long that I've seen many different waves in my processes. I'm ADHD and so most of the time, I have an idea for a joke, I write it down somewhere, like a notepad, then another notepad, then a note to myself on my phone and 20 days later I finally remember all of those notes but I can't find any of them. Eventually, I remember to try it. I usually go up with some bullet points that I want to hit but generally they just work themselves out on stage now.
What advice would you give to a new(er) comedian looking to make their big break?
Don't. Why do you want to do this? It's cheaper and less stress to get addicted to drugs. But seriously folks, (actually don't say that in your act) you just have to keep going. You have to do a ton of sets each week but remember it's still quality over quantity. Anytime you walk into any venue, you are auditioning for comedy, that means be nice to the door staff, tip the bartender, etc. For me, it doesn't feel like there is one thing related to the big break, it's a series of all the little things through the years that ultimately contribute to your success.
After returning from London, Ronn will be pumping up the laughs at Comedy Plex with 8 p.m. show Friday and Saturday. Get to know him by checking out his website and visiting his socials, including Instagram and YouTube.
Take 5: RONN VIGH