Class joker has the last laugh (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Class joker has the last laugh

When Nick Page left school 18 years ago, the words of his final report gave a less than optimistic view of his future working life: "Nick has to learn that being the centre of attention is not a career option!" wrote one of his senior teachers.

Quite obviously the tutor in question was no descendant of the philosopher Nostradamus, as 34-year-old Nick is now a fast emerging star on the UK comedy circuit.

And with several television appearances to his name already, the Cotswold-based funnyman is becoming a well-known face among comedy connoisseurs.

As with many comedians, Nick's career began in that stereotypical comic Mecca - the backstreet city pub. In his case, it was the Bunch of Grapes behind Bristol Hippodrome where the fruits of his talent were spotted by local comedy club owner Dave Trew.

Cheltenham-born Nick, who now lives in Frampton Mansell, had struck up a bet after his brother's stag do to perform and needed little persuading to fill one of the 'open mic' slots that evening in 2001.

From that moment onwards, the affable comic has done his best to prove to his former teacher that being the class joker can actually pay off.

"Three months after that first session, I gave up my job as an estate agent and it's gone on from there," he said. "Before that I was a second hand car salesman so I'd been working in two of the most hated professions in the country."

Nick was a pupil at Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham before attending university in Aberystwyth, where he studied International Politics and Far Eastern History.

"It was the easiest degree around," he recalls. "We didn't have to turn up very often because all the lecturers were busy writing books."

During his time in the Welsh coastal resort, Nick worked as a bouncer at various pubs and clubs to help fund his way through socialising and the odd lecture.

He then set his sights on joining the police but says the Gloucestershire Constabulary turned him down "because they said I was too used to thinking for myself."

There then followed stints in the car and house selling trades but, since performing at the Bunch of Grapes that evening, Nick has not looked back and has already built up and impressive CV.

So far, he has hosted the popular BBC2 series Escape to the Country, where he used his estate agent skills to focus on busy city types who were looking to change their lives by moving to rural areas.

Nick has also featured on Steve Coogan's popular Brain Candy TV show, including one memorable sketch where he was sat in a leather armchair in London's busy Kensington High Street reflecting on life as bemused commuters went about their daily routines.

He also hopes to resume his work as a 'warm up man' on Later With Jools Holland - a role he says he loved.

"I was being paid to hang out with all these pop stars and was told that in all the years they'd been doing the show I was the only one that had made the audience laugh so I must have done something right," he said.

"A Canadian comic once told me that the important thing in comedy is to tell a story that's personal to you but do it in such a way as the audience thinks it could be about them."

Away from the television and Nick concentrates on the bread and butter of any comic's profession - the circuit.

In the week I spoke to him for this article, he had two gigs in London, a whole weekend in Leeds and, in between, was preparing to host a charity comedy night at Cirencester's Rock Club.

In the case of the latter, I know that he not only gave his own services free-of-charge, but he also rounded up a few of his comedy pals to perform in the process, further emphasising how well respected he has now become in comic circles and how keen he is to support his local community.

Among the colleagues that have particularly impressed Nick recently are Daniel Kitson, who scooped the prestigious Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Chippenham-based cross-dressing former wrestler Wil Hodgson, who, complete with pink Mohican, was named best newcomer at the same event.

In the case of the latter, Nick says Hodgson patiently waited for the best part of four years before audiences really took to his 'unique' brand of humour and the respect Nick has for him and fellow performers is obvious. "To me, anybody who can make someone laugh is a hero," he said. As for Nick, he never drinks alcohol before he goes on stage and likes to concentrate on the more observational style of entertainment.

"I like the everyday things. Take special offers for example: Most people will have seen buses with the sign 'drive this bus for £7.50 an hour' on the side but why is it that when you phone up to hire it, the company won't give you a time slot?" he asked.

"Then there's the Tesco Clubcard, which I've heard described as being like Big Brother, only you can't get voted off."

On the occasions Nick isn't performing to the masses, he can often be found training at Cirencester's Bodylines Gym, where he currently has the second best time for the 1,000m row.

He has written a book called 'You've Bought a What?', which he describes as a survival guide for the husbands of horse owners, and is in the process of putting together a sitcom with a friend.

Nick is also set to become a regular voice on the airwaves of BBC Radio Gloucestershire, after impressing station managers with his performance hosting the last Comic Relief show.

Hard work, plenty of travelling and extremely long hours - it's a tough life being a comedian, but you've got to laugh!

For more information about Nick, including video clips of his television performances, log-on to his website www.nick-page.co.uk