TOM Houghton is not a man who tends to shy away from his privileged past. As we chat he describes himself as even posher than Jack Whitehall - and that is saying something. Having embarked on a solo career, following nine years with comedy troupe The Noise Next Door, Tom is bringing his new show Honourable to Komedia. He spoke to Jamie Walker about it.

Tom Houghton

Komedia, Brighton

Friday, January 18

How would you describe your style of comedy?

As a character I’m the most overly-privileged person you can imagine.

I’ve been described as the embodiment of male, white privilege.

So I’ve decided to own that as the cards I’ve been dealt.

Hopefully there’s a deeper meaning to it too.

In a Jack Whitehall-esque way I want to talk about it in a comic way.

So where would you put yourself on the posh comedian scale?

I’m above Jack Whitehall for sure.

My dad’s a Lord, my mum’s a Lady and I live in the Tower of London as the Honourable Tom Houghton.

I went to boarding school when I was six, it had a croquet lawn, we’re talking serious stuff here.

It’s a different type of upper-class that has power and money.

And that’s where the name for your show comes from.

That’s right, I am now the Honourable Tom Houghton.

I got it by default rather than having to own it, and it’s perfect when the premise for the show falls into your lap.

So what is the premise for the show?

Having grown up in the shadow of my dad, a great guy with all these accolades, I realise I don’t know why I deserve the title I’ve got.

I’m dissecting my family, growing up around this man, and that it isn’t necessarily the ones with the accolades that are truly “honourable”.

And as well as being funny, that’s quite a good message to give out.

Yeah that’s right.

My mum and sister feature very heavily into it.

And it’s the whole “behind every great person…” mantra.

It’s a very pro-female piece.

You also spent some time in comedy troupe The Noise Next Door. How was that?

I had nine years with The Noise Next Door and it’s very good in terms of helping you learn stage craft and performing.

But then when I went solo I had to have a crash course on how to write stand up, and also how to take to the stage alone rather than with four other people.

My first Edinburgh Fringe as a solo performer went great and I doubled down last year.

So how did that feel, in terms of discovering who you are as a solo comic?

It was absolutely petrifying.

I don’t mind telling you that I suffered more existential crisis in that year having left Noise than I had at any other point.

Growing up in army barracks and in the protective bubble of a comedy group, it was the first time in my life I felt completely responsible for my own actions.

It was really that feeling of there being nobody else to blame and that it’s all down to me.

It was a necessary decision to make.

I always say that leaving Noise Next Door was the best decision I made since joining Noise Next Door.

But it was time for me to take the reigns for myself.

What was that first show like on your own?

It was very surreal.

I’m very lucky that over the years I’ve made good friends in comedy.

The comedy world is a group of people who know how lonely it can get.

One of the big shocks I had was going back to doing to proper open mic circuit, and then having to car share.

I’d never car shared before and I’d find myself in a car on the way to Luton for £50 with a group of people I’d never met before.

Do you think you’re a better comedian now for having taking that step?

Oh 100 per cent, of course.

We are all comedians in the Noise Next Door.

But when I left I envisaged carrying on music but I decided to put my guitar away and just have me and a microphone.

I’m a better performer now.

When you’re out there performing on your own are there times you want to go back to being in a group?

I’m having such a fun time on my own I don’t really feel that.

I had a reunion with them in Edinburgh and I loved every minute of it but I didn’t necessarily miss it in any way.

You mention the improvised nature of The Noise Next Door. How did you find doing more prep work for solo shows?

Well I’m constantly writing now, I write a lot more.

Prepare is a weird word; for my solo show I’m writing all the time but in Noise we’d have most of the prep work done in advance.

I’m working harder now that I’m on my own.

So you bring Honourable to Komedia, why is it the show to see?

This will be a glimpse behind the curtain of a way of life people haven’t seen before.

People won’t have seen this angle of life talked about and laid bare before.

And it’s a bloody good show.