Comedians often become many things: television personalities, film stars, or sometimes even award-winning musicians. But it’s not often that they’re praised for being role models.

That’s what Stephen K Amos has become, even if it wasn’t exactly by his own design. As a black, gay man, Amos is an inspiration to thousands of people across the English-speaking world. And while he didn’t ask for the title, it’s something he’s steadily gotten used to.

“I didn’t think that was going to be the case,” he says down the line from his London flat. “But when I look back on my own life and look back at the British entertainment industry, there were very few role models. And if I did see somebody, then I would actually think, ‘Wow!’ and be a bit proud. All I can do is be honest with my comedy, be honest about who I am, and if by definition, that makes other people relate to me or think they can also be honest about who they are despite their struggles, then that is a mantle I will take with pride.”

It of course goes hand-in-hand with Amos’ rising profile on the international comedy circuit. The Londoner’s ability to couch his wry social and political observations with an easy-going wit has proven a powerful tool at converting audiences not only in the UK, but also in the United States and Australia. “This is the only profession I know on this planet where a man can go up onstage and say exactly what he wants and there’s no other agenda. I’m not a journalist, I don’t have an ulterior motive – my first thing is to make people laugh. If in that process I can get people thinking about issues such as race, religion, sexuality, diversity, then yeah, I’ll do it. And basically, when I do my comedy, I do know that I can look back and back up every single thing that I’ve said.”

Amos’ trips across the Atlantic seem to be becoming more and more frequent, which is worth noting given he’s always been a big believer in the value of America to young British comedians. “I did my first trip over there about four years ago,” he says. “I did a little season in New York, I did a few of the comedy clubs, and I just had a ball. Because my point of view isn’t from that of a black American stand-up but being black and British, which is something that Americans, be they black or white, have no point of reference for.

“America’s great for aspiring comedians from these shores. Even though comedy is booming here in the UK, in terms of getting big ideas off the ground everyone’s holding onto their purse strings at the moment. There’s so much competition and there are so many people to choose from that it makes it a bit more difficult. Whereas with America, as a Brit you can go there and be seen as something completely different.”

Amos also agrees that the comedy coming out of the States is currently a little edgier than the material produced by his fellow Brits, but he sees the demand growing again for comedians who use stand-up to tackle the shaky state of global current affairs.

“Absolutely. But I think that’s just a natural sign of the times, when you get discouraged and disappointed with the promises your governments make or a financial crisis brought on by a banking sector that has ruined much of Europe. Of course comedians are addressing that and tackling that – it’s everywhere.”
Australians too have become enamoured with Amos’ freewheeling combination of good humour and societal issues.

“I would like to think that first and foremost I’m funny,” he laughs. “I’m a bit different and my comedy is slightly autobiographical – I speak about my experiences and my truths. I don’t know how many other black British comics or Black American comics that Australia sees, but the connection is England. A lot of Australians have a close connection to England, and then I have another perspective of being a black British man. If I go to Australia, I can empathise with the indigenous people, so I will say things that are maybe contentious because I want to get a reaction from the room. I want to get people to think. If I can come over and make some people laugh and show people that we’re actually all the same – all of us – then, yeah, bring it on. As long as people want me I’ll keep coming back.”

And Amos is coming back, this time for a whopping three months. It will be his longest stay so far – and although jokes about it being an excuse to miss the London Olympic Games, it’s really about seeing more of Australia. A firm favourite at the comedy festivals in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, Amos is looking to get to the farther flung regions for the first time.

“There’s a lot of Australia that I haven’t been to and haven’t seen, and it’s nice to be able to go out and do my stuff in all these places. I’m going to Canberra for the first time, going to Darwin, going to Perth, and I get loads of people writing or sending me messages on social networking saying, ‘Why are you ignoring us?’ So I thought if I’m going to come out I should actually make an effort. I tour ‘round the UK so why not take a bit of time to tour around Australia.”

The sojourn will be on the back of Amos’ latest show, ‘Laughter Is My Agenda’, in which he’s looking to touch on the wide-cast nature of media in the modern world. “Basically, I was thinking about all the things we are told by people in all the different mediums, be it TV, be it newspapers, and there’s always an agenda,” Amos says. “And my main agenda is laughter. However, what I’m going to try to do is present the show as if I’m doing a speech like a politician and in that speech should be lots and lots of laughs, but the underlying current will be a little agenda. That’s what I’m hoping the audience will spot.”

STEPHEN K AMOS PERFORMS AT THE POWERHOUSE, AS PART OF THE BRISBANE COMEDY FESTIVAL, MARCH 13-18.