The funniest standup I’ve ever seen
My favourite would have to be Ellen DeGeneres’s HBO specials. She hugely influenced me when I first started because she made the whole thing look like a casual one-sided conversation.
The funniest sketch I’ve ever seen
Martin Short does a character called Jiminy Glick, and his interviews with comedians are the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. His interview with Steve Martin is one of my favourites.
The funniest item of clothing I’ve ever owned
I had a Who Farted? T-shirt back in the mid-90s. And I don’t regret that.
The funniest meal I’ve ever eaten
A boyfriend “cooked” me a tomato on toast. Just a raw, whole tomato, placed on a piece of toast.
The funniest book I’ve ever read
I remember laughing so hard at Stephen Fry’s autobiography Moab Is My Washpot, that a guy in the cafe came over and asked what I was reading. He wanted to go and buy whatever it was because of how much I was laughing. So in a sense, Stephen Fry owes me money.
The funniest person I know
Probably my best friend from high school, Claire. She was definitely the funniest kid in school.
The funniest number
Carl Reiner reckons the funniest number is 32. There was a joke my friend Carl, not Reiner, told me, and the punchline was “six weeks”. We spent half an hour discussing why six weeks was funnier than five weeks. After lengthy debate, I agree that six weeks is funnier.
The funniest TV show I’ve ever seen
30 Rock. The gag rate was so high I’d often have to go back and watch scenes again. If you allowed yourself to laugh for too long you’d miss another cluster of jokes.
The funniest dream I’ve ever had
I can’t remember any funny dreams, but I can remember the disturbing sexual ones. I once dreamed that I grew a penis and it was an arthritic finger. Yep.
Sarah Kendall will be at The Wardrobe, Leeds, 10 June; The Tommyfield, SE11, 15 June
