Last week, Kev Adams raced down the tracks of Big Bear (California) before flying off to the cold of Chicago. Contrary to what the photographs suggest, the 28-year-old comedian is not taking a vacation in the United States, he is on a tour. A tour that he organized alone. "It’s very nice, even if you can only count on yourself"he says, not hiding the pressure he feels. And if he invested so much, it is because he wanted to present internationally his third solo show "Be 10 years old".
On the stage of the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, “Mecca of the comedy club”, he returned Monday, January 27, to his ten-year career, from his debut in “We only ask for laughs” with Laurent Ruquier in the film “Les Nouvelles aventures d'Aladin” in which he stars, going through his personal tribulations (evoking in particular his relationship with Miss Universe). "I take stock of everything that happened to me, it's very personal", ensures this end-in-the-train which does not miss an opportunity to make fun of the discussion. To satisfy his audience of French expatriates, he added some references to the American cities where he plays, mocking their differences with the hexagon.
By presenting this one-man-show – 130 dates in France and thirty around the world, including Miami and New York in June 2020 -, he had at heart “Bring together the French diaspora”. “It’s a community often forgotten by artists. I love to travel and bring the French together, so this tour brings together everything I love. ”
Cinema and cannabis planting projects
Even though he puts on big with "Be 10," Kev Adams is no stranger to the American scene. Since 2014, he has performed in comedy clubs, playing sketches lasting ten minutes in English. A risk-taking that is reminiscent of that of his mentor, Gad Elmaleh who decided to pursue a career across the Atlantic. It is the latter who pushed the young humorist to the front of the stage, by proposing him to do his first part at the El Rey Theater (name he pronounces with his most beautiful American accent) in Los Angeles in 2015. His humor, which he readily describes as"Intergenerational" and "international", convinces. So much so that the humorist signs with the American agency "CAA" (Creative Artists Agency).
During this very personal tour, he does not forget the American stand-up, taking advantage of his free evenings to go test his latest sketches. "I want to play here, to do this job in English", assures the one who worked his accent to succeed in landing bursts of laughter at the Americans. “They like to be laughed at, kindly to them… In short, sincerity, but also a change of pace. In the United States, the stand-up resembles a conversation with a depressed person! The French do a lot of gestures and facial expressions ”, he compares. The example of Gad Elmaleh, once again, is precious for the young actor. "He suffered a lot from his tour, warned me of the difficulties of playing for an Anglo-Saxon audience", he notes, noting that "It's a long-term job" to break through.
An obstinacy that is not lacking in the one who had temporarily settled down in Los Angeles in 2017. “I love the vibe of this city, the weather, but also the atmosphere where everyone talks about cinema, theater, art”, pleads the man who has fun telling that he aims to open a cannabis plantation in California. When Kev Adams comes there – on vacation or to practice -, he admits to satisfying his passion for restaurants – notably recommending the burgers of the Carrey's Sunset Strip and the Urth Café on Melrose avenue -, and spending time at Venice Beach, “A place out of time”.
But in the medium term, the hero of the series “Soda” does not plan to return to the United States to develop his green business. You should expect to see it more on the big screen than on the boards. "I will defend my place in the cinema."
