Comedian Vittorio Angelone: ‘Landlords should have to look you in the eye when they take your rent’

You can’t Say Nothing anymore, warns comedian Vittorio Angelone.

“I’m really particular about the capitalisation of you can’t Say Nothing anymore,” the Belfast writer, who made his name in comedy exploring cultural identity, told Big Issue. “The S and the N have to be capitalised, otherwise, as I sound like an old right-wing grifter.”

The statement is not an anti-woke missive, but the name of Angelone’s new show. The comedy hour – which he recently performed for one month at the Edinburgh Fringe – covers growing up in the wake of the Troubles and the obligation of comedians to be activists as the crisis in Gaza continues.

“Left-wing Irish Republicanism has always had a huge amount of solidarity with various causes around the world, but in particular the Palestinian people,” he told Big Issue. 

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“I think, being particularly from Northern Ireland, we are very aware that sometimes what the media and the news tell you is the terrorist group who just want to do unspeakable evil to the world isn’t the whole truth. We are just very cynical of that, because a lot of Northern Irish people and Irish people have been painted as mindless terrorists in the past. Having a second look at things from a general anti-colonial, anti-imperialist perspective, changes things.”

Vittorio Angelone has been vocal in his support for Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, the Kneecap rapper who was charged with a terrorism offence in the UK in May.

Ó hAnnaidh – who performs under the stage name Mo Chara – was accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah during a concert in London last November, and of chanting “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”. A Lebanese paramilitary group, Hezbollah is a proscribed organisation in the UK.

“If Liam Óg ends up in prison for displaying a flag of a terrorist organisation, the police better be ready to arrest about 1,000 lampposts in Belfast that are proudly displaying flags of terrorist organisations,” Angelone said.

Answering our Big Questions, Vittorio Angelone talks heartbreak, landlords and regrets.

What music was the biggest for you growing up?

I was such a strange little boy. My favourite, the first CD I ever bought was Legend by Bob Marley. But then moving into teenage years, like the vast majority of people my age, Arctic Monkeys were just the absolute soundtrack.

What was the biggest event of your youth? 

I was a very anxious child and had lots and lots of panic attacks, and had to take months off primary school. I feel like that defined a large portion of my youth. But bizarrely, and this is slightly older than youth or childhood or anything, but I think it was my first big breakup. I was 20, after a four-year relationship I got broken up with.

I just had to completely redefine what was important to me and what I valued about myself. I think, in hindsight, it was a complete blessing. But it’ll never hurt more than your first heartbreak!

What is your biggest dream?

I used to be a classical musician, I played percussion. When I was younger, I really wanted to perform on the soundtrack of a movie, like in an orchestra, and I never made that happen. I thought it was off the cards. But Jonathan Bailey just did a film where he played his own like motif in the orchestra, so maybe one day there’s an avenue to play the xylophone on a film that I’ll appear in.

What was the moment where it felt you’d ‘made it’?

I’ve just had these little moments the whole way through. I remember the first time I did 10 minutes, instead of five minutes, I felt like a comedian. First time I did 20 minutes instead of 10, I felt like a comedian. The first time I did an hour, I was like, ‘Oh my god,’ and the first time I did Fringe, I was like, ‘Oh, am I a comedian now?’ It’s constantly redefining, redefining what it feels like to have made it.

Who have been the biggest influences on your career?


I have two what I would call inspiration slash heroes. A comedian called Daniel Kitson and a singer-songwriter called Randy Newman.

What was the big political issue you remember from your youth? 


The first time I remember being sort of politically engaged was I went to a protest at Belfast City Hall when Peter Robinson, who was the DUP [first minister] at the time. He said he wasn’t racist, because he would trust a Muslim to ‘go down to the shops’ for him. He should absolutely have resigned for saying that.

What’s your big issue?


It would feel mad to say anything other than Palestine. That’s the big issue that plagues my mind most days.

What is your big idea to save the world? 


I think landlords should have to take your rent money off you in cash, face to face. Then they’d have to look you in the eye and say, ‘Yes, it is £1,500.’ I don’t think that they would charge as much. You have to take the money out of my hand if you’re charging me that much to live in a house you bought for nothing in 1982.

What TV show was the biggest one in your household growing up? 


The Simpsons or Friends.

Biggest regret?

I did a tour show in Dubai. I don’t think it’s a very ethical thing to do, and it’s not a regime that I want to sort of implicitly support. But I did end up doing it. I regret it. But I think it’s important to not just paint yourself as a sort of flawless, ethical, virtuous angel. If you’re sort of speaking politically about things, it’s important to be like, ‘Hey, we all fuck stuff up. But you know, don’t let a bad day turn into a bad week turn into a bad month’ – which I think is a Joe Wicks quote.

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