As I’ve written before, SoHo Playhouse is a happening theatre with a variety of shows for almost anyone. Simon Lovell’s Strange and Unusual Hobbies is the longest running of the bunch, including mine — Ted Greenberg’s The Complete Performer. The shows stars Simon Lovell, the well known British comedian, card shark and self professed con man. He’s appeared at the downtown venue since January 2006. You can catch his highly entertaining (and R-rated) show Saturdays at 6:00 pm. If you aren’t one of the thousands who have seen his show, perhaps you’ve read one of his books, such as Simon Says! The Close-Up Magic of Simon Lovell or seen the USA TV show White Collar, on which Lovell has served as a technical consultant and starred on some episodes.
 
Simon gave me the skinny on his show, what the wildest thing that’s happened to him at the SoHo Playhouse and who he would play in “Doctor Who”.
 

 
TED GREENBERG: What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen in all your years at SoHo Playhouse?
 
SIMON LOVELL: Gawd, tough question because there have been so many wild things! That’s what makes Off-Broadway so much fun; you never know what is going to happen from week to week.  Over the years the show has run we’ve also had, because of its interactive nature, some hilarious audience ‘joining in’ moments; alcohol may have been involved in many of them! My most recent fond memory was when the girls from the upstairs show, Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche, leapt onto my stage at the end to give me a big hug as they screamed, “We’ve been converted!” A proud, if somewhat bizarre, moment indeed!
 
TED GREENBERG: Will you ever do “knife-through-the-hand” again?
 
SIMON LOVELL: I assume you are referring to the mad night when I was doing a danger trick of smashing my hand down onto paper cups, one of which had a vicious metal spike in it. On that night I messed up the trick and put the spike through my hand. My cry of, “Is there a doctor in the house?” amazingly was answered and a real doctor looked after me there and then. Even though i’m fully recovered from the incident of doom I doubt I’ll ever try that one again.  There really is a danger element to it and it can bite you badly!
 
TED GREENBERG:  What’s your favorite new effect or joke?
 
SIMON LOVELL: I’m constantly updating stuff but my favorites at the moment at are “How to stop a screaming child on an airplane by using a howling chicken,” and the infamous, “Musical mice!” Effect wise the audiences seem to love the gambling cheating stuff that I do especially when I literally shuffle cards into place for a game of Texas holdem or Blackjack. It’s a nice ‘show-off’ moment for me!
 
TED GREENBERG: What do you miss most about London?
 
SIMON LOVELL: Very little actually. I love living here in NYC and count myself, after 20 odd years, as a New Yorker these days. I guess I kinda miss good beer, pork pies and other stuff a bit but most are available here if you know where to look!
 
TED GREENBERG: What character would you be in Dr. Who and why?
 
SIMON LOVELL: Oh no doubt on this one. From the very first time I saw the original black and white series on television as a child I’ve desperately wanted to the the Doctor! It’s the coolest role ever in my opinion! I love the show so, of course would take any role offered (third dalek on the left would do for me!), but given the choice I’d be that Tardis traveling Doctor in a heartbeat! As a neat addition he gets the best looking women as companions as well!