Kieran Hodgson: From Two Doors Down to the Edinburgh Fringe

After Kieran Hodgson took a occupation connected BBC Scotland sitcom Two Doors Down, helium made a life-changing decision.

The Yorkshire-born comedian, who had been pursuing a comparatively palmy drama vocation successful London, relocated to Glasgow.

Moving 400 miles distant from the UK's drama hub whitethorn person appeared an unorthodox determination for a comic whose vocation was conscionable taking off.

But his gamble connected the gentle BBC Two drama bid astir a radical of neighbours successful a Scottish suburb paid off.

A slow-burn occurrence with a cult following, the amusement has graduated to a premier clip spot connected BBC One for its seventh series, which is owed to beryllium broadcast this autumn.

Another bid is expected adjacent twelvemonth and determination are rumours of plans for a unrecorded show.

In fact, Hodgson's caller location is proving nary obstruction to his thriving vocation - past Christmas helium won acclaim for playing the rubric relation successful Channel 4 satire Prince Andrew: The Musical, which helium besides wrote.

In Two Doors Down, Hodgson's level bluish vowels basal retired successful a formed of immoderate of Scotland's best-known actors, including Alex Norton and Arabella Weir.

He plays Gordon, their son's vegetarian, eager-to-please partner.

The simplicity of the show's conception makes it the "easiest transportation successful the satellite and the hardest pitch", Hodgson tells BBC News.

"It's astir a mean street, a mean household and immoderate neighbours. But effort convincing idiosyncratic that's going to beryllium a palmy comedy. There's nary thought there. It's each astir the execution and the casting."

Tragically, days aft Hodgson spoke to BBC News, 1 of the creators of Two Doors Down, Simon Carlyle, died astatine the property of 48, sparking an outpouring from his friends and fans.

In a station connected X - formerly Twitter - Hodgson shared a tribute to Carlyle from his co-writer Gregor Sharp, successful which helium explained that the show's occurrence was down to the "comedy of recognition".

"It was radical seeing the information of those characters and recognising radical from their ain lives successful them," Sharp wrote successful the Guardian.

Behind the scenes, Hodgson, 35, has worked hard to make an authentic westbound of Scotland accent.

He sought the assistance of Two Doors Down co-stars Elaine C Smith and wrestler-turned-actor Grado successful nailing down the brogue.

It's 1 of a bid of Scottish accents helium has developed during meticulous 18-month mentation for his caller Edinburgh Festival Fringe show, Big successful Scotland.

A melodramatic reinterpretation of his beingness since relocating 3 years ago, for Hodgson it's besides akin to an "accent Olympics".

"I'm trying to get them close due to the fact that I deliberation truthful often English radical person a spell astatine a Scottish accent successful a mode that is rather offensive," helium says. "I thought I could get astir that by being arsenic close arsenic possible.

"Grado has 1 of the richest and astir beauteous accents that I'd ever heard," helium adds. "But each the rules are different, each the vowels are different. He uses a large galore dialect words.

"I anticipation I didn't annoy him implicit the years that we person known 1 another. I support asking him, 'You said that, could you repetition that? I'm funny successful you utilizing that peculiar word.'

"He complimented maine erstwhile - helium said, 'You recognize astir of what I say, don't you Kieran?' I said yes, but occasionally I person to inquire him to dilatory down and repeat."

Hodgson's Edinburgh amusement is an informed outsider's position of Scotland, with uniquely Scottish references to assortment prima Harry Lauder, quadrate sausages and Arnold Clark, the car dealership, among different things.

Even the contented of Scottish independency is not disconnected the table, though Hodgson knows it's a perchance career-wrecking taxable for an English comedian to tackle.

"I would accidental that my knowing of the contented has deepened and my opinions stay clouded and changeable, the much I understand," helium says.

"I deliberation Scots person acold much analyzable feelings astir it than English radical mightiness ideate they do. The longer I unrecorded here, the much analyzable my feelings get arsenic well.

"I couldn't archer you which mode I'm going to vote. And adjacent if I could, I wouldn't due to the fact that I don't privation to unopen disconnected fractional my audience."

The lad of 2 teachers, Hodgson was brought up successful Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, which is astir celebrated for being the mounting of Last of the Summer Wine.

Although the household were not fans of the long-running Sunday nighttime sitcom, helium harboured an ambition for comedy.

He followed the lone way helium knew, landing a spot astatine Oxford University and instantly joining the pupil sketch group.

It was arsenic portion of that radical that helium made his archetypal quality astatine the Edinburgh Fringe successful 2007, and helium has since go a highly-regarded regular.

The reception to his 2015 amusement Lance - astir disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong - allowed him to prosecute a full-time vocation successful comedy.

"It's made my career," helium says. "I acceptable astir drama successful an old-fashioned way. In doing it my way, coming to Edinburgh each year, trying to bash a amended amusement each time, trying to improve, trying to physique up from tiny rooms to large rooms, from tiny audiences to large audiences, it's been my breakthrough."

Five years (and a pandemic) since his past show, helium is feeling the unit and knows that acknowledgment to Two Doors Down, helium is apt to pull a bigger assemblage this time.

"I respect the Fringe. I deliberation it's the astir bonzer spot to person thing approaching full state artistically, which is rather uncommon successful drama erstwhile you're not a mainstream stand-up, arsenic I americium not," helium says.

"Trying to explicit yourself often has to spell done the mean of commissioners and tv people, and determination are ever limitations.

"I cognize the Fringe has its problems successful presumption of entree and costs it places connected the acts. I deliberation it's an unthinkable spot wherever dreams tin travel true."