Kiell Smith-Bynoe is on a mission to bring improv to the masses
Kiell Smith-Bynoe has a hit rate that would make most of the comedy scene turn green with envy. Being involved in one hit sitcom is a lifelong dream that few achieve, yet in an era when the genre is assumed dead by some, Smith-Bynoe has played a key role in three smash hits: Ghosts, Stath Lets Flats, and Man Like Mobeen. However, he now faces his biggest challenge yet: bringing improv to the mainstream.
Smith-Bynoe is touring Kool Story Bro around the United Kingdom, seeing him and his talented rotating cast of fellow improvisers and celebrity hosts turn wild stories from audience members into comedy magic. No two shows are the same, and the thrill of not knowing how each night will unfold is unmatched for the Taskmaster alum.
Despite being one of the most recognisable faces in British comedy, Smith-Bynoe has never attempted stand-up comedy, and his route is unique. Theatre was his first love, but catching the improv bug after performing with the Junior Blaggers as a teenager stayed with him. He recalled performing live for the first time in an improvised setting as a 14-year-old: “I remember that feeling, that nervousness mixed with a rush of energy, but really loving it, and wanting to keep doing it.”
As much as that moment was euphoric, a comedy career seemed out of reach. Instead, Smith-Bynoe went to drama school and thought that was his route. Fortuitously, his love of improvisation reignited thanks to a Facebook post from Tolu Ogunmefun, better known as Don’tJealousMe, looking for people to collaborate with him on YouTube videos. “This is when being a YouTuber was making sketches rather than vlogs, and I did that for years, and then at the same time, I was also auditioning and doing two routes at once,” he reflects.
A seismic moment came when Smith-Bynoe met Facejacker and Fonejacker creator Kavyan Novak, who took him under his wing. Together, they worked on a number of pilots, such as Britain Today Tonight, which became a full-blown series. More importantly, it was invaluable comedic tutorship from one of Britain’s funniest minds. “Just to watch someone like him do his thing was like a really amazing experience,” Smith-Bynoe says dotingly.
The Edinburgh Fringe was another vital stepping stone in Smith-Bynoe’s rise. He first visited the right-of-passage comedy festival, which takes place every August, in 2015, but admits, “I didn’t really know what the Fringe was. I’d heard about it but had no examples of what it was.”
As a comedian or performance artist, stage time is invaluable, and Edinburgh is a rare opportunity to spend 28 nights honing one’s craft. In recent years, many comedians have been priced out of the festival due to rising accommodation costs. It typically costs performers £10,000 to do a full run at the Fringe, which they pay for in the hope of catching the attention of a television executive. However, for most, this dream isn’t a reality.
Smith-Bynoe is acutely aware of Edinburgh becoming unaffordable to many performers, stating, “I think it’s extremely difficult, it’s becoming about how much money you can afford to lose and for a lot of people, that is not very much. It’s a real shame because I think that a lot of amazing performers, actors and writers came from the Edinburgh Fringe. And it’s a real opportunity to get yourself out of it and make a name for yourself, but up-and-coming artists can’t afford to do that with the prices that they are now.”
In 2024, Smith-Bynoe only participated in a limited run of Kool Story Bro at Edinburgh, but admits, “I went up for six days last year, and I paid £1500 for a one-bedroom flat.” He adds: “It’s just a real shame that it’s becoming so expensive and so difficult for people to attend.”
After experimenting with the show in Edinburgh over the last two summers, Smith-Bynoe is now playing beloved theatres across the United Kingdom. The venues he’s taking Kool Story Bro to are significantly sized for improv, which remains a niche subgenre but one, he believes, is misunderstood. “I think that improv is such an amazing art form, and a lot more people need to see it and understand what it is. Every time I start the show, I ask if they have never seen improv before, and there’s always a gesture as loud as people who have seen it. I really hope that with this show, I can show people that it is fun, cool and a great night out,” he passionately explains.
Kool Story Bro relies on audience members revealing their wildest stories. Notable examples from the shows so far include a tour guide accidentally shooting his finger off with an AK-47 in Yemen and a woman discovering during the pandemic her father had been secretly wearing a wig for 44 years, which is ripe for comedic interpretation. There are no elaborate costumes or sets, just quick wit and funny bones.
Smith-Bynoe believes it would perfectly translate to television and showcase improv to an entire generation who have never seen it on screens, sharing, “We’re working on that at the moment, and we’re moving very slowly into a place where that can be possible. I think the show, as it is, could perfectly go straight into television, the same as a stand-up special or something like that.”
As somebody already familiar with television audiences, Smith-Bynoe could act as a perfect figure to bridge the gap to the mainstream and also highlight lesser-known talents. “I’ve got the best improvisers in the UK doing this show, and they are capable of anything. But also, they are normal people who haven’t gone to a lot of the posher schools or institutions that a lot of stand-ups have come from,” he says.
This year, his stock is set to rise even further due to his involvement in David Mitchell and Robert Webb’s new sketch show for Channel 4, which he promises will be “Mitchell and Webb like you haven’t seen them before” while remaining tight-lipped.
While improv comedy remains an alien concept to many, including those who regularly attend comedy clubs around the country, Kool Story Bro could change that if television executives give Smith-Bynoe’s brainchild a chance.
Tickets for Kool Story Bro are available to purchase here.
