IT'S a question Stephen K Amos has been asked many times: "Are you really a twin?"
The simple answer is that he is, proud brother of Stella, the sister he frequently mentions in his act.
Today, they are making a rare public appearance together, recalling their London childhood and along the way, discovering aspects of it that m
ay well explain Stephen's love of performing.
Indeed, life as a barrister was beckoning for the man who recently played the part of a doctor in EastEnders, before he accidentally stumbled into comedy.
With a law degree under his belt, he one day accepted an invitation from a friend to try his hand at stand-up - the Bar's loss was humour's gain.
Amos made his Fringe debut in 2001, four years after breaking into the world of stand-up, and returns this month in Find The Funny at the Gilded Balloon. Oh, and he's also presenting four editions of his late night chat show.
One thing's for sure, in both there's a good chance that Stella will get a mention. Since dumping his old act in favour of more personal, auto-biographical material a couple of years ago, his sister has featured regularly.
"Mind you, when my twin sister saw the show for the first time she was like, 'You're talking about us! You can't do that!' There's even a bit where I do impressions of her, my mum and my dad and they're not exactly flattering. They're OK with it now, though," he once told an interviewer.
Another time when asked his idea of paradise, he replied, "Sitting on a mountain top overlooking a stunning view surrounded by my twin sister, my other sister and my other half, sipping champagne."
Today the twins are happily reminiscing about their early years. Physically they are very different, obviously, but in the difference there is similarity. He is tall, she has a more petite frame, yet when they smile the resemblance is striking and a shared mischievous twinkle passes silently between them.
"We've always been able to communicate with just a look," says Amos, grinning. "Yeah," agrees Stella.
"In fact, at school we were separated because we were always communicating like that," he recalls.
"All of a sudden we were starting secondary and I was separated from my best friend, from my other half," he says, adding, to Stella, "But I think it was harder for you because a lot of the kids in my class had been at primary with us whereas you didn't really know anyone in your class. Had it been the other way around I didn't think I would have coped very well."
"That's the first time I've heard you say that, ever," says Stella, genuinely touched, as Stephen continues. "The first I knew about it was when we were all called into Assembly on that first day." "Oh yes," nods Stella, as they tell the story between them.
"When they called our names out, you were in Class A and I was in Class B."
"I couldn't believe it," chips in Stella.
"I just wanted to cry but of course you couldn't wail like that at big school," adds her brother. "I remember meeting him at playtime and saying it was awful. I couldn't believe how unruly the other pupils in my class were," laughs Stella.
The separation came as a big shock for the twins who, together with their older brother Al, had been incredibly close as children.
"I think it was quite a cruel thing to do because I do believe there is a special bond between twins – and I think that out of all my family we are the closest. We are very similar in many ways," says Stephen.
"We were quiet inseparable when we were younger because there was only three of us – ourselves and our brother, who was only a year and a bit older than us.
"Our parents were hard- working, and in the days when you could leave your kids at home alone, we learned to fend for ourselves and look out for each other."
Stella adds, "Also, I have to say that mum and dad did encourage us to look out for each other – we always had to come home from school together."
"Yes we were not allowed to come out with each other," reiterates the male half of the double act.
Their older brother was a big influence on both of them. "What music he liked, we liked," recalls Stella, before Stephen admits, "It was actually quite hard for me to find my own identity because he was the first boy and mum was like, 'Ahhh'. And then she was the first girl and dad was like, 'Ahhh', and I was the one in limbo-land going, 'What about me?'
"Thinking about it now, that's probably why I became the entertainer." He looks at Stella. "For ten years it was just us three and he had his role to play and you had yours, this is turning into a therapy session. But yes, I was always funny at school, maybe it was an attention-seeking device."
Amos is not the only creative one in the family, however. Although the more academic of the two, Stella also enjoys singing and songwriting – but is shy about performing.
"She's got a really good voice, whereas if I had known that I could make a living from the comedy that I have in me 25 years ago . . . well, who knows."
As for Stella, she's happy to leave the jokes to her brother. "I wouldn't do comedy because I think that's one of the hardest areas. For me, being funny is a natural gift. Stephen has always been funny, but to then be able to covey that comedy to a wider audience, that is one of the toughest things.
"People think that because they can make their friends laugh in the car they are comedians, but there is a lot more to it than that."
lrudden@edinburghnews.com
Stephen K Amos – Find The Funny, Pleasance Courtyard, until August 25, 9.40pm, £14-£15, 0131-226 0026
Stephen K Amos – Weekend Chat Show, Gilded Balloon Teviot, tonight, tomorrow then August 15, 22, 11.30pm, £12.50, 0131-226 0026
The full article contains 1050 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
