THERE'S a thin line between humour and anger, according to comic writer and stand up Nathaniel Tapley.

"I find myself shouting at the television when something annoys me," says Nathaniel as he explains his inspiration for material. "Then I ask myself 'why are you getting angry? Why don't you just write it down."

The 32-year-old admitted much of his material comes from seeing red.

"I find anger really funny," he adds, "there's a thin line between anger and humour and I get angry about ridiculous things like why my children aren't grateful when I have to get up at 5.30am with them."

He also admits to being a fan of reality television... for research purposes, of course.

"My wife got me into Big Brother this year and I realised how much material you can get from just watching it. That's the only reason I watch it," he added quickly.

Having worked as a stand up since 2007, Nathaniel has experienced various audiences up and down the country as well as appearing on, and writing for, Channel Four comedy show Tonightly.

But he says the art of being a good stand up is confidence and the right material.

"You need stage presence and know how to deliver a joke but you'll never be good at it if you don't have the material.

"Stage presence can be developed but if you don't have the material the audience won't give you a chance."

Nathaniel gave an anecdotal example of when he saw a comic 'die' on stage after asking the audience why the country needed a monarchy.

"Someone shouted 'because they bring in tourists' and he didn't have an answer. The audience started booing and it was just horrible."

He added: "The lesson there is never ask a rhetorical question without having all the answers prepared."

Another fundamental tip recommended by the father-of-two is to have something you want to say.

He explained: "If you don't have a reason to be there you will be left floundering when people are staring back at you with dead eyes demanding that you make them laugh."

He was also quick to quash the belief that some people are born funny.

"I think everyone has the potential to be funny because everyone is angry about something and that's a real emotion."

He added: "If you find something funny and no one else does, it might be the way you're delivering it."

Nathaniel said during the courses he runs, attendees are taught how to rework jokes or change the delivery.

"Just because no one laughs, doesn't mean it's not funny," he adds.

But he admitted the comedy circuit is not always a barrel of laughs.

"It can be quite cut-throat," he explained. "During trials for TV panel shows you are called up with around three other comics and you are just trying to ruin everyone's jokes. It's quite an aggressive format."

Nathaniel reckons this could be the reason why female comics are few and far between.

"A lot of comedy has a macho element to it as well, which could be why there are fewer female comedians," he added.

The former journalist and business manager lives in Redhill with his wife Zoe, a sitcom actress appearing in BBC Only Fools and Horses spin-off The Green Green Grass and BBC comedy Blessed written by Ben Elton.

He lives at their home in Osborne Road with his two children Thomas, one, and Eleanor, three.