On the night of our inaugural Dinner Service in New York, we caught up with comedian, writer and actor Jay Jurden to talk about the people, places and ideas currently shaping his world.
Born and raised in Mississippi, Jay Jurden has built a following through his quick and observational comedy. Whether it’s unpacking the absurdities of American life, navigating social politics or riffing on what it means to be a Black queer man in New York or the South, his work draws on lived experience without ever losing his lightness.
That combination has made him one of New York’s most distinctive voices. This summer, he’ll be performing across the US before taking over London’s Soho Theatre for the first week of August.
His list moves the same way he does: with conviction and a sense of humour. There’s his pitch for “Roxfords” – rugby shirts with Oxford shoes, a combination he believes is overdue for its moment (he’s right) – alongside the questions he’d want to put to Martin Luther King Jr over dinner and the artists whose work hangs on his walls.
It’s funny, layered and specific in the best way – just like Jay. Watch the full video below.
