Rum Punch’s Travis Jay: “I’ve got a right to grab the attention of someone who’s like me”

Comedian Travis Jay is continuing the success of his radio sitcom, Rum Punch, with a full series following a popular pilot episode last year. He hopes this is just the beginning, with plans to expand Rum Punch beyond the radio if everything falls into place.

Jay is really excited for everyone to hear the complete season of his show, even before it airs on BBC Radio 4 and before he records the next set of episodes.

The reaction to the pilot episode was a real surprise. I wasn’t used to this particular audience or this platform – even though I listen to podcasts, appearing on Radio 4 felt different. Everyone always speaks so highly of it, but I hadn’t fully grasped what that meant until now. The positive response has been much larger than I expected, honestly.

The first episode of Rum Punch was very well-received, and it even won the award for Best Comedy Sitcom at the BBC’s 2025 Audio Drama Awards.

Jay was thrilled with the win, calling it an incredible experience. He was happy to know the positive response wasn’t just his imagination, but that his work truly resonated with people.

I was truly surprised to even be considered for something like this. When I’m writing, winning awards is the last thing I think about. Then suddenly, nominations are announced, which is pretty unexpected!” he said with a laugh.

He shared, ‘This is my first comedy award after 16 years of performing, so I’m incredibly grateful people are connecting with the show. I believe it’s an important story, and I especially hope it leaves a lasting impression on viewers.’

As a comedian, I definitely talk about serious topics too. In past shows, I’ve shared about difficult experiences, like the loss of my grandfather. People often wonder how I can find humor in something so sad, but I believe there’s real power and meaning in sharing honest, personal stories.

I’m confident the humor will emerge, I just need to trust my instincts. But tackling serious topics is also incredibly rewarding. I was especially proud that this story resonated with so many people, and that it led to a full series with an audience I hadn’t previously connected with.

Rum Punch is a heartwarming family comedy series set in Lewisham, following the Campbell family and their Caribbean restaurant. The show centers around Jay, who plays Marley, a young man with boxing dreams while also helping out with the family business. It explores how the Campbells balance working together to keep the restaurant thriving with each family member pursuing their own goals.

From the moment I started watching, I was instantly hit with a wave of nostalgia. This show really feels like a warm hug from those classic Black sitcoms we all grew up with – shows like Desmond’s, My Wife and Kids, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The creator, Jay, told me it’s intentionally a tribute to that legacy, and it’s easy to see why those shows still resonate with so many of us after all these years.

Jay believes the traditional studio sitcom setup creates a strong bond with main characters. He explains that watching these shows feels like a real-life experience – you’re right there with the characters, sharing a laugh. This is something he particularly loved growing up and wanted to capture in his own series. Interestingly, the laughter heard throughout the episodes isn’t added in post-production; it’s genuine, recorded live from a studio audience. Jay says this was intentional, given his background as a stand-up comedian.

For me, if we’re calling something a comedy, it needs to be tested with a live audience. Getting real-time laughter immediately tells you if a joke lands or doesn’t, and I enjoy that kind of pressure – it’s what I’m used to.

Jay openly admits he’s intentionally making Rum Punch a full-on comedy. He explains that often shows try to be funny but hedge their bets by calling themselves ‘comedy-dramas’ if the humor doesn’t quite land.

I definitely see this as a comedy project. My goal is to make people laugh, and if it doesn’t, then I haven’t done my job. That’s the pressure I welcome. I recently attended a live recording, and it was clear Jay had no trouble getting the audience roaring with laughter. The crowd was diverse in age, but everyone seemed to enjoy the jokes, proving the humor really connected with everyone there.

You’d never guess Jay wasn’t a huge fan of audio dramas or a regular listener of BBC Radio 4 before writing Rum Punch. I was surprised to hear him say so, but he readily admitted that not having a personal background in the genre actually made the project more exciting for him.

He explained that, being new to the platform and this kind of content, he felt it was important to connect with others who were also unfamiliar with it. He found it a stimulating challenge to write without any visuals, relying solely on the script to create the desired atmosphere and imagery.

Jay is highly competitive and incredibly focused when he’s working towards a goal, and the Rum Punch team fully encouraged this. When he started writing the full series, his main thought was to create something he himself would enjoy – writing for an audience like himself.

He explains that launching this new initiative requires a strong start. That’s why they went all-out with the initial pilot program, which he’s happy to see was well-received as a result.

It’s incredibly rewarding for a writer to receive such positive feedback before a series launches. Jay shared that many listeners felt the pilot was like watching a TV show, thanks to its strong visual storytelling. People were really connecting with it, saying things like, ‘We need to see this on television!’ and ‘This family feels so real and relatable.’ Jay says he’s very grateful for the enthusiastic response.

One of the things that makes ‘Rum Punch’ so relatable is the strong family dynamic, both on and off screen. Creator Jay is incredibly proud of the cast, which includes his mother, the talented comedian Angie Le Mar, who also plays his mother on the show. Alongside them are familiar faces like Eddie Nestor, known from ‘The Real McCoy,’ Jay’s close friend Kevin ‘KG’ Harry (who you might recognize from ‘Ted Lasso’), comedian Kyrah Gray, and singer Ninia Benjamin of 3 Non-Blondes, among others.

Jay describes the Rum Punch cast as incredibly talented, saying that writing for them—compared to writing his stand-up—really highlighted how crucial teamwork is. It wasn’t just about creating a story for a group instead of just himself, but also about making sure everyone felt confident and had a chance to excel on stage.

His mother wasn’t able to appear in the pilot episode, but she’s now a regular cast member. Jay actually wrote the role specifically for her, and he calls working with her a wonderful experience. He explains that having her on set is special because of all their shared history and being able to work alongside someone with whom you have so many memories.

He remembers his comedian mother always saying that if you need to explain a joke, it’s not a good one. “I learned the fundamentals of comedy from a young age,” he says with a smile.

Jay drew inspiration for the story of Rum Punch from a piece of advice his mother gave him: write what you know. He explains that the show is deeply personal, reflecting his own life and the community he grew up in. He feels he understands the details and subtleties of this world intimately.

Jay points out that many people can probably picture a local gathering place, like the restaurant featured in Rum Punch. He wanted to capture that familiar feeling in his work, but also acknowledge that important and sometimes difficult issues often arise. He believes that Black sitcoms have historically been very powerful, leaving a lasting impression on viewers, and feels there’s currently a lack of similar shows on television.

Jay believes connecting with a wide audience means staying true to your vision. He says he prioritizes authenticity so strongly that he can be challenging to work with. He explains that he’s willing to firmly defend his creative choices if he feels a project is losing its genuineness.

I told Jay that it’s great when a writer doesn’t feel pressured to constantly explain their work. The creator of Rum Punch pointed out that when shows created by Black people are released, there’s often an expectation to ‘explain the Black experience.’ But they believe that shouldn’t be necessary, because having to explain oneself implies there’s something to justify.

The beauty of this show is that it doesn’t bother with explanations. We simply see people living their everyday lives, and that’s exactly what I aimed to portray.

Jay has big plans for the future of ‘Rum Punch,’ hoping to adapt the show for television. He feels the radio format has significantly improved his writing skills by forcing him to focus on storytelling without relying on visuals. He believes this makes him well-prepared to bring ‘Rum Punch’ to the screen if the opportunity arises.

Having recently appeared in Netflix’s popular series Supacell, Jay realized how important it was to authentically portray South London within a superhero story, especially after seeing Rapman’s dedication to it. This experience deeply inspired him while working on Rum Punch, and reinforced his belief that genuine storytelling can truly resonate with audiences.

Jay hopes audiences will primarily find ‘Rum Punch’ funny – it’s a comedy, after all. Beyond that, he wants viewers to connect with the characters and see a family they can relate to, hoping someone on the show reflects their own experiences.

He explains that it’s great when someone champions your viewpoint during a discussion. He hopes the show gives a voice to diverse perspectives, reflecting the fact that everyone has unique backgrounds and relationships. Ultimately, he wants listeners to feel a connection through the conversations on Rum Punch.

2025-11-27 12:37

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