Tell us about your show. Why should we go and see it?
It’s a work-in-progress about cults: how to spot them; why they will always be around; and how I left a Christian cult after thirteen years.
What are your hopes and dreams for the Fringe?
I’ve been doing the Fringe most years since 2010. It’s where I learned to perform under any conditions and to any audience. My hope is that by the end, my work-in-progress will be ready to tour. Other than that, I’m looking to run into old friends I haven’t seen because it’s only fairly recently I’ve stopped shielding from COVID.
What makes you laugh?
I am a huge fan of camp, which is always best done unintentionally. A salty neighbour of business-juggernaut Martha Stewart’s once wrote an unauthorised biography about her and even narrated the audiobook. His bitter and unfounded vitriol against her is so over-the-top you can hear him foam at the mouth. Listening to that always puts me in a good mood because it reminds me how silly and ridiculous we all can be in a certain headspace.
What three words best describe your performance style – and why.
Sharp —because I want my material to have longevity and the best way to do that is to make sure there is a stream of punchlines that land (hopefully) on the right side of history.
Dark— comedy for me is a lot about taking painful subject matter and making it palatable so we can move on in life. I know I am not the only one who has experienced things I shouldn’t have and making jokes about them takes away the power secrecy has always given these things.
Bubbly—the way I see it, when I am on stage, I’m like the hostess of a party. The audience needs to know I care about them and want the best for them. It’s important for me to be warm, kind and caring, especially when I’m telling dead-baby jokes.
How will your audience think/feel differently after an hour in your company?
Hopefully, the audience, will be given permission to change their minds about something that used to completely define who they were.
What kind of shows – apart from your own – are you looking forward to seeing at the Edinburgh Fringe?
I try to see at least one other show a day at the Fringe. I am very much looking forward to seeing Londoner Laura Smyth and New Yorker Cyrus McQueen who are both debuting this year.
The cost of living is a big issue this year – will it make this Fringe more challenging?
It’s always been prohibitively expensive. I’ve slept in friends’ cupboards at previous Fringes. I feel that this year, comedians finally have permission to not do the full month and still be taken seriously. That is the game changer.
What do you predict will emerge as the big themes of this year.
Some very influential people that have shaped many comedians’ shows over the years have sadly, recently passed away. I think loss has always been a major show theme at the Fringe but I think this year, being lost is gonna be a major through line.
Who is your showbiz idol and why.
Norm Macdonald—impeccable writer, exquisite delivery, wickedly clever, irreverent and squirrely as hell.
What is your idea of a perfect Fringe moment?
Having a roomful of people more than happy to watch my show whilst they are fully clothed in a sauna for an hour.
Spring Day: Exvangelical (Work in Progress)
13:45
Laughing Horse Garden Room
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/spring-day-exvangelical-work-in-progress
