Interview: Sooz Kempner (Riproar, Fri 27)

Character comedian Sooz Kempner headlines What the Frock!’s emerging talent night New Kids on the Frock!, at Riproar Comedy this Friday.
A 2012 Funny Women Variety Award winner, Sooz mixes character comedy, songs and jokes in her high-octane act.
Recurring characters include Phalydia, a Soho It-girl; Danielle, Britain’s fourth-best heptathlete; Kris, the toughest girl in musical theatre; and Nancy Spratt, a revered West End diva.

So, what can we expect from you on the night – a mix of character comedy, stand-up and songs?
I’m going to be playing two of my characters – and both of them will certainly be singing.

You’ve got a nice repertoire of characters. Where have they all come from?
They tend to be exaggerated versions of people I’ve met! I trained in musical theatre and Kris, my Northern West End actress, is someone you will meet in every audition waiting room in London.
My mum is a dressage rider: that world has an awful lot of people born into vast money, who don’t have a clue what goes on outside their circle. That’s Phalydia, my It-girl.
My newest character, Nancy, is an old Shirley Bassey-type diva. I came up with her during a long car journey with another actor – we were riffing as Nancy for about four hours.

What’s the trick with good character comedy? Keep it as true-to-life as possible, or exaggerated for comic effect?
I think it’s important that these characters feel as though they could be real. Michelle, my Essex princess, would (I hope!) fit right in with the cast of The Only Way is Essex – who seem preposterous, but who are all real people. Michelle lives her life on Facebook – and everyone will know someone like that. They’re obviously exaggerated, but I also didn’t want to make them too broad. 

Any other characters currently forming in your head?
I’ve started collaborating with friends in some videos, and one of my friends suggested us as two grunge-goth girls who were into that scene as teenagers but are now 30 and haven’t progressed at all. I’ve found a super-whiny voice for my goth to use which is in no way based on anyone I was at school with.

There’s a note of melancholy in a few of your characters – especially Danielle, the UK’s number four heptathlete…
I’m glad that comes through! With Danielle, the comedy comes from her relentless and possibly pointless pursuit of sporting glory. She puts as much effort and time and soul into her heptathlons as her big rival Jess Ennis – but no-one knows or particularly cares who she is. 

Is music an important part of your act? 
I’ve been working as an actress and singer for about ten years and got into comedy six years ago. It’s a way of being able to perform whenever you like. You can perform stand-up seven days a week, 365 days a year if you want to (although you won’t necessarily get paid for it!). After about six months I started writing comedy songs and have been doing that ever since. I initially started doing my characters as a YouTube thing, but I soon found they worked live too. Adding in songs for the characters helps to end each set on a high.

Who have been your influences as a performer?
I grew up watching French & Saunders, Ab Fab and anything with Steve Coogan. Today I love Josie Long, sketch group Massive Dad, Nick Helm, Luke McQueen and Bridget Christie.

What do you think you’d be doing, if not stand-up?
I’d probably be trying to get into musicals and crying in the bath.

Sooz Kempner plays New Kids on the Frock! on Friday, February 27, Riproar Comedy, Bristol.
Line-up also includes Harriet Dyer, Rachel Fairburn and Dotty Winters, plus regular WTF! compere Cerys Nelmes.
For more info and to book details, visit www.whatthefrockcomedy.co.uk/#!whats-next/cb3i