Comedy / Reviews
Interview: Sophie Willan
Bolton-born Sophie grew up in and out of the care system. When she was 23, the State unexpectedly handed over all of her personal records. In her deeply personal new show On Record, which she brings to The Room Above at the White Bear, Kingsdown on Saturday, March 4, Sophie explores her identity through the eyes of the experts that assessed her growing up.
“A two-fingered salute to the ‘hangover of poverty,” said one reviewer – was this (in part) what you intended the show to be?
‘The hangover of poverty’ is a phrase that has been taken from my show – so they are definitely picking up on the themes of the show!
Do you ever wonder if you might have gone into comedy had you had a more conventional, nuclear-family background? Or to put it another way, do you think it’s your personality or your early life that has been most crucial in making you the comic you are?
Definitely both – always a combo of nature and nurture I reckon. Also, my mother and other relatives suffer with psychosis and there was a recent study that said successful comedians have more psychotic traits than anyone else. By that rationale, I’m genetically wired to be hilarious!
“At 23, the state unexpectedly handed over all of her personal records.” Wow. What on earth was that like, to suddenly be witness to years of opinions and assessments of you?
Well, you’ll have to come and see the show won’t you?
“She deftly guides the audience through the hereditary implications of psychosis and schizophrenia…” : not your typical stand-up set, perhaps. But what, for you, makes for a good evening of stand-up comedy?
I used to make theatre and I still use a theatrical discipline when creating my work. I plan the wider social narratives, work in a performance space and devise the stand-up and make the work with the support of Arts Council England. So for me, making a good hour is more than just the laughs: it’s about leaving people with a feeling and starting a conversation about wider social narratives that are present in an autobiographical story.
is needed now More than ever
And what, if any, thoughts and feelings would you hope people might come away with?
The show aims to reclaim the negative language that surrounds social service and mental health users through my own personal experiences. I hope audiences who share the same opinions feel inspired and entertained. I hope that audiences who share similar experiences to me feel empowered and moved and I hope audiences who share neither feel open-minded and entertained.
Sophie Willan: On Record Saturday, March 4, The Room Above (The White Bear), Kingsdown. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com/shows/sophie-willan-on-record