Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?
Hello! My name is Jenny Bede, I'm an actor, writer and comedian from London and I love a sandwich.
How would you describe your show?
A musical comedy show about wanting a baby, dating, dying alone and my biological clock. A friend recently described my performance style as 'classy dick jokes with the odd political rant', and that's actually pretty accurate.
Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
Because all my mates do and I'm very susceptible to peer pressure. In all honesty, there is something addictive about the Edinburgh Fringe. Once you go, it's hard to have a year off. I did last year, and I missed it greatly, so I can't wait to get back this year. I love the smell of hops and running around the meadows and shoving crepes into my mouth at 3am. And doing a show every day at the same time for 25 days in a row brings out a kind of discipline that is hard to get anywhere else.
What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?
I always loved singing and dancing (showing off) as a kid and gravitated towards anything a bit silly. I was absolutely mesmerised by Shooting Stars and Absolutely Fabulous, but it didn't really occur to me that comedy could be a career choice. I studied Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music and after graduating I spent about 5 years as an out of work actor. I started writing comedy as a way of taking control of my career and being proactive, and that's when things fell into place.
If you didn't have your current job, what would you probably be doing?
I worked for a brain surgeon for about 5 years (when I first graduated) which sounds me sound far more intelligent than I actually am. I long to be able to put that on my online dating profiles now. I'm not sure I could have managed it in the long run though - it was quite bleak.
My sister runs a restaurant in Mayfair. Every now and then she needs someone to cover a shift or two on reception, so I happily stand in and help out (and send personal emails and eat lovely snacks and write my Edinburgh show in a lovely air-conditioned environment). They're very lucky to have me.
If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
Anthony Joshua's towel holder. Scrap that, Anthony Joshua's towel.
What is your earliest childhood art memory?
I made a little clay pot to celebrate Diwali at school, which I'd decorated in little swastikas, which was an ancient religious Hindu symbol long before it was appropriated by the Nazis. My mother didn't know this, and I failed to explain it, so she was mortified. My father is Jewish and she made me hide it as she thought it would upset him. I hid it in a towel in a cupboard and every time I looked at the cupboard for I felt guilt and shame for years after.
I also remember getting my first ever A+ for drawing a very realistic looking pineapple. In hindsight, I should have opened with this story- just writing about that Diwali pot has made me sweat and shake.
Do you ever feel any pressure to be a social commentator, or constantly update material to respond to events?
There is something about topical material that people really respond to. My first job in comedy was a stint in Newsrevue, which was a sketch show based on current affairs. We would update it almost nightly and anything brand new always got double the reaction from the audience as anything else, even if it wasn't as funny.
My last Edinburgh show in 2015 was very much about feminism, pop music and pop culture, so it was relatively topical. This year is a
a more personal show, though all of those factors still feed into it. You can't get away from the fact that the current political climate is a bit nuts at the moment, so it's hard for it not to affect our work.
Describe the last year in 5 words or less?
I am still not pregnant.
If you could work with anybody, from any point in history, who would you pick and why?
I would love to be in Broad City. It's such a brilliant show about two best friends in their 20s in Brooklyn. Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson write and perform in it, and their dynamic is hilarious. They absolutely don't need a 33-year-old British woman joining their gang, though it would be the absolute dream. (For me, not them).
Also, duetting with Drake is a lifelong goal that I'm not giving up on just yet.
Why would a performer opt to do either a ticketed event or participate in the free fringe? What are the benefits and limitations of both?
I've done both free shows and paid. There is undoubtedly less financial pressure with the free model, but your enjoyment of the whole fringe will be largely dependent on getting an audience in, which can be equally difficult for both. I have had both good and bad experiences in free venues. Because what I do is heavily music based, a good sound system is absolutely imperative, so technical aspects like that have made free venues a bit more of a gamble for me. There are some brilliant free spaces on the fringe, but they're understandably very competitive rooms, and with more high-profile comedians switching to the free model, they're harder to get than ever before.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?
The best Edinburgh I ever had was sharing an hour with Jessie Cave on the free fringe. There was no pressure and we just wanted to get better at comedy, so used it as an intensive two-person comedy course. Sharing a space and an audience and all the administrative duties made everything twice as fun, which is ideally what the fringe is all about. If you have an act that would work as 25/30 minutes and a friend who has the same, I would really recommend doing that before committing to a whole hour.
When and where can people see your show?
Eggtime is on at 8:10pm, Jack Dome, Pleasance Dome. 2-29th (Not 14th) for tickets go to www.edfringe.com
And where can people find, follow and like you online?
Tinder, bumble and @jennybede
Jenny Bede: Eggtime is performing at the Pleasance Dome at 20:10 on 2nd – 28th (not 14th). For tickets and more information visit the Ed Fringe website.
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