Interview with Sophie Willan

Sophie Willan takes some time to talk to Voice about the show, inspirations, and to give advice to young people.

Interview with Sophie Willan

Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?

Hello my name is Sophie Willan – I'm a stand-Up Comedian and Theatre Maker.

How would you describe your show?

I've had lifetime of being labeled by others... this show talks very candidly about how I've been Branded and why it doesn't work. From the intensely personal to the irreverently political, it's a show for anyone who's wondered how to make a space for themselves when the boxes don't quite fit. It challenges how we brand, label and marginalize.

Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

The great thing about doing Edinburgh is you get to perform your show every day. By the time you've finished, your show is tour ready. That is genuinely the best thing about performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

What differentiates it from other festivals?

It's the biggest arts festival in THE WORLD! Which is undeniably exciting!

Do you think the Fringe has changed over the years? If so, how? Are these changes positive or negative?

The Fringe seems to be a very different landscape from when the likes of Steve Coogan, Richard Herring and Caroline Aherne etc. started out … or even later when Josi Long and Daniel Kitson etc. started…

I think it's become so big and so expensive that it's got a lot more corporate and probably less anarchic and creative. The focus is on career trajectory as oppose to being a creative (and perhaps interesting) person.

It seems to be a lot of Spin and networking with tap-water.

I do wonder if this corporate approach to comedy makes the industry a bit flat?

What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?

I have loved writing and performing since I was a little girl. I met my first social worker recently and she said I was always very creative and 'eccentric' even at 4! When I was about 8, I got into Alan Bennet and I used to write monologues in a similar vein (comedic with an underlying sadness), then make flyers inviting all the children in the area to come and watch a performance outside my house. It became very popular!

If you didn't have your current job, what would you probably be doing?

There's no other industry that my personality would fit into. I have an unemployable personality – I've gotten sacked or have walked out of pretty much every normal job I've ever had (I even got sacked working as a Christmas Elf!) so I really have to be in the arts.

If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

I would only ever want to be in the arts. I've worked in the Arts now for ten years and wanted to be a writer/performer since I was a child. I feel very lucky to have found the Arts from a young age, being creative has always given me a sense of purpose.

What is your earliest childhood art memory?

I went to Ibiza with my Gran, she was going clubbing and I joined the hotel drama club. I treaded the boards for the very first time, playing the Crying Clown. I had to go out to the audience and cry to opera music - I got a standing ovation!

Do you ever feel any pressure to be a social commentator, or constantly update material to respond to events?

I don't feel pressure, but I am extremely passionate about making work that has a relevance and urgency and taps into a collective experience. I write about things that make me angry and things that I care about, so this show is undeniably political.

Usually there is something I want to say/discuss and there is a feeling I want to inspire in an audience.

So, last year I did a show about getting my records back…

I wanted to reclaim the negative language that surround welfare, mental health and social service recipients … I also wanted Care Leavers to feel empowered by the show and for parents who've lost their children and Social Workers to know it was for them too – it wasn't an attack, it was loving conversation that I hoped would inspire them too.

Because I am a Theatre Maker as well as a Comedian and I make work with support of the Arts Council England, I'm always excited and interested in how my personal experience strikes a chord with everybody else. How does my experience make a good metaphor for wider social narrative?

Equally, do you think there has been a shift in public sentiment that has affected your work?

I think we're becoming more politically engaged again and there is a rising energy from the people which I think is reflected in this show and the last.

Describe the last year in 5 words or less?

Chaotic. Stressful. Hopeful. Exciting. New.

If you could work with anybody, from any point in history, who would you pick and why?

Richard Prior - Love his work. He was a master in fusing the personal and political.

Yoko Ono – I love her music and her approach to Art. Her song 'Revelations' was a huge inspiration for the end of On Record. And her song 'Yes, I'm a Witch' is a huge inspiration for this show.

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?

Limitations – you can't be sure what venue you get, less support, could end up a bit far out.

Benefits –you don't have to consider selling an organ on the black market to pay for it.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?

Have you got all the support you need? Have you got enough material? Don't rush… Go up and have fun, do sets, split a bill and then go up and smash it when you've had a few years and have all the support you need.

When and where can people see your show?

  • 2nd Aug 2017 - 27th Aug 2017
  • Bunker Two - Pleasance Courtyard
  • 8pm for tickets go to www.edfringe.com

And where can people find, follow and like you online?


Sophie Willan: Branded is performing at Pleasance Courtyard at 20:00 on 2nd – 27th (not 16th). For tickets and more information visit the Ed Fringe website.

Author

Tom Inniss

Tom Inniss Voice Team

Tom is the Editor of Voice. He is a politics graduate and holds a masters in journalism, with particular interest in youth political engagement and technology. He is also a mentor to our Voice Contributors, and champions our festivals programme, including the reporter team at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

We need your help supporting young creatives

Recent posts by this author

View more posts by Tom Inniss

0 Comments

Post A Comment

You must be signed in to post a comment. Click here to sign in now

You might also like

The place for creativity in the corporate world

The place for creativity in the corporate world

by Guest Contributor

Read now