Perrier nominee Sarah Kendall talks to Emma McAlpine about her first Edinburgh show in five years.
Having taken a five year break from the Edinburgh Fringe to look after her baby daughter, 2004 Perrier nominee Sarah Kendall is back with one of her most political shows yet. Exploring themes of misogyny, sexism in the entertainment industry and raising children in the modern world, it’s a thought-provoking but light-hearted look at today’s society through the eyes of a smart and funny Aussie mother. I caught up with Kendall ahead of a London preview of her show to chat about the idea behind it, and along the way, heard an uplifting story about Miles Jupp and some wet noodles…
This is your first new show in a while, how are you feeling about doing another Edinburgh Fringe?
It’s like sitting out an air raid every night, I’ll go into my warm cocoon, venture out and do the show and then go home under the blanket of dark! Two things sneak up on you when you’re away from the Fringe; the fact that not only do these things go on fine without you but they grow at an exponential rate. There's a whole new batch of comics out there now.
Now you’re a mum, will it be a very different experience?
Most of my friends have got kids now so free time will be more like crèche time. I used to share a house with my husband Henry (Naylor), Justin Edwards, Lucy Porter and Richard Herring and loved watching Bullseye in the afternoons with Richard in our dressing gowns. Now we’re all married and some of us have kids so yes, it will be very different this year!
Do you have a favourite festival memory? One that really sticks in your head?
Yes – you should know I’m attracted to bad stories though! It was a cold, drizzly day about six years ago and Miles Jupp was sitting on a park bench with a box of bad takeaway Chinese. Just noodles really, nothing else. And it was raining directly on the noodles. We were both getting rained on and looked quite broken. It was that weird festival depression that kicks in around week two. I walked over to him and said "Hey how’s your festival going?" He said: "Had enough." and I said: "Me too." There was a silence and then I left. That memory is as vivid to me as a great party.
Haven’t you just done the Melbourne Comedy Festival? How does it compare with Edinburgh?
I just did three festivals in Australia: Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne and I felt great by the end of it. I was in bed early not drinking. It turns out over all these years; 'festival fatigue' is just alcohol. And there's nothing quite like reading a two star review on a hangover! That is a sobering experience. I know I will go a little bit insane in Edinburgh but just having a bit of age on your side helps.
You grew up in Newcastle, New South Wales. Is that where you started performing?
No, I started at university in Sydney where I was doing an arts degree. They had a student lunch comedy hour which I used to watch and think: “I want to do that!” I started doing sketch revues and then I entered a student stand-up competition. I really hated it and then thought “I'll give this 12 years and see how I go.”
How did you find those first few years on the circuit?
Looking back, any time I did improv comedy I felt a bit shouted down by the men, who were all bigger comics. With stand-up, I had time to think and prepare and I didn't have to shout over anybody. Even if it went terribly at least that was my own fault, it didn’t go badly because I hadn’t had a chance to talk. I'm always surprised more women don't do stand-up. You’ve got a microphone – people will actually listen! It felt like a good environment for me.
Did you move to London for your career?
No, I moved for love, when I was 24. I would never do anything that insane now but at 24, you just think if it doesn’t work out, I’ll go home. Luckily it did work – we’re married now.
What was the idea behind your new show Get Up, Stand Up?
Because I’d taken five years out of doing festivals, I came back to doing stand-up and my set looked wrong, it didn’t feel like me anymore, so I wanted to set myself the task of writing myself a new hour, and a new hour that felt very personal to me. There’s a lot of stuff about raising a daughter in our current environment. I wanted to do a show that was political but funny. I didn’t want it to be a ‘concerned parent’ thing. There’s stuff about the morals of classic fairy tales, video games and music videos like 'Pussypoppin' by Ludacris. Seriously, where do you go from there?! I’m sure someone will say I’m a humourless feminist but I’m at that stage in my life where I don’t care what people think. I’m not worried about talking about things that interest me anymore for fear of upsetting people. It’s the trade-off for getting older, not worrying so much about what people think. I say that now without a two star review in front of me of course…
Sarah Kendall: Get Up, Stand Up will be at the Pleasance Courtyard in Edinburgh, from 1st-27th August, at 8:30pm.
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