Interview with Harriet Braine
CB: How long have you been gigging in comedy?
EH: I’ve been gigging since November 2010… with several rather big gaps…
CB: How would you describe your comedy?
EH: I’ve gone from straight stand up to character comedy and now it’s kind of a mixture of the two… so me but a surreal version
CB: Which comedians influence your comedy?
EH: Kenny Everett, Victoria Wood, Alan Bennett, Daniel Kitson.
CB: Did you always want to go into comedy?
EH: Pretty much, ever since watching Victoria Wood, French and Saunders on tv.
CB: How do you go about writing your material?
EH: I do it best wandering around the streets, following a pattern of thought or having a conversation with myself. I then write it down, see what it sounds like when I get on stage and either keep it or lose it.
CB: Do you gig as a comedy performer full time or is it more of a part-time hobby? If so, do you find that your main job influences your material?
EH: I do it part time and my main job doesn’t really influence my material. I work as a business and economics journalist, so not a hell of a lot of material for my style of comedy.
CB: What do you find the most enjoyable and frustrating parts of the comedy circuit?
EH: Most enjoyable is pretty obviously making people laugh and it’s also great if you happen to be on the same bill as someone you’re a fan of as you get to see them for free and possible get an awkward selfie. Worst parts are having a bad set, sending fruitless emails and turning up to gigs which end up being cancelled
CB: What’s your favourite type of audience to perform to?
EH: Open minded people who don’t mind a bit of surrealism and have come to see comedy rather than for the scampi in a basket meal deal.
CB: Have you been heckled a lot since you’ve started gigging? Do you enjoy being heckled? What’s the best heckle you’ve had?
EH: I’ve not been heckled a lot and I generally quite like it. The only time it gets really annoying is if someone shouts a random insult not related to your set. Haven’t really had any great heckles, although the weirdest was when someone stormed the stage when he thought it was insulting Wigan. I wasn’t.
CB: What advice would you give to new acts thinking of starting out in comedy?
EH: Don’t expect to ever have the perfect set. Sometimes you think you’ve cracked it when you get a few good reactions in a row; the 20 minutes fly by and it’s wonderful. The next night you do exactly the same thing and you’re met with stony, uncomprehending faces and a slow hand clap at the end. The only thing you can do is try and write as much good material as possible that can be adapted to different audiences. So for 20 mins it’s good to have an hour of possible material.
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