Interview with Harriet Braine
CB: How long have you been gigging in comedy?
LP:As LEAD PENCIL this is our second year together (not including a snatched moment the girls had with another man in 2012, Bibby is essencially our bit on the side, then it got serious). But Dave (Bibby) claims to have had another life before as a stand up comedian and story teller. He won awards and shit.
CB: How would you describe your comedy?
LP: BLOODY FUNNY! Unashamedly Weird, High Energy (apparently we could ‘power the whole of Brighton’). We are definitely not afraid of being surreal, we enjoy playing animals and Musically we are heavily influenced by the 90s/early Naughties. And as if that wasn’t enough we create a colourful set but drawing our own cartoon props (and showing you how too, if you’re lucky).
CB: Which comedians influence your comedy?
LP: Big BIG TRAIN fans… Any of Rowan Atkinson’s characters.. (The school register is our fave).
CB: Did you always want to go into comedy?
LP: Doesn’t everyone? Secretly?
CB: How do you go about writing your material?
LP: We tend to bring in ideas/write first drafts individually and then bring them in to edit and play with. But we also are a bit fan of just improvising in front of our photo booth cameras for hours and writing down the best bits. And I mean HOURS, we are three people who can talk!
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?
LP: We all got in to comedy through being actors, and many sketches come out of stories from other jobs/characters we have met. Maddie and Bibby met playing Titania and Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and that influenced a few characters.
And we are always in an out of some other odd job, so scenarios from them do creep in.
CB: What do you find the most enjoyable and frustrating parts of the comedy circuit?
LP: Enjoyable… The people you meet. The amount we laugh. Being creative all the time.
Frustrating… How expensive Edinburgh is!
CB: What’s your favourite type of audience to perform to?
LP: People who are up for a good old laugh. Who aren’t afraid of having a bit of a bop in their seats.
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?
Dave: LOVE IT. Generally along the lines of ‘I love you Dave’, Bras being thrown etc. BIBBYMANIA.
Maddie: The first year in Edinburgh there was a drunk Scottish man, that before we had come on stage shouted I thought this was meant to be comedy! We said ‘it hasn’t started yet’, which aggravated him and so he went off on one and the rest of the audience kicked him out. There was chanting.
Louise: Maddie’s dad always does that.
CB: What advice would you give to new acts thinking of starting out in comedy?
LP: Only do it if you really enjoy it. Cos it’s a lot of work. If you are in a group, you need to really find each other funny. At the very least you need to be making each other laugh in rehearsals.
Do lots in London and meet other acts. Sketchfest is a good way of doing that, great network.
Lead Pencil will be performing at the Underbelly, Cowgate from 31st July – 24th August 2014, 6.20pm (not 11th). Tickets.
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