Interview with Harriet Braine
CB: How long have you been gigging in comedy?
TL: I started when I was 16 so just over two years.
CB: How would you describe your comedy?
TL: I get asked this a lot and I never really know what to say. I just talk about my life and thoughts I’ve had that make me laugh.
CB: Which comedians influence your comedy?
TL: I’ve always been into American stand ups like Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Bill Hicks. My favourite at the moment is Bill Burr. And I’ve always admired Lee Evans as well for his work ethic and his whole attitude towards comedy.
CB: Did you always want to go into comedy?
TL: Yeah pretty much, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a comedian.
CB: How do you go about writing your material?
TL: It’s all just notes. I make a lot of notes on my phone or scraps of paper. And then I go to a lot of new material nights in London and I try to make routines out of the notes.
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?
TL: I’ve been doing it full time for about six months now. I was at Bristol University for one term and then I realised I could make enough money from stand up to do it full time so I immediately left and I became a professional comedian at 18 which is ridiculous.
CB: What do you find the most enjoyable and frustrating parts of the comedy circuit?
TL: I love performing and making a big audience laugh is an unbelievable feeling and you get a real buzz from it. The only downside really is that you have to work really hard when you’re starting out. It’s as much about hard work and dedication as it is about talent I think.
CB: What’s your favourite type of audience to perform to?
TL: The only thing that matters is that they’re up for it. It doesn’t matter how many people there are or how the room is set up, if the audience want to laugh and want to have a good time, it’s usually good.
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?
TL: I’ve never been heckled really badly, I think because I started very young and I’m still young so perhaps people feel different about heckling what is effectively a child. I’ve had a lot of loud audiences who shout things out and that’s kind of fun because spontaneous things occur and that can often be the best thing in a show. Audiences laugh more at things you say in the moment – they like to see a comedian think on their feet and still be funny.
CB: What advice would you give to new acts thinking of starting out in comedy?
TL: I’m still very young myself so I feel a little weird giving advice but if you want to do it, then just do it. It is scary but it gets easier.
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