+3 Interview: Anna and Helen: Stuck in a Rat

Posted in Plus 3 2019 – Features, Written Interviews by

“Having spent a couple of years focussing on writing for TV we decided we needed that injection of energy that can only come from live performance.”

WHO: Anna & Helen: Writer / Performers

WHAT: “Ever found yourself stuck in a rat? Unpleasant, isn’t it? Time marches on, but you’re on the spot. Not even marching. Very still. Stagnating, even. Stuck in that rat. We’ve all been there. Join Anna O’Grady and Helen Cripps in their debut show for a chance of getting out. The future is exciting and it’s still in front of you. If you’ve got the questions, they’ve got the answers*. *Depends on the questions. As seen on Flowers (C4 and Netflix).”

WHERE: Pleasance Courtyard – The Attic (Venue 33) 

WHEN: 17:44 (60 min)

MORE: Click Here!

Is this your first time to Edinburgh?

We’ve both been to the Fringe with other shows before, but have never performed there together. Having done a lot of comedy together at university we knew one day it would probably happen. Just took us a brief 10 years to get there.

What’s the biggest thing to have happened to you since Festivals ’18?

Probably the decision to come here. We hadn’t done any live comedy in 8 years and had forgotten how infectious it can be. We wrote a lot of scripts and filmed a lot of sketches and were really good at not showing anyone. Now, in the space of a few short months, we suddenly have this live show. I mean, some people are actually coming to see it, apparently. Oh God.

Tell us about your show.

Having spent a couple of years focussing on writing for TV we decided we needed that injection of energy that can only come from live performance, so we booked a couple of Work In Progress shows early this year at VAULT Festival. We were shocked to discover how much our work benefitted from the sheer terror of an approaching deadline which didn’t mean handing in a script, but standing in front of people and saying something. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a disaster and we were delighted when the brilliant Bríd Kirby from Fight In The Dog saw it and offered to produce it. With a dream offer from The Pleasance Courtyard and the support of Helen Robinson at United Agents, we were suddenly all guns blazing for Edinburgh! We have no concrete plans for it after Edinburgh but we hope it’s not the end.

What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?

We love Lucy Pearman, Rosie Jones, Arnab Chanda, Holly Morgan.

LIKE WHAT YOU JUST READ? FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! FIND US ON FACEBOOK! OR SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST!

INTERESTED IN BEING INTERVIEWED TOO? CLICK HERE!