“No matter what else you’ve done as a touring company, there’s always the ‘yeah, but have you done Edinburgh?’ question.”
WHO: Julia VanderVeen
WHAT: “What happens when a lovable idiot holds a memorial service for a long-deceased family member? In this off-the-wall comedy, award-winning NYC-based clown Julia VanderVeen leads the audience through wild stages of grief as she attempts to honour her beloved grandmother. Winner: Best Solo Comedy and Best of the Fest, Orlando Fringe 2023; Best Solo Clown, EstroGenius Awards, Frigid Fringe NYC 2022; Production Award FESTN4 2024. ‘A masterclass in cringe comedy… Carol Burnett-esque’ (Orlando Weekly). ‘A solo tour-de-force’ (Hartford Courant). ‘Puts the fun in funeral’ (Orlando Sentinel).”
WHERE: ZOO Playground – Playground 1 (Venue 186)
WHEN: 12:45 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
It is!! I’m so excited! Edinburgh is the big mama of fringes so no matter what else you’ve done as a touring company, there’s always the “yeah, but have you done Edinburgh?” question. I can’t wait to have my own stories to tell.
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2023 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
My big goal of 2023 was to love myself more. I have always been super career focused. But by focusing on being gentler with myself and more accepting, I was shocked by how that also influenced my career in a good way.
If this question is meant to be about work or touring, I would say to enjoy the ride. Each big step in my career is a bit overwhelming because it’s new and I like to push and challenge myself, but I think it’s so important to stop and see the scenery. There is so much good stuff happening with the prep, the rehearsal, the excitement and then there will be so much good stuff happening when I’m actually there at the festival. I don’t want to miss any of it.
Tell us about your show.
I co-wrote my show with my mentor and clown teacher Aitor Basauri of Spymonkey, and then my second Director Isaac Kessler also helped write some of it as well. It is definitely a labor of love and has been a group effort, even though it is a solo show. Angelika Giatras is producing. She’s done a lot of music producing in the US, and is venturing into comedy and I have been so incredibly fortunate to have her.
The concept for the show started with a clown workshop I was doing with Aitor in Hawaii.
The first rough draft I performed of it was in Hartford, Connecticut in their inaugural fringe festival in 2019. The version I’m doing now I have been performing since 2022 and have toured to Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto and Winnipeg.
Next up I have the Rochester clown festival at the end of September, and am very much hoping to tour some more this Fall.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
My friend Kelly McCaughan is doing a naughty, irreverent show called “Catholic Guilt” that I can’t wait to see and my friend Amando Houser is doing a show called “Delia Delia the Flat Chested Witch,” and Amando is an incredibly talented performer. Also I can’t wait to see Natalie Palamides’ new show WEER. She’s like the queen clown in the US. I’ve only seen her perform once and only a little bit. I can’t wait to see the full thing.
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