“I took the show to Edinburgh last year, and it went really well so I decided I would like to carry it on!” starts Katy when asked about the reasons behind here I Was A Teenage Christian tour. “ It was my first live show in six years, and a new performing style for me (as myself, much more chatty and informal) so I didn’t know what to expect but I was blown away by the response. It’s the story of my years as a teenage Christian, from the moment I was converted aged 13, to when I left the church seven years later. I got really stuck in, going to church four or five times a week, falling in love with the worship band leader (unrequited…) and even being involved in an exorcism. It was an odd time.”
I ask whether she’s familiar with the Mortified movement, which gets people to open up about the teenage memories they cringe most about. “I’m not familiar with that, although I’m sure I have unwittingly experienced it many times,” she answers. “In the show, I often cringe telling stories of my teenage exploits such as taking full school assemblies and preaching in the local shopping centre on a Saturday morning.”
Brand then offers her advice to aspiring comedians: “Just do it. Don’t wait for permission – just find a way to get something going and get your material out there. People in the comedy business only really pay attention to those who are already doing things for themselves, however small it may be, so there is no substitute for booking an open spot and getting behind the mic and in front of an audience, even if it’s only three people. Try not to self-edit or self-censor before you get anything on the page. Just write it down and worry about whether it’s good or not later. If it makes you laugh out loud when you think of an idea, there is a very good chance it will make someone else laugh out loud too, and then you’re on your way.”
Katy Brand: I Was A Teenage Christian, Riverfront Theatre, Newport, Fri 5 May. Tickets: £14. Info: 016 3365 6757 / www.newportlive.co.uk; Swansea Grand Theatre, Sat 6 May. Tickets: £13.50. Info: 017 9247 5715 / www.swanseagrand.co.uk
words LUKE OWAIN BOULT