Cam Spence introduces her Sunshine Clinic interview

Character comedian Cam Spence has created a Fringe show called The Sunshine Clinic...

Your show this year is set in a rehab clinic. What was the inspiration?

I wanted to start a conversation around how sad it is that the NHS don't have addiction rehabs when we are the overdose capital of Europe. The responsibility for addiction is handed over to local councils who have little to offer with their budgets. Ordinary people have to bankrupt themselves to go to private clinics which are very poorly regulated, and sometimes, I hear, treated by very stupid therapists, like the main character of my show. There are also celebs at rehab and I'm a big fan of their culture.

Who is your favourite character in the show?

That's a hard question, I love all my characters so much but I'd have to say my favourite character is: Me! I come on stage as myself at the end and say "thank you for coming": I'm a lovely girl!

Is it difficult changing characters / accents during performances?

I struggle with most aspects of life but I don't find this one thing too hard! I can't, however, guarantee that the accents are spot on, but it's a comedy show, and it is more important that the voices are funny rather than accurate.

How do you come up with the ideas to form your characters' personality traits?

Ideas for characters come to me all the time, from stories I hear, people I meet, or reality TV. It's great to occasionally get something out of spending time watching reality tV that isn't hot shame. I write all my ideas down in the notes app in my phone, and then promptly forget them!

What led you to get into sketch comedy?

My friend Paddy took me to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 and I was like, "woah, comedy's quite funny and nice?!" I honestly don't think I'd ever seen or heard anything funny before then. I practically screamed in every show. And when I wasn't doing that I was screaming on the street, "I THINK I SHOULD DO COMEDY TOO!!!" And a star was born.