Circuit Training 43: Christmas at Tiffany's

She popped up in The Office and Absolute Power but Tiffany Stevenson's most important TV break may well have been that much-discussed reality show Show Me the Funny, in which she made the final. We'll get to that, but first...

A few festive questions to kick off. Are there any weird Christmas rituals in your household, Tiffany?

We play a game called 'whatever you get, you wear.' It's like Pass the Parcel around the dinner table and everyone gets something silly to put on: Groucho Marx moustache and glasses, false teeth, a pirate's hat etc. Then you have to try and eat Christmas dinner with it on. My brother-in-law spilt gravy down his French maid's boobs - make of that what you will.

What's the worst present you ever gave, and the best present you ever received?

I can swap that around: the best present I ever gave was a harmonica that a friend then learned to play. The worst present I ever received was from an ex-boyfriend's mum. A minimiser bra. That is basically saying 'Merry Christmas - strap 'em down you tart.'

Christmas gigs - are they a bloody nightmare?

Yes it is tricky: companies block-book for gigs and half the people just want to get pissed on their Christmas do and aren't interested in what you have to say. We suffer from it sometimes at Old Rope [the London bash she co-runs with Phil Nichol) which is not a regular gig but a new material night. Last year I had to chuck about 15 people out so I've stopped putting it in the listings! That way we're a secret night that proper comedy fans will find if they want to.

Any festive telly memories, Morecambe and Wise excluded?

I remember looking forward to French & Saunders and Christmas episodes of my favourite shows such as Only Fools and Horses - sorry Stew Lee - Friends, The Royle Family and more recently 30 Rock.

What's your New Year's resolution?

To learn an instrument to a decent standard. It's a bit rubbish that I can't play anything except for three songs on the guitar: Time of your Life, Wonderwall and Runaway Train by Soul Asylum, on a loop. People love it.

Onto more general stuff. Years ago you did a 'stand-up sitcom' with Paul Foot - how did that work, and is it a format you'd recommend others trying?

I believe Pappy's do a similar thing now but in podcast form. It was quite a scary thing to do at the time as I was relatively inexperienced stand-up wise, I think I'd be much better at it now. My friend Graeme came up with the idea and built a set for it and gave us themes to improvise around so we would mess around then do bits of stand-up we had previously prepared. It works well as a non point-scoring version of something like Argumental.

You popped up in some high-profile sitcoms a few years back: was there a particular high point?

Yes, The Office, which I have the tiniest part in but I remember reading the script and thinking it was absolutely brilliant and if it flew it would be a game-changer.

How do you look back on Show Me the Funny now?

I really enjoyed it, I realised just how much I could achieve under pressure. I got some good material out of it and the experience of playing the Hammersmith Apollo live: no room for mistakes as four million people were watching, it was an incredible buzz. I think all of us wished there had been more stand-up in it at the beginning as we worked really hard on the material and had high blood pressure for about three months! It is difficult though, with so many characters to establish: comics, judges, even the different audiences.

Any interesting fallout from it?

It raised my profile as a stand-up and has lead to more bookings and more TV work so it has changed things for me. Although I've been in showbiz long enough to know there is no such thing as a 'big break' it's more a series of small ones, so I just keep working away. I hope it gets a second series and other unknown comics get a chance to shine on it.

I found it interesting that it was slagged off for viewing figures when for a stand-up show two to three million is pretty good. It also brought comedy to new audiences, lots of people came out to see the tour who had never been to live comedy before. I think that's great.

Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming Leicester Square Theatre show: Cavewoman?

In essence it's my best bits from my past couple of Edinburgh shows. After Show Me the Funny people asked where they could see me do more than five or 10 minutes. It's my halfway house between doing the Apollo and Edinburgh next year. It will feature jokes about fashion, abortion, boyfriends, dictators, cats, marriage, kids and the invention of the telephone.

Any interesting plans for stage or screen?

In terms of acting, I'm a cast member of Celebrity Autobiography which in the states tours with Kristen Wiig, Ryan Reynolds and Jason Sudeikis and other ridiculously talented people. I think they have a few shows lined up for next year so I'll hopefully do those. I have a sketch show, film and radio show in development so whichever of those takes off really.

Stand-up wise, there's loads - a mini tour, Altitude Festival, Edinburgh Festival and a couple of TV shows. Look out 2012 I am a coming! Now, I have to go and have a bath to wash all that self promotion off me...