Joanna Neary

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Friday 26th April 2019

Joanna Neary is clearly partial to a good Fringe. It's 15 years since the talented character comic bagged a Best Newcomer nomination at the Edinburgh one, and over the next few months she's all over the Southern Fringes, in Brighton and Hastings. Neary will be doing three distinct shows along the way, and "all three have my characters in them," she says, "and bits of me as well. Mainly my face."

Two of those shows are slightly different from the norm, however, as they're dedicated to an interesting new performance direction that the comic recently embarked on.

"I began making interactive, art-based shows for children last year and now, with funding from Arts Council England, I'm touring them alongside my adult gigs," she says. "I love combining storytelling with hands-on making, and watching how the kids express themselves so freely. There's always an amazing array of artwork at the end of the show. It's as rewarding as stand-up comedy, in a different way."

Certainly there are less drunken hecklers. Well, hopefully. So what are those shows?

"In Peg in the Gallery, Marina the Cleaner's talk about housework is thrown into chaos with the arrival of Lady Peggy, Patron of the Arts," Neary explains. "The audience save the day by creating a whole art exhibition (I do have a contingency plan, in case they don't want to). And with The Crab Prince, Marina the Marine Biologist tells a story that's a variation on The Frog Prince, set in a rock pool. The children help write a song and make puppets."

And what about her not-for-kids show?

"In Wife on Earth (3000 Light Years from Doing the Ironing), Celia Jesson - repressed middle-class Milton housewife with a tempestuously romantic inner life - is host. As the marriage rate in the UK declines, Celia and a group of willing volunteers from Lower Upping travel about in time and space, to find fulfilment; includes quizzes, stand-up and dance routines by swingers."

They're fun for the whole family - but not at the same time. Now, let's travel back in time, too.

First gig?

The first time I did my children's show, the voice that came out of the puppet was one I'd never heard before. The children were coming up with suggestions and they were hilarious. Much funnier than me. One child said 'this is weird' and when I apologised, she said 'no, in a good way'.

My first ever comedy gig was as a chip shop worker character at a Falmouth School of Art Christmas party in 1989. The character was based on the fact that I worked as a student at Harbour Lights fish and chip shop in town.

The room was packed and I was so nervous, I got really drunk and eventually had to be led off stage. I had Vaseline all over my hair and face, milk bottle glasses on and my front tooth was missing. My husband has that photo in his wallet.

Favourite show, ever?

The first ever Latitude Festival Book Tent, I think it was 2006, doing Book Club with Robin Ince, Josie Long, Neil Edmond and Isy Suttie. The tent was only programmed to have us in it, so we were on for hours and hours.

Josie, Isy and me came up with a singing group and did songs, we were all backstage, working out what to do next. Robin introduced me consecutively, about five times, so I kept coming back on with a different set. It was like an endurance test, but with the best gang in the world. Robin's Book Clubs were a real treat.

Worst gig?

Lancaster University. They hated me. A bloke phoned me up after and left a message comparing my set to being tortured in Iraq. It was a sports college, the bill was all male stand-ups and I went on, dressed up as a dolphin.

Which one person influenced your comedy life most significantly?

Meeting Sue Townsend when I was at art school, aged about 20, springs to mind. She influenced me to get on and do it, get on with writing for yourself and trust your instincts. She was down to earth, loved Dostoyevsky, came from the Midlands and knew all the words to Night and Day. So we had those things in common.

Sue was also a brilliant comedy writer, and was incredibly kind to me, I loved her very much and will always be inspired by her, as a great many people are.

And who's the most disagreeable person you've come across in the business?

An incredibly famous comic who introduced me at a Brighton Festival comedy night, then stood behind me on stage, during my set, pulling focus. When I went over with the mic and asked him what he was doing, he said he wasn't doing anything.

It was like being bullied in front of 2000 people. I couldn't carry on, with him upstaging me. It felt rather unprofessional, for a compere to send up an act. There was nearly a fight. My friend who saw it all was livid.

He was on about £50,000 that night and I was getting £50. I think the problem was, I introduced myself as being a teacher from Hove and deliberately got his name wrong. I think he thought I wasn't a comedian at all, or maybe the name wrong annoyed him.

But he's well known for being a twit. If you want to know who he is, try drawing some Lego hair and manicured frowning eyebrows on a peach.

Is there one routine/gag you loved, that audiences inexplicably didn't?

In 2005 for Pan's Person, I did an impression of a bar worker bending over and shouting crisp flavours in a strained voice and then popping up for the last one, and calmly saying 'and cheese and onion'. Only me and the comedian George Egg thought it was funny.

Do you have any tips for budding character comics?

Keep a notebook, look for what interests you, base your characters on real people. Real people are way more complex and fascinating than 'greedy bloke in chip shop' or 'boring hairdresser'. And if you choose people you love for some reason, your comedy won't be cruel.

The most memorable review, heckle or post-gig reaction?

A little boy hugged me in the middle of my Peg in the Gallery show and said 'thank you, you've given me ideas for things I can make when I get home'. It was like I'd set it up, it was exactly what those shows were meant to do! It was in Brighton though, typical gorgeous Brighton.

How do you feel about where your career is at, right now?

I'm so excited to be creating new work, what a lovely position to be in. Working with a director on the children's shows (the brilliant Emma Edwards from A&E Comedy) has been a luxury I haven't had for years. Learning new skills and trying out new ideas is one of my favourite things.

When I thought I'd try puppets and comedy for children I thought 'how hard can it be?' It's really hard. But way better than almost any other job I can think of doing. This career isn't like a job at all.

Doing my own characters is a lark. Celia was on Radio 3's The Verb in 2017 and 2018, and is on a CBC podcast this May. And I presented a Radio 4 programme recently, curating a sort of audio art gallery, combining things I love. How perfect is that? It's just a joy.