Erika Ehler
Published: Tuesday 16th May 2023
One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate. Entering the arena this week is Erika Ehler, in advance of A Lovely Day, on June 3rd. It's a whole Saturday of work in progress shows, like the first few days of the Edinburgh Fringe, but at Cultplex in Manchester.
Joining Ehler with new shows are Vittorio Angelone, Spencer Jones, Rachel Fairburn and William Stone. So what should we expect from Erika's WIP?
"It's mostly going to be just jokes," says the Canadian comic. "I'll kind of be talking about how bad things don't necessarily happen to bad people. That's the goal anyway. If I don't get that point across I promise a bunch of jokes on fun, family-friendly things like cum!"
Hurray! Ehler will also be releasing a special in the near future, follow her socials - @erikaehler - for updates. So will she check out any other Lovely Day shows, or is that counter-productive, when you're trying to put one together?
"Not counter-productive at all. You can always learn something from watching another comedian's hour. I'll definitely try and pop into Rachel Fairburn's show. She's so funny and I admire her work."
Fair do's. Erika Ehler, your Random 8 await.
Who is - or was - your most interesting relative?
My great aunt is kind of a character. She refers to herself as 'Miss Universe'. She hosted a family reunion about 10 years ago in California and had three dress changes. She also only seems to wear monochrome outfits. If she wears red everything is red, even down to the pantyhose.
Ever met a surprisingly great or awful famous person?
I met Mac DeMarco once. I offered him mac and cheese from a container that had been sitting in my bag all day. He declined. Which was the right call.
What's the worst thing you've ever bought a ticket for?
Okay, I technically didn't buy the ticket. My parents did. The show was [magician] Criss Angel's residency in Vegas. I, at 11 years old, really wanted to get mind-freaked. Sadly my mind wasn't freaked in the slightest. The show was awful. Animatronic birds had failures. There were plants in the audience that were so obvious. He kept asking the crowd "Do you believe?" and the entire rest of the trip me and my family just kept mocking him "Do YoU BeLiEvE?!".
Which historical figure should get more attention?
Woody Harrelson's dad. There are allegations of involvement in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Woody Harrelson is maybe the only actor whose parent's name is blue on Wikipedia for a cool reason.
Do you have a favourite shop, ever?
Hot Topic. It's my safe space. Where goths and capitalism collide. I love it.
Who are you most envious of?
People without self-awareness. They just go through life so much easier. I hate them. They don't feel shame. I take issue with that. These type of people seem to fail upwards and it's frustrating to see.
What's the very best thing you ever saw?
Xing Xing is the best thing I've ever seen. Xing Xing: it's a one-armed fat monkey that lives in China and this grandma takes care of it. I constantly just go into deep holes where I watch videos of them for hours. I may have a parasocial relationship with a monkey.
Your greatest sporting moment?
Tom Brady kissing his son. I misread this. Didn't see the "your" in the question. I stand by my answer though.
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