Juliette Burton

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Tuesday 28th January 2020

One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate.

This week our person-in-question is Juliette Burton, who's heading off on tour and yanking off labels, and not just the yellow ones from the reduced aisle so the folks at home think you paid full price. Not that we ever do that, obviously.

"Defined is my fifth solo show and by far the one I have the most fun with," she says. "Having ended an engagement recently, I started to question how we define ourselves with labels; single or married? Optimist or pessimist? Extrovert or introvert? City or country? Right or left? Binary choices seem to be pushing us to extremes and I wonder if embracing the spectrum of identity between the extremes can help liberate us."

Burton also hosts the podcast Positive Mental Attitude, and has delved deeply into mind matters in her stand-up over the years. But that can start to define you, too.

"Labels can give us a language to start to talk about difficult things, like mental illness," she says. "But labels don't work if the label is all someone sees. For me, I've been defining myself by my mental health conditions in previous shows. It's time I broke free and start enjoying who I authentically am and want to be. Which is? Funny."

This is her second UK tour - kicking off at the Leicester Comedy Festival on 15th February - and "it's one of the few chances Fringe-loving audiences will get to see me this year. So join me. Let's define ourselves as up for a good time."

If you can't see Burton in person, you can catch her on the NextUp streaming service: "use the code 'amazingjuliette' to sign up and I get a little mini reward," she says. "Everyone wins."

Definitely. Juliette Burton, your Random 8 await:

Who is - or was - your most interesting relative?

My dad's a very interesting character; strong-willed, hard-working, complex. He's not seen my shows. To be fair I've not seen him plough. He's a farmer. All my family are farmers. My dad's a farmer, his dad was a farmer, my mum's dad was a farmer, my sister married a farmer, my four nephews all have worked on the farm, my uncle is a porn star.

Sorry! I spelt that incorrectly... FARMER, my uncle is a farmer. I'm the black sheep of the family, I suppose.

Which historical figure should get more attention?

Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. He believed if you encourage children to use their imaginations more then they could imagine a better world. For me working in comedy is similar. Laughter helps us feel less alone. And I don't want anyone to feel as alone as I used to feel.

Ever met a surprisingly great or awful famous person?

I once sat on John Major's knee. I was eight years old. It was my dad's idea. Surprisingly to me now, looking back at that, John Major wasn't a total prick. He was actually very lovely. Some people define themselves by their political ideologies, belonging to one side or the other. It's lovely when someone from the opposite side of the spectrum turns out to hold views you can agree with.

That makes it sound like I had in-depth political discussions when I was eight doesn't it?

What's your favourite fact?

The odds of being attacked by a shark are one in 3,748,067. The odds of a woman being sexually assaulted are one in six. So technically the women in the film Jaws were safer in the water than they were on the beach.

Is there a book or film that changed your life?

The Muppet Movie (1979). That film is embedded in my heart and has got me through tough times. The world needs more optimism, kindness and Muppets.

Which British town should be abolished?

I could've gone for Northampton, where I had my first psychiatric hospital admission in 2000. But I also saw Tapeface perform there a few years ago and realised it's quite nice.

Or I could've chosen Chelmsford where I was sectioned under the mental health act in 2002. But it's technically a city and I've had some nice gigs there.

So I'll opt for Huntingdon. It's very close to where I grew up. It's fine. Just fine. But I was heartbroken when I was a kid and they closed the local cinema. It's also where Oliver Cromwell was from. And it'd be fun to abolish the town where the man who abolished the monarchy lived.

What's the most extravagant thing you've ever done?

I once stopped giving myself a hard time... but only for a minute. It felt terribly unnerving and unfamiliar.

Which low-key law would you introduce?

Don't be a dick. To yourself or others. Be kind.