My Comedy Career: Camille Ucan

As she prepares to bring her debut play to the stage, we talk to Camille Ucan.

Tell us what you do in your job.

Hello! I'm a writer and actor which means I have lots of fingers in lots of pies.

I'm in a comedy sketch group called Birthday Girls with my mates Beattie Edmondson and Rose Johnson. We do a weekly podcast called Birthday Girls House Party (yes, I know everyone has a podcast now but ours has been nominated in the best comedy category at the British Podcast Awards, thank you!) and we also write a lot of children's TV together, so as far as pies go, Birthday Girls is a yummy one to have my finger in.

If I bag an acting job I'm usually meeting new people on set (which I love because I'm nosey and like to chat). If I'm not acting, I'm writing (I usually collaborate with other people and am working on a script with another writer-performer called Miles Chapman at the moment).

But I've finally started writing on my own like a big girl and am about to go into rehearsals for my debut play, Three Hens in a Boat, which I'm VERY excited about.

And I also spend a LOT of time faffing.

How did you first get involved in the comedy industry?

I got into comedy when I was at university in Manchester; me and my housemates became obsessed with Julia Davis' show Nighty Night.

My friend asked if I wanted to organise a comedy night with her and we ended up doing one at The Comedy Store in Manchester. I loved it so much and worked there as a techie for a while, which was amazing because I got to watch incredible stand-ups every week and get paid for it! I had plans to do a stage management course after uni, but that same friend suggested we put together a sketch group and take a show to the Edinburgh Festival. It was supposed to be a summer of sketch and then we were all going our separate ways, but we were really lucky and got an agent and decided to carry on sketching. So, I fell into comedy by accident and I'm so glad I did!

What key skills do you need to be able to do your job well?

COLLABORATION! Nobody wants to work with a dickhead, do they?

PERSEVERANCE! It's a long game vibe.

CURIOSITY! It may have killed the cat but it'll keep you interested and interesting.

What has been your biggest career achievement to date?

Being commissioned to write a play definitely feels like a big win for me. Although I still love collaborating, I've learnt that writing solo can be very liberating and it has taught me to trust my instincts and given me the confidence to write more stuff on my own.

In terms of acting jobs I've landed, getting the part of Nikki in Channel 4's Lee And Dean was a huge achievement for me. The show was completely improvised which made every day on set so exciting, I absolutely loved playing her and I met a bunch of total legends that I'm still friends with.

Also, my aforementioned sketch group - being a Birthday Girl has been one of the highlights of my life, not just my career! Even though we don't gig live much anymore, the fact that we still work together and are still friends is something I'm very proud of.

And what has been the biggest challenge/disappointment?

Meeting old cronies (men) in the industry who turn out to be sleazeballs and realising that most of the other men in the industry know they're sleazeballs but it's nearly always the women who have to organise and do something about it.

Talk us through a typical day.

In some ways a good work life balance has been harder since I've had a baby, but in other ways it's made me focus and be more efficient. I don't have as much time to do my beloved faffing so I'm squeezing a lot more into my day. Here's a day from this week:

Got up and got myself AND my toddler ready, well done me (I know a lot of people in the country are doing this but I still think it's a lot to ask by 8am).

Had a meeting with my work wife Rose about a kids show I'm writing on (it was Supertato for CBeebies if you're wondering).

Went to a workshop for my play (did I mention I've written a play?! I'm going to keep on mentioning it so you come and watch it please!).

Picked the toddler up from nursery and got home (via the garden where he likes to play 'plop'- a game where he throws stones into a dustbin full of water).

Dinner time, bath time, bed time (the toddler, not me).

Recorded a Birthday Girls House Party podcast (you can find it on Spotify, Apple, wherever you get your pods etc - including a bunch of old episodes on BBC Sounds).

Then ran 5K. Just kidding. I've never completed Couch to 5K but it's on my list of resolutions every year. I watched TV (recently loved Big Boys, Smoggie Queens and We Might Regret This) and then doom scrolled in bed.

Tell us a trick/secret/resource that you use to make your job quicker/easier.

Remember I'm a faffer? I have to do the Pomodoro technique where I set a timer for twenty-five mins and I'm not allowed to do anything other than writing until the timer goes off. Then I get five mins of faffing before another timer. It's the only way I get work done.

Also, I've needed to rhyme a surprising amount of stuff while writing kids TV. Use RhymeZone. It'll save you at least three minutes of thinking about what rhymes with random words like cupboard. Rubbered. Slubbered. Blubbered. (I just Rhymezoned that).

How are you paid?

I'm self-employed so I'm paid for each job I do rather than getting a fixed salary. The pay varies wildly. Television usually pays a lot better than theatre. I also used to do care work when I wasn't earning enough from acting and writing. Luckily, I loved that job too and carried on doing it ad hoc until I had a baby.

If you could change one thing about the comedy industry, what would it be?

How expensive Edinburgh has become. It's always been costly but seems like it's gone to crazy town. I didn't go to drama school and feel like I got my 'training' by going to Edinburgh. Also - more slots on TV for comedy.

What tips would you give for anyone looking to work in your area of the industry?

If you're a performer who has thought about writing then do it! Writing gives you a creative outlet wherever you are and whenever you want. It means you don't have to just wait around for auditions. It gives you another avenue of income. Have fingers in pies. Lots and lots of pies!

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Camille Ucan's debut play Three Hens in a Boat will make its world premiere at Reading Rep Theatre (1 May - 17 May) and then appear at Watermill Theatre (22 May - 7 June).