EDINBURGH FRINGE 2024
Interview
ANNE
CHARLOTTE
MABEL
-TILLEY
THOMAS
SERIOUS THEATRE FROM
SERIOUS PEOPLE
Gilded Balloon Patter House - The Penny
COMEDY / CHARACTER COMEDY
Jul 31 Aug 1-11, 13-18, 20-26: TICKETS
JULY 25, 2024
At Bet On It Youth Theatre, aspiring actors will do anything to climb the ladder of success. Teachers and students alike believe in taking the work seriously. They also believe in taking themselves seriously. Prepare to get serious. Returning after sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows in 2023, join writer-performers Charlotte Anne-Tilley (Almost Adult) and Mabel Thomas (Sugar) for big egos, emotional outbursts and a whole lot of drama in this unmissable character-driven satire.
NOTE: You will notice that I accidentally misspelt Mabel’s name but omitting the “l”, Charlotte politely kept my to my spelling in her reply, I didn’t change it.
Hi Charlotte & Mabel, it’s great to talk with you ahead of EdFringe, are you both excited about bringing Serious Theatre from Serious People to the Fringe this year?
Charlotte: I’m so excited to be taking the show to Gilded balloon this year. Me and Mabel have been collaborating on it for around six months and we’ve had such a fun time making it together. Mabel lives in America so it’s been a lot of long zoom calls with a lot of laughs and a lot of online rabbit holes. I’m really proud of the show and I think it is incredibly lighthearted, feel-good and silly.
Mabel: I’m really excited to be at Patter Hoose! I’ve never had a show at Gilded Balloon before, and I have so many pink clothing items that it seems like it’ll be a match made in heaven. I’m also really excited about doing a two-hander. I think having a collaborator/teammate on this journey with me will take a little bit of the pressure off and add a whole lot of fun.
Will there be any nerves ahead of your summer residency at Patter House?
Charlotte: My main source of nervousness is that this will be the first time I am doing a show in the comedy category. I have done solo shows that have elements of comedy before but this is the first time where I’ll be looking to make the audience laugh for the whole show, which is a slightly daunting prospect but exciting nevertheless.
Mabel: What I’m most nervous about are the industrial-strength pyrotechnics and fireworks we’re smuggling into our theatre. So far, they’ve burnt down every venue we’ve been at. But we’ll have a water gun on hand in case things get out of control.
Is there any extra pressure after having a sellout fringe in 2023?
Charlotte: I suppose there is some pressure but Almost Adult sold out at Gilded Balloon so it feels like the home of a lot of my work and it’s been really special to build a relationship with the Gilded Balloon audience over the past three years so that takes the pressure off slightly.
Mabel: Luckily I didn’t have a sellout fringe in 2023 so I’m cool as a cucumber.
What was your first Edinburgh Fringe experience like and what makes EdFringe so special?
Mabel: What stood out to me about my first Fringe were the fabulous friendships I made. One of my points of pride with this show is that Charlotte and I met when we were doing our own solo shows, became friends, and now are about to do an entire Fringe run together. The community of the Fringe is so unique. It's the best environment for making new friendships and connections with other artists who are creating their own work. I can’t wait to meet more amazing people this year and see some seriously great theatre!
Can you tell me a little bit about how Serious Theatre from Serious People, how did this show come about?
Charlotte: Serious Theatre from Serious People is a satirical character comedy based in a youth theatre. Inspired by shows like This Country and Parks and Recreation, the audience is taken on a whirlwind journey as the youth theatre tries and fails to put on a professional show. The show was first developed at a Funny Women comedy course that I took earlier last year. I created one of the characters, Chaz, and I had so much fun playing him and writing comedy stand-up for him that I thought it had the potential to be developed into a full show.
What is the biggest challenges you face when creating character comedy?
Mabel: Not all of the characters you create make the final cut. The devising process is so free and fun, but at the end of the day, our time slot is only an hour long, so not everyone made it in (RIP Judi—the 11-year-old who just wanted a hug).
Who has been the most serious person you’ve met in theatre?
Charlotte: Probably one of my teachers at drama school. There are a lot of very, very serious theatre people wandering the corridors of drama schools!
Mabel: David Greig. Very serious.
"I would definitely encourage anyone who’s going into comedy to embrace the thing that makes you different." - Charlotte
If there was one word that would best describe Serious Theatre from Serious People what would it be?
Charlotte: Wacky
Mabel: Seriously?
Do you have any traditions or superstitions before heading out on stage and once a show is over how do you unwind?
Charlotte: I like to do a vocal warmup before I head out, pretty standard. I also like to jump around a bit. This year, after the show, I will be going straight to perform my other show at Summerhall, Oh, Calm Down, at 3 pm, so there won’t be much winding down for me! But I will probably end up going to bed at about 7pm every night, rest assured.
Mabel: I must dance to 'Money Note' by Camille. Every time I’ve skipped doing that, something has gone wrong. So, is it superstition or evidence-based science?
What’s been your fondest memory of being on stage?
Charlotte: Charlotte: When I did my show Almost Adult at Gilded Balloon in 2022, I remember seeing a married couple in their 40s or 50s who were both crying. I found that incredibly moving, and I will never forget it.
Mabel: I did SUGAR at the Fringe in 2022, and I loved being able to hone the performance every night and constantly find areas for improvement. Also, getting to recommend shows to your audience at the end is one of the most exciting things to do!
Where did your passion for comedy come from?
Charlotte: I was pretty much raised on comedy, and it’s always been a vehicle for me to bond with the people around me. I grew up watching Blackadder, Only Fools and Horses, Mr Bean and all those kinds of shows. They were some of the best moments of my family growing up.
Mabel: Growing up watching comedy shows (like The Office, Malcolm in the Middle, Gavin and Stacey etc.) and movies (like Rat Race, Pitch Perfect, Singin in the Rain etc.) really cemented my love for comedy.
"The only way to be a writer is by writing." - Mabel
Mabe*, what is the most interesting fact about Charlotte, and vice versa?
Mabel: Charlotte has written and is performing not one but two shows at this year's Fringe. She’s incredibly driven, ambitious and talented. In addition to that she’s a really generous collaborator… Also, she’s afraid of rats and she’s the one who put rats in our show.
Charlotte: Mabe is an incredible public speaker, they did a speech for Cop City that went viral. Very impressive.
Since you started out in comedy, what have been the most important things you’ve discovered about yourself and the type of shows you want to be?
Charlotte: Something I’ve discovered this year is that versatility and variety make me feel fulfilled and content as a performer. I love stretching myself, and that’s one of the reasons I’m doing two shows in different genres this year (Oh, Calm Down is a new writing theatre show). It really makes me feel like I’m pushing myself as a writer and performer.
Mabel: I’ve discovered such a love for pushing the boundaries of the characters I think I can play. I do a lot of work in film/TV in the states and while you do get to explore different characters, the license to play several completely different people in one show is unique to comedy theatre.
What’s been the best advice you’ve been given and is there any advice you offer anyone wanting to get into comedy?
Charlotte: The best advice I’ve ever been given was from a friend of mine, Linda Ludwig, who is a screen director. She said, "You may feel like the fact that you’re different from other artists is holding you back, but it’s actually the thing that sets you apart. That’s something." I would definitely encourage anyone who’s going into comedy to embrace the thing that makes you different.
Mabel: If you have an idea for a show or a comedy set, write it. The only way to be a writer is by writing.
And finally, what would you hope Fringe audiences will take away from Serious Theatre from Serious People?
Charlotte: Sometimes shows don’t have to get dark in the second half!
Mabel: One of our specially printed badges. And some fun memories of time spent with Bet On It Youth Theatre. And if they’re Nina Gold (Game of Thrones/Star Wars casting director) a CV from both Charlotte and I.