Catriona Knox is one third of the popular all-female sketch group The Boom Jennies who have performed no less than six times at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to critical acclaim. Her broadcast credits include BBC1’s Not Going Out, BBC Bitesize Shakespeare, and countless Radio 4 shows. Martin askes about her solo Edinburgh offering.
“I’m going to blow the lid off the Pleasance Attic this year with my show -which is good because it can get hot in there – brand new, larger-than-life characters, on-stage cooking, a sing-along, a cavalcade of dancing monkeys. Seriously, it’s going to be mega.”
Do you consider yourself to be a character comic?
“I’m a character comic through and through. Stand behind a microphone and do gags? Just as me? Not putting on a silly voice? No accents or unbelievably ridiculous outfits? That’s half of my potential for laughs gone, right there.”
You’re a writer, actor and performer. Which is more important to you?
“It’s difficult to pick one because, for me, they all inform one another. Being able to write makes me a better performer and vice-versa. And I think being a comedian makes me a better actor; having that ability to improvise and generally muck about is invaluable in rehearsal. There is something really exciting about performing something that you’ve written but it doesn’t half ramp the pressure up. I’m acting in the Pinter play, A Slight Ache, with Thom Tuck and Simon Munnery at the fringe this year too and am looking forward to not agonising over every word! They’re already set in stone, they’re blissfully mad and they’re not my problem – I just get the joy of relaying them. It’s great.”
Do you still perform with the wonderful Boom Jennies?
“Most certainly. The second series of our BBC Radio 4 show, Mission Improbable, is on at the moment in fact. I’m hoping we’ll still be performing together in our 70s. The Boom Jennies Senior: Edinburgh 2063. Come on! It’s what the fringe needs.”
If you were curating a stand up show for television, who would be your guests?
“Miss Piggy and Kermit. Eddie Izzard. And Nick Clegg as compere. He’s hilarious.”
