The Wendy Wason Three Minute Interview by Martin Walker

By Martin Walker
|
24th Jul 2014
|
Edinburgh Fringe

Wendy Wason has seen the future and it ain't pretty. The future of the NHS, that is. Her husband was a resident in a Los Angeles hospital. What most people fear, Wendy drank in. With her unique sense of fun and ability to laugh at the ridiculous, she reports back to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

My worst gig was when some poor guy stood up and said: ‘I’m on Lithium and I shouldn’t be mixing it with alcohol!’ I didn’t have a clue what to say.

“We were out in LA for two months having meetings and auditions and my husband fell ill and ended up in hospital – the hospital Marilyn Monroe was born in. We discovered first hand what it’s like when people have to pay their medical bills. Like any comedian worth their salt, I decided to get a show out of it.”

Is it true that you used to work at the Gilded Balloon Box Office?

“Yes I did. I’ve known Karen Koren since I was 17. I used to sell tickets for Eddie Izzard, Mark Lamarr and Sean Hughes.”

What reaction do you look for in an audience and what are your best and worst experiences on stage?

“I like the connection with an audience. I love it when I see people going: ‘oh I do that’. My best experiences are when we all have a great laugh and something unexpected happens. Last week at The Southbank I ended up lip-syncing to Snoop Doggy Dogg. That was fun! My worst gig was when some poor guy stood up and said: ‘I’m on Lithium and I shouldn’t be mixing it with alcohol!’ I didn’t have a clue what to say.”

You were born in Edinburgh. Do you miss home?

“I live in London now. I come home all the time so I don’t really get a chance to miss it and of course I’m here for a month during the Edinburgh Festival.”

If you were curating a stand up show for television, who would be your guests?

“People I love who make me laugh. Lucy Porter, Tiffany Stevenson, Carl Donnelly, Stephen Bailey, Dane Baptiste and Matt Kirshen. Acts I saw in the US who are great are The Sklar Brothers and Emily Heller.”

Broadway Baby Listing and Edinburgh Fringe Box Office: http://www.broadwaybaby.com/shows/wendy-wason-hotel-california/701108

Website: www.wendywason.co.uk

Twitter: @Wendy_Wason

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Wason

Podcast: http://wendyswordsofwisdom.podbean.com/?source=pb

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