Kerry Godliman: Being a Wonder Woman at the Edinburgh Fringe 2011
August 3, 2011 12:14pm by Such Small Portions
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Kerry Godliman's show at Edinburgh this year is about being busy, and having had a ten-minute interview where she prepared to go to a preview and dealt with two children at the other end of the phone, we can attest that she really is that busy. She tells SSP's Andrew Mickel – at great speed – how it's all going...
Tell us about this year's show.
It's called Wonder Woman, and it's about me trying to do too much. There's always stuff in the media about women trying to do too much so it's a reflection on that and how multi-tasking is an overrated skill. And that you end up feeling burnt out rather than accomplished.
It's a common idea for shows but most people don't do it while having two kids.
No, and that's what a lot of it is about, juggling working and motherhood. It's an ongoing conversation with women that they always feel guilty that they're not at work when they're with their kids and then guilty they're not with their kids when they're at work.
How are you finding the balance at the minute?
It's fine now because there's only a week and so we're almost there, but it has been a juggling project. I look back to when I didn't have children and I would just go anywhere and do anything I wanted. I can't go to Edinburgh every year now, but you just have to make compromises when you have kids.
Is this your first Edinburgh in a bit?
Yeah, since 2008.
Have the fears?
No, not really. I've been going there for about 15 years, so it's just going back to Edinburgh for me. It doesn't change much. It's brilliant and terrifying at the same time.
And the previews?
Yeah, I'm enjoying them now. It's a process, where you start with a scrappy, fragmented and bitty way and then over time you turn it into a whole piece. It's got a conclusion and a thread and point.
Hoping to see anyone else up there?
Yeah, and I'd like to see stuff with my kids. I always feel bad that I don't get to take them as much as I like at home.
And you're going to be in Ricky Gervais's new show, Life's Too Short. How did that come about?
I don't know, actually. I got called in for audition for the pilot and didn't get that, forgot about it, and then got offered this part in the actual series. I've had a part in Extras before so maybe Ricky and Stephen remembered me from that. And I did a gig with Stephen not that long ago, so...it could be any one of those things.
And any other plans in the pipeline?
No, no specifics. The lifestyle at the moment is just taking it one week to the next. I know I'm doing Edinburgh now, so that's dominating things. The acting stuff all goes on hold at the moment because I couldn't do both – that feeds back in to the theme of the show, should I do this or will it make me stressed.
Lastly, sell your show in three lines.
I think a lot of other people will be relieved to see another human being crack up on stage for their cathartic pleasure, and it'll be a relief to discover that everyone is as stressed as each other, and we can just share in our extreme overambition.
Visit Kerry online here and get tickets for her Edinburgh show here.
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