Edinburgh Fringe Q&A – Celya AB: ‘There should be a part of town without posters or anyone mentioning it’

This year’s Fringe isn’t Celya AB‘s first rodeo, but it would be quite nice if it replicated the sold-out debut run that led to a Best Newcomer Award from Chortle.

As a child, the stand-up, originally from Paris but now living in London, really wanted to be an adult. But now she’s at the table, she wants out.

Her brand-new hour, Second Rodeo, is directed by Taskmaster’s Mike Wozniak and brings tales of teenage romance, a near-death experience in Thorpe Park, attempts at self-care, and comedy’s answer to ABBA Voyage.

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How are you feeling ahead of the Fringe?

Good yeah, you? Do people ever ask you how you’re doing? Do you ever wish they did?

I’m looking forward to it, thanks. No-one ever asks, so others take note… You had a sell-out run last year and won a best newcomer award – are you relishing the challenge of following that up?

I am now. Why would you do this? In all seriousness, not really. It felt like the Fringe machine kind of recalibrated for me around March and it’s nice to start again with a new show.

I also don’t think audiences know or really think about that sort of thing for the most part, so I’m strangely fairly relaxed (do ask again on August 1st).

Noted. How was the experience of your debut year?

I had as good of a time as you can have there I think, I feel very grateful to anyone who bought tickets for the sold-out run (clang) and although I think there’s generally too much pressure on debuts, I really enjoyed it.

Going into show two is what really makes me feel like a real big girl comedian though.

What is your show this year about, and what inspired it?

My show is called Second Rodeo, it’s loosely about wanting to be an adult as a kid and getting there and wanting out. I realised there was a disconnect between the kind of jokes I wrote online or for other people and the ones I did on stage.

The truth is, I hadn’t really seen that many stand-up shows, and seeing people like Pierre Desproges, Glenn Moore, Bridget Christie and Mike Wozniak do brilliantly crafted hours with lovely short jokes thrown in made me really excited about doing it myself.

Mostly, it’s very silly and a bit odd and a lot closer to the kinds of shows I like.

Mike Wozniak is directing, how has working with him been?

It’s been a dream. He’s brilliantly encouraging and has taught me a lot about committing to a bit and trusting/fixing it before binning it.

Only downside is that when he doesn’t like something he throws his moustache out like a shuriken and it kind of boomerangs back into place. But that’s just part of the process.

You’re originally from Paris but now live in the UK – do audiences differ here?

I’ve never performed in France so I wouldn’t know (I am banned from it for reasons you don’t need to know and shouldn’t ask about).

© Rachel Sherlock

If you were put in charge of the Fringe, what changes would you make?

Obviously the cost, caveat caveat caveat. But once that’s sorted I think there should be a part of town without posters or anyone mentioning it like one of those mediaeval towns but set in like February of that same year.

How would you describe how you feel when your walk on music hits and you take a step out onto the stage?

I’m usually pacing backstage trying to remember a specific joke I forgot the night before and ultimately coming off stage having done it but forgotten another.

I’d like to flip that question and tell you how I feel when my walk-on music comes up on my Spotify playlist and I’m not on stage. For lack of a better word: “triggered”.

Who else are you looking forward to seeing at the Fringe?

This is such a hard question because you always feel like you’re forgetting one of your friends and it’s a social minefield.

I’ll just say Lorna Rose Treen who is not (yet?) a friend but makes me laugh on Twitter a lot, I’m looking forward to her show Skin Pigeon.

What’s your favourite one-liner?

There are so many! Don’t know if it’s my favourite but I think about this old one from Pierre Desproges a lot “Archimedes was the first to prove that when you submerge a body in water, the phone rings”.

Who’d be your dream…

Podcast co-host / guess

Alison Spittle is my favourite person on any podcast at any point.

Karaoke duetter

Alex Turner, She Used To Be My Girl with me doing Miles Kane’s part. Yes I’ve thought about this before.

Wrestling tag team partner

Sikisa loves wrestling and she would take the other team down by herself while I’m in the ring, sitting at a table, calmly enjoying a moussaka the whole time.

Comedian to split an hour with

EARNEST KLAXON. Elie Kakou was a Tunisian-French character comedian I adore, so I’d bring him back to life and watch him do the hour I reckon.

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Celya AB brings her brand-new hour ‘Second Rodeo’ to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, performing at 7.30pm at Pleasance Courtyard Beside from 2nd to 27th Aug (excluding 15th). Tickets here.