Going to see a comedian or comedienne live can be something of a double-edged sword. You know you’ll be entertained and have a laugh, but there’s always the nagging fear that you might be the one in the audience that catches their eye, and becomes the comedy target for the night.
It can be enough to make some people stay at home and wait until a DVD of the show comes out.
A fear of being picked on, worrying about what will happen if you have to pay a visit to the loo, or even if your seat is in the right place is something that Sofie Hagen also worries about, which is rather strange when you discover she’s the one who will be standing in the spotlight on the stage.
The Danish comedienne, who brings her show Shimmer Shatter to The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, on Saturday night, is going to great lengths to ensure all the venues she’s playing on her current tour are anxiety-safe – she’s even trying to make the toilets gender neutral.
“I’m keen for people to e-mail me ahead of the Aberdeen show and let me know what they’re worried about so I can make the venue anxiety-safe for them. So, for example, if you need to get into the venue before anyone else, need a specific seat such as one in the middle or at the end of a row, or prefer to stand at the back, let me know and I’ll see what I can do.”
Winner of last year’s Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Newcomer winner, Sofie is undertaking her first nationwide tour of the UK, with the hotly anticipated and follow-up to her Fringe show, which sold out for its entire run and bagged her Newcomer Award at the Fringe. Her run at this year’s Fringe also sold out and the fantastic reviews once again came flooding in.
Her assured, deeply personal comedy has made her one to watch. She’s already popping up on TV and radio shows such as The One Show, Russell Howard’s Stand Up Central and The Now Show.
So what can Aberdeen audiences expect when this new girl on the block plays live?
“The truth. I 100% don’t lie about anything I talk about on stage, allthe stories are personal and absolutely true,” said Sofie, who moved to theUK four years ago to pursue her career.
“I thought I’d stay for a while and see what happened – and ended up staying.
“What I like about the UK compared to Denmark is that here there’s less space (in the likes of London) and more people, whereas in Denmark there’s lots of space but the people tend to congregate in just a few spaces, so when you walk down the high street you’ll meet everyone you’ve ever known from your old teacher to ex-boyfriends. In London, you can disappear, yet there’s room to stretch without hitting someone in the face.
“In the show I’m bringing to Aberdeen, topics will include feminism, fat positive, people I’ve dated, things that are cringeworthy and being anxious as I tend to get a bit anxious myself, but there’s no subject I won’t touch, nothing is taboo.”
Apart from audience interaction. She’s not a fan of it, which is why she likes to make everyone as comfortable as possible before the show starts.
“If someone does heckle I hate it, so go into such a panic that I go into full destruction mode so that the audience ends up feeling sorry for the heckler.”
Audience – don’t say you haven’t been warned…
Sofie Hagen is at The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, on Saturday, November 12. For tickets, call 01224 641122 or visit www.aberdeenperformingarts.com Sofie’s show, scheduled for Elgin on November 13, has been cancelled.