Hertfordshire-based comedian and actor Sara Louise Aston is bringing her show ‘Sara Louise Aston wants to be famous’ to this year’s Faversham Fringe. When Sara shared her press release with me, the show title certainly attracted my attention, particularly the idea of pursuing fame, but it was the transparency about her comedy journey thus far that I found to be really inspiring. It takes a lot of courage to admit you are evolving as an artist, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to ask her some questions about this show and her life in the arts.
How did you get into comedy, acting and writing?
It felt very natural for me when I was a kid to act and perform. I didn’t know I was funny at the time and playing all the comedy roles at school was just what happened. I was quite shy when I was young (still am a little bit but that’s another story) and looking back I realise that being funny (unintentionally) was my defence mechanism. It wasn’t until I was about 18 when I thought ‘I’d like to be a Comedy Actress’. It felt good to make people laugh and despite having a difficult childhood I found comedy to be my strength. It was my armour and my passion. As for my writing, well that just came with the performing.
What inspired you to create a show about pursuing fame, ‘Sara Louise Aston wants to be famous’?
I have been telling stories over the years about the auditions I have been to and other such experiences regarding pursuing an acting career. When I was about 26 years old I was telling a particular story to a group of friends at a party. Another friend had arrived late to the party and walked in while I was telling the story. She thought I was telling a joke. I said ‘no it’s a true story’. The friend said ‘oh my god – you have to write a show.’ Initially the stories would read as monologues.
I have been doing stand-up off and on for 20 years but my stand up topics were mainly about love and dating. ‘Sara Louise Aston wants to be famous’ has joined the two subjects together. One of my stories is about when I went on a television dating show hence the fame and love combo situation there. ‘Sara Louise Aston wants to be famous’ seemed like the perfect title for the show. My Director and Comedy Coach (Chris Head) came up with it. I love it – it gets people talking that’s for sure. But just to be clear my show is about me in my 20s. I am 46 now and the thought of being famous actually terrifies me. The irony hey? Maybe that’s the name for my next show. 🙂
Referring to your comedy journey, you say that you “must keep going, keep learning and keep believing in yourself”. How has working with a comedy coach helped you grow as a performer?
Working with Chris Head has been the best thing for me. I doubt myself all the time. My sense of humour is abstract at times. In my sessions with Chris I would say something which to me makes sense, a comedy anecdote. Chris would say “Sara what do you mean by that?”, I would then explain how it is funny (in my eyes) and how I came up with it. Chris would then tweak it so EVERYBODY would get the joke, not just me. I have always been aware of my quirkiness and sometimes I feel it can be a curse. People assume I don’t have feelings and will say something negative and then I go into this spiral of doubt – Chris brings me back to reality and gives me reassurance but not in a biased sort of way. In an honest and matter of fact sort of way. I trust him. I trust his guidance and direction. He has helped me develop confidence that I didn’t know I could have. Like I said I have done comedy for 20 years but I am still learning. I go to Herts Comedy workshops in Stevenage frequently to also improve on my comedy development. I love learning from people. People make me feel inspired. When I see other comedians and actors doing well, it gives me hope and that’s when I say “Sara Louise…You must believe in yourself because one day it will happen for you…”
You’ve said that onstage you have a “persona which is ‘you’ but a little more quirky and sweet”, how has your comedy style and persona evolved over the years?
For years I didn’t know who I was on stage. I know that must sound weird but I didn’t really know about the ‘persona’ side of comedy. I just thought you rocked up on stage, delivered your set and if people laughed then it meant your material was good. This obviously is what happens but the whole persona thing became apparent when I started taking comedy workshops and going with what I was giving in that moment. I am a very anxious person and I learned to turn that anxiousness into something good. One of my first gigs in a club I remember being absolutely petrified. I got on stage and I said “I am extremely nervous guys…”. The audience laughed, but in a good way. And then I said “oh I should be nervous all the time then…”. This led to the audience laughing even more. I got the audience on my side immediately. They like authenticity and honesty so that’s what I gave. I have been doing it ever since. People say I am naturally sweet and I personally think I am very girly so I feel blessed that I can embrace that in my stand-up comedy persona.
What is it about Faversham Fringe that made you decide to bring your show to the festival this year?
I performed at the Camden Fringe Festival in August, I had a blast. I was considering taking my show to Edinburgh next year but in all honesty I feel it is too big for me. Chris (Head) advised me that I needed to build up my following. We decided together that taking ‘Sara Louise Aston wants to be famous’ on a tour of the smaller festivals was much better for me… and cheaper!!! I was buzzing so much when I got back from Camden and I went on a mission to find my next festival. I had heard about Faversham and did some research and then I learned that Ribs Norman ran the festival (I know her from the circuit)… I believe Faversham was meant to be. 🙂
If you had to describe the show in one word, what would it be and why?
Playful. My show is about making the best of your failures. My motto in life is ‘always give them a show.’ I play on stage so I am going to give my audience the best show I can… If they play along with me, it’s going to be even more fun!
What do you hope audiences take away from the performance?
Good energy and a reminder that failures can be funny.
Watching Sara Louise Aston at this year’s Faversham Fringe
I think it is amazing how open Sara is about her anxiety and performance journey. I also really like what she said about making humour out of failure; humour is good for the soul! You can catch Sara Louise Aston in action at the Faversham Fringe on Friday 10th October at 8:30pm, with tickets available via the festival’s website.
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