A transinternational, comedienne extraordinaire is in Edinburgh at this very moment. The Mumble grabb’d a quick coffee with the lassie…
Hello Suzanne, so where ya from and where ya at, geographically speaking?
Suzanne: I grew up in Kansas, but I live in New York now. Queens, more specifically, because Manhattan is SO overrated!
Which comedians inspire you, both old skool and on the scene today?
Suzanne: My favorite old school comic is Sam Kinison…his energy and his anger are just so great! Ron White and Kathleen Madigan also speak to my heart because they had similar upbringings. Comedians I like that are on the scene now… John Mulaney, Hari Kondabalu, and, of course, Chapelle.
When did you first realise you could make people laugh?
Suzanne: Any day now…
How did you get into comedy?
Suzanne: I started doing comedy in Singapore because the qualifications to get onto a show were that you had to have an e-mail address… as luck would have it… I did! Was a great scene because it was small and nurturing… not blood-thirsty like NYC.
What is the difference between an American & a British audience?
Suzanne: British audiences listen better, so they tend to go for the more clever jokes; however, American audiences have more energy, so it takes less effort to get them going.
This is your fourth time performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, how have you changed as a comedian since your first visit?
Suzanne: I have learned that being superstitious does not determine if you’re a good comedian or not… your jokes do. I used to have an almost OCD-like routine my first year because I thought it would make me have a good show. Now I realize that it’s actually the work you do all year writing and performing that make you have a better show!
So what do you have for us at this year’s Fringe?
Suzanne: My show is about Thanksgiving which is an American, family-oriented holiday. But… then we had some boxed wine and things got loose. A lot of insider info into a Kansas childhood and how my family has blossomed since then.
Can you describe in a single sentence the experience of performing at the Fringe?
Suzanne: The day after the Fringe is over, you could kick me in the teeth, and I wouldn’t even wake up.
You’ve got 20 seconds to sell the show to somebody in the street…
Suzanne: Standup comedy, an American comic… it’s me. *flash cheesy grin*
Mumble Comedy 