Glasgow International Comedy Festival Q&A: Siân Docksey
By: Natalie O'Donoghue Feb. 21, 2019
Tell us a bit about your show.
CANARY is about being the oldest of three kids, like the canary that's sent down a mine to see if it's safe for everyone else to go down there ( I am the oldest of three kids, I'm not catfishing as a canary, that's too many animals and I have limited publicity budget). I think the oldest kid often bears the brunt of your parents expectations, and you have to navigate those as well as just figuring out your own way through life.
My parents are basically poster people for New Labour - ie, they both went to state schools, got free university education, then great jobs in the nineties, so, me and my sisters had a privileged upbringing; my parents are constantly baffled by how things are totally different for my generation who are all only just coasting financially, if you're lucky, and being well off is so much more a question of whether your parents are minted rather than making your own way through hard work and opportunities. So it's millennials and baby boomers, basically. And there's a lot of gay stuff. And some stuff about Cher.
Do you have any top tips for anything else visitors should do while in Glasgow?
The last time I went out in Glasgow I went to Polar with a friend from school and tried to get off with someone and instead somehow my toothbrush got stolen. Don't do that.
Who would you recommend comes to see you at the festival?
YOU! And your parents! This is much more of a straight-talking stand up show than I usually do - I normally do weird stuff and spend a whole show turning myself into a lemon etc. This one is for everyone.
And who would you suggest maybe doesn't?
There's a lot of yellow in the show. Don't come if that will upset you. If you've had any mustard-related trauma or similar I'm afraid this is probably not the show for you.
What sets your show apart from others in the programme?
Well it was GOING to be an eye-catching yellow background but everyone's gone and done that now. I thought that was MY thing! I suspect it's the Brexit angst kicking in and everyone's trying to cheer themselves up a bit. Anyway failing that, um, honestly everyone at ARG is brilliant and I'm so excited to be part of it so, if you can, go see everyone's shows!
What's next for you after the Glasgow International Comedy Festival?
I'm doing CANARY at the Camden Fringe in London, and then hopefully developing it for the Edinburgh Fringe next year, but I'm not sure yet. I think I'd like to go on a holiday. Or maybe visit a bird sanctuary and research other birds' names I could crowbar into a show idea and massacre their personal brand, poor things. So in the interests of everyone a non-bird-related holiday, hopefully.
ARG at The Vacant Space
Saturday 30 March
2pm
Photo credit: Julia Brown
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