EDINBURGH 2022: Sofie Hagen Interview

BWW catches up with Sofie Hagen to chat about bringing Fat Jokes to the 2022 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Tell us a bit about Fat Jokes.

If I had a pound for every demeaning fat joke I've had to listen to in comedy clubs, I'd be much fatter than I am now. Get it? Because 'pound' can also be a weight measurement. And you usually say 'penny' or something that's to do with money so you assume I mean money, but then, I catch you off-guard. So it's a good ol' switch-a-roo. Anyways, I'm so tired of comedians doing fat jokes, so I'm going to do it instead. Properly. Where fat people aren't made fun of. Quite the opposite. A comedy show where fat people actually feel welcome? Has that ever really existed before, is the question?

How accommodating have Monkey Barrel been with accessibility?

Oh, as much as they possibly could be. I put on my tiara and demanded that they put their fat accessibility on their website AND that they had comfortable chairs available for fat people at the venue. And they straight up thanked me for pointing it out to them. I did a short run of work-in-progress shows there last year and they did the same then. Fat people who attend my shows can just ask for a better chair and it will be provided. Usually, it will be offered to you if you just look uncomfortable with the chair you get. This I'm very proud of. Unfortunately, my room (Monkey Barrel 3) isn't wheelchair accessible as there are a number of stairs, and that is very much an Edinburgh-problem (world-problem?) in general.

What would you like to see other venues take on board to make themselves more accessible?

I want venues to do the bare minimum - which is to, at least, just put the information on their website. We (the fats) need to know the width of the chairs, if there are armrests, if the chairs are pushed together so that you can't 'spill over' onto some stranger's lap. And we need to know if there's an alternative. If they can provide other chairs. Or if you can buy two seats and not have to sit up against someone else. And how you can contact the venue about this, ahead of your arrival. It's literally just putting information on the website. If your venue is not fat accessible, then say it. Just say 'You are not welcome here'. But I want them to say it and acknowledge it. Instead of us having to find out once we're there and the armrests drill themselves into our flesh leaving purple, painful marks for weeks. Of course, if I was to really do some wishful thinking, I'd say that the bare minimum would be full accessibility for all. But that still feels like a far away dream.

Is Hank coming to the Fringe?

Last time I brought my dog Hank to the Fringe, he projectile-liquid-shat all over a hotel staircase the day after some kid on a skateboard thought it'd be fun to land right next to him. It shared him literally shitless. And when I looked at the options for finding accommodation where I could have him this year, I could only find £6,000 a month rooms, which... isn't possible. Fortunately, his good friend who also trains and walks him often, has said yes to having him for the month. I'll need approximately one video and one photo an hour for the entire month to not completely lose it. I'd like to say that AT LEAST I don't have to pick up poo for a whole month, but I'm going to live with comedian Larry Dean instead, so you never know.

Tell us a bit about your podcast(s).

About nine years ago, a comedian friend of mine said, 'We should do a podcast about serial killers' and I shook my head and said, 'Who on EARTH would listen to that?' and I now feel like my brother does, knowing he sold all his Google stocks before Google became a thing. At that point, no one did podcasts and no one did true crime podcasts. It's giving me Will Smith Turning-Down-That-Role-In-The-Matrix vibes. Anyways, now, way too late, I'm finally the co-host of a true crime podcast. It's called Bad People, it's produced by BBC Sounds and my co-host is criminal psychologist Dr. Julia Shaw. She is this super peculiar science-y woman who likes facts and hates true crime podcasts and I'm just disagreeing with everything she says whilst loving our chats about murder. It's very, very fun to do. And we're actually doing a live show in Edinburgh on the 8th of August. About some of the most classical Bad People: Nazis. I can't wait.

What words/phrases would you like people to avoid when talking about your show this year?

Wow, that's a really good question. It's the kind of question you need to ask yourself before you even start writing the show. Well, one is 'woman/girl/lady/female' and all of that, if they're referring to me. I'm nonbinary. My pronouns are she/they, so 'she' is fine, but I hate it when people call me 'woman'. It feels icky because, well, I'm not. So anything that's like 'oh what a girlpower show' makes me tired. I'd also love it if people didn't compare me with fat people, just because we're fat. I've been told I look exactly like Lizzo. LIZZO. ME. LIZZO. I don't. I really don't. When I protested, I was told, 'Oh no, I meant it as a compliment'... Of course you did. Lizzo is incredible. I'm incredible. But we're just both fat. That's it. We have literally nothing else in common. I wish we did. I think it would really add some life to my shows if I started playing the flute.

Who would you like to come and see Fat Jokes?

Oh, I'm going to say something that's really quite... sad? Pathetic? Vulnerable? Basically, the answer would be 'comedians'. It's been a long couple of years where I haven't seen many comedians. And two years without a proper Fringe. Enough time for the voice in my head to convince me that comedians no longer think I'm funny or good or relevant. Partly because I've done quite a few shows that were about trauma and had sort of a 'serious' vibe. This show is funnier than that. And I feel like I'm sort of saying 'hi Edinburgh, I'm still a comedian'. That being said, if comedians did come see my show, I'd be super nervous. Once Adam Hess came and saw my show and towards the end I heard him laughing. And first, I was happy, that he liked my joke. Then I realised it was the first time I'd heard him laugh that hour. This was in 2017 and I'm clearly still thinking about it. So actually, no, I don't want comedians to come. Maybe my therapists should come. Yeah. That's probably better. They should bring their notepads.

What would you like audiences to take away from it?

Nothing massive, just 'that was funny' and 'oh wow, so it's not at all a bad thing being fat!' and 'Sofie Hagen is the best comedian in the world' and 'I'm going to give her 5 stars in the Guardian' and stuff like that. I don't have high hopes at all.

Photo Credit: Matt Crockett

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