Sarah Roberts is a Scream! Daring Storytelling You'll Love
Sarah Roberts is a loveable troublemaker, rising through the ranks of British comedy at pace. The Guardian named her one of the "6 funniest comedians at the Fringe" in 2024.
Sarah Roberts is a loveable troublemaker, rising through the ranks of British comedy at pace. The arts journalist Rachael Healy named her one of the “6 funniest comedians at the Fringe,” in her piece for the Guardian last year. It’s a testament to the ground you can cover with a particularly daring debut.
So, what’s she like then? Spill.
Well, she’s full of surprises on stage - with wildly unexpected punchlines. A rare quality, attributable to her succinctness; with analogies that say everything in such few words.
Your granny might say “She’s one of those sex-obsessed comedians,” but she isn’t.
That’s just for starters (so don’t go filling up on bread.) Her show, Silkworm, is about confidence, identity and womanhood... She also covers Candy Crush and shagging, but that’s by the by.
Our interview? Mainly about what goes on in that head of hers; because with autism and other people, I’m never quite sure.
*Audio below the article
I’d love to be as daring (in real life) as you are on stage, where does that come from?
Well, I started comedy when I was 28 and I’m 32 now. I spent a lot of my 20s “waiting to be ready” and backing out of things I wanted to do, I got sick of that. I planned to get a tattoo, paid the deposit and didn’t show up.
But I’ve always been led by emotions and impulses. As a teenager, I’d do insane things when I fancied people, to get their attention.
(Sarcastically) Oh, I’ve never done that.
Really?!
No, ha-ha, I’m joking.
I was like “What!?” And then I realized.
Yeah, I’d put up poems around the school about people I fancied, which is unhinged. So, I’ve always had that impulse, but it was behind the scenes.
A lot of my friends started doing comedy, so I was already watching it. So, I began and I was instantly obsessed. It changed me, I stopped backing out of things. There’s a lot of value in choosing to take risks when you’re in the moment. The confidence to do that grows the more you do stand-up.
“I do things on stage that I never would have done a year ago. I was way too scared. You gradually get bolder.”
I’m 28 now. You start to realize, the world doesn’t fall apart when someone doesn’t like you.
Yes, I’ve started to think that if people talk badly about me, it’s their right to do that. It doesn’t hurt me or mean anything, and shouldn’t be a reason not to do something.
You’re on to a good thing. So, just keep going.
Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
I might be both. I need a lot of time alone, but I probably seem extroverted when I’m around people. 1
Being a comedian is quite extroverted, but you get to do all the talking.
It is and it isn’t, because you spend so much time in your head thinking of jokes. I’m not one of those comedians who ad-libs the whole time. You have to be quite measured. And then I suddenly find myself talking a lot when I’m in company. It’s a good question.
Thank you. What drew you to the comedy life?
I’ve always wanted to write but found it hard to stay motivated without feedback. With comedy the feedback is instant, you get the highs, the lows and the validation.
“I’ve always written from a place of feelings.”
Talking about them on stage and getting laughs validates those feelings. You realise sometimes, that these are feelings everyone has. Although often, the audience will be like “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.”
“A lot of my comedy attempts to find out if my feelings are relatable or completely insane.”
Did your post-graduate degree come in handy with writing your debut show?
You know what? It was very focused on scripting for film and TV, which has helped with other writing projects more than stand-up. One part of the course was on stand-up, and I’d already done it a few times anyway. But it helped me develop my persona; because it was the first time I got to hear people’s first impressions of me as a performer.
All of the feedback was “Great character-comedy, she’s awful” - and it’s not a character!
Aw, no!
“It’s just an exaggeration of myself. It’s definitely not like Clementine (Rosalie Minnitt), there’s an element of truth in everything I say. I start with something relatable and make it absurd or insane.”
The crux is always true. It was useful to be told exactly what I was doing; you can sometimes write material without thinking about it too much. A debut show is your introduction to the industry, so it’s useful to know how it’s coming across.
I never know how I’m coming across, so I’d find that very useful.
The course also covers producing comedy. Do you have ambitions to be a comedy producer as well?
No, ha-ha. Although, I am self-producing my show. You have to at this stage but ideally I’d be working with a producer. That side gave me a sense of what you need to do to bring everything together.
I’m quite an anxious person, I wake up in the middle of the night having forgotten to do something. So, I find the production side stressful. I’m much more interested in creativity.
Whenever I post an article, I’ll forget something like the audio at the bottom. I have to add it before anyone notices.
You’re having to think about the microphone and the sound, as well as the interview. Having someone take care of that for you in comedy is very freeing.
I imagine so.
I think your biggest strength is your analogies e.g. when you say Canada is like America after therapy - or how you’re too cool to survive the apocalypse… Because you’d be the only one left to tell people what jeans they should be wearing.
Ha-ha, thank you.
How do those ideas develop?
I’ve never really thought about it before.
“Most of my jokes come from conversations I’ve had, which makes me an annoying friend. I’ll write it down as a spider diagram and explore one aspect further. I think about what I’m really trying to say.”
With the analogy of Canada being America after therapy, I’m saying therapy can take away your annoying traits, like the guns and the racism, but it can also take away the chaos that makes you interesting, and all you’re left with is Maple syrup.
Once I’ve identified what I’m most interested in talking about, I think of everything in the world that it’s similar to, and one of those things is Canada, ha-ha.
Who are your influences?
I have a lot of influences, particularly female comedians. The thing I love about comedy; is when it explains an experience you’ve always had but never been able to put into words. Cat Cohen does that incredibly well, in such a flamboyant way. I could watch her all day. I also love Kate Berlant and Mary Beth Barone. I was always drawn to Barone’s deadpan style but as I’ve got more comfortable on stage, I’ve changed that a bit. But I love how glamorous and poised she is.
Beyond actual comedians, I find the rapper Azealia Banks hilarious. Her audacity is so funny - and how horrible she is. She has incredible analogies. I also love Trisha Paytas and Ja’mie from Summer Heights High. If my persona was a character it would probably be Ja’mie. Because she’s annoying and awful and thinks she’s amazing… but things aren’t actually going that well for her.
When do you have your best ideas?
I wish I was someone who had any kind of structure.
I have ADHD, it’s fine.
Yeah, yeah, I don’t have any particular time. I think I’m quite lazy and I struggle to sit down to write. I usually have ideas at multiple times throughout the day. Sometimes I’ll be in the bath and I’ll have an idea and I have to jump out to write it down. Which interrupts doing anything relaxing or fun. I was on a run yesterday and I had an idea; because it’s January and that’s who I’m trying to become now.
It’s the worst month to do it.
It really is. So, I had an idea when I was running and I tried to record it but when I got back home it didn’t make any sense. It was just panting.
“Ideas come even when you’re not actively thinking about writing. It goes on in the back of your mind.”
You did a video about celebrities you think you could pull. Are you fascinated by celebrity culture?
I think I am. I’m obsessed with Paul Mescal, but I couldn’t put him in the video because he follows me on Instagram… but I do think I could pull Paul Mescal.
Well, he follows you. All the signs are there.
I know, I know, one day ha-ha.
I’m also fascinated by power dynamics and our obsession with celebrities is interesting in that regard. I think if you go into any situation with enough delusion and confidence, you can do anything and that’s where that video came from. A part of me does think that if I walked into the Met Gala and acted like I was meant to be there, no one would question it.
When I was younger, a friend I went to a couple of music festivals with would go up to the food stands, saying he’d come to collect food for a friend, and because he was so confident he’d get free food everywhere. A truly self-assured attitude is disarming, because it’s not common.
Who relates to your comedy the most?
Gay men. I love having the gays in. Plus, anyone who is “very online” and kind of identifies as 19 years old. But I like to think it’s for lots of people. It’s also for those of us who aren’t afraid to be embarrassed. I do talk to the audience, but I think in quite a nice way. Everyone likes a bit of that, no matter who they are.
If there’s a demographic that struggles with my comedy more, it’s older men, but there are times when they really enjoy it, so I don’t want to generalize.
A lot of my favourite comedians are an aquired taste. It’s part of their appeal.
Yeah, you can’t appeal to everyone.
You had some confidence-knocking experiences growing up. Has comedy been the perfect antidote?
Yeah! It did help my confidence. When I was younger I was very insecure about the way I looked because I had an underbite. I talk about this in my show. I was always gearing up for surgery to get rid of it.
Once I had that, I spent my twenties enjoying fitting in and being attractive, and seeking places where people found me attractive. The liberating thing about comedy is it’s much less about how you look, you can just talk. You can say something gross. People are looking at you but you’re not asking them to fancy you; or to tell you that you’re pretty. You’re asking them to laugh. It feels empowering and makes me feel confident.
It does go through peaks and troughs. At times, comedy has knocked my confidence, just because it’s so competitive. But in terms of actually being on stage, it almost always feels good. You surprise yourself when you do well and you surprise yourself when you bomb. Bombing can sometimes feel really good; because you have to deal with it; you realize there’s more to life and it doesn’t hurt you that much..
The thought of bombing is probably worse than actually bombing.
You did a sketch for Instagram with Rosalie Minnitt. I interviewed her recently. Are you good friends?
Yes. She’s actually directing my next show.
Oh wow! That’s so cool. I’m glad you told me that.
We spoke about me doing this yesterday and she said that you asked great questions; and that it was a lovely interview, so I was very much looking forward to doing it. 2
My comedy friends are always people who I think are just so funny. That’s the nice thing, it’s very easy to make friends; because you see each other perform. So, if you love their performance, you approach each other with enthusiasm. I think Rosalie is amazing.
She really is.
You’ve joked about The Sims before. Do you still play the game?
“I live with my sister at the moment and she has the Sims on her laptop. I try and play it but I’m not allowed ha-ha, because once I get on it I won’t come off for 6 days.”
I forget time. I have such an addictive personality. Also, The Sims is such a product of yearning. When you’re a teenager you love it because nothing is happening in your life. You create a life for yourself without having to be in it. It’s great if you’re a person who doesn’t feel very confident, or you don’t know how to make friends. So, I loved it back then but I’m able to resist it now because I have a real life. I can’t say I did when I was a teenager.
What was it like being on the Trusty Hogs podcast?
It was so good but I found it scary; because it was the first podcast I’d ever been on.
Ha-ha, that’s quite an introduction.
Yeah, it’s obviously quite a big one. Catherine was ill, she had the shits, ha-ha. So, it was me and Helen and it was really fun. I’ve been in awe of both of them for years and I love watching their comedy.
Catherine was very supportive when I first started doing stand-up. It’s really nice when established comedians are like that. And obviously, they both gave me my first podcast appearance, which was a risk.
The podcast works because of their great chemistry.
I think they have a good introvert/extrovert dynamic.
Have you seen the episode where Helen tells the story about being locked out of her hotel room drunk, and she’s naked and she pees in the stairwell? It’s the funniest thing ever.3
Yes, it’s so funny. She has so many great stories. I’d love to watch footage of a GoPro strapped to her head. She’s great.
Are you thinking about what you want to write after Silkworm?
Yeah, with comedy you have to juggle projects, so I’m working on a few things in tandem with the tour. I’ve actually been recording a podcast with Rosalie.
We have great guests and it will be released soon, hopefully before we both go on our tours. We recorded some episodes just before Christmas and it’s called Freak of the Week.4 Our friends, who we think are freaks, get invited onto the podcast and we rank them all on a “freak-o-meter,” from Hailey Bieber to Azealia Banks. One of them will be crowned “Freak of All the Weeks” at the end. They’ve been great fun to record.
I’m also writing a script at the moment and I have two short films in development. Things are busy. I wanted to do another show at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, but as everyone knows, it’s increasingly expensive and I have to take something off my plate.
I’ll start properly working on the show (that Rosalie is directing) straight after I’ve finished Silkworm. I’m planning for a run at the Fringe in 2026, and I’ll dip into writing it gradually.
How are you feeling about the upcoming tour dates?
Good! I’m really excited. It feels weird to be doing it after 9 months. I’m performing at all my favourite venues. I’m also re-jigging some of the show, to make an insanely wild ending. The ending is the most exciting thing about doing it again.
Performing at the Soho Theatre is such a dream.
I’m also recording it where I did my first ever “work-in-progress,” at the Bill Murray (also in London,) which feels apt. Plus, I’m going to Manchester. I love performing there. It’s a great city for comedy.
I love the art gallery, I always go.
I haven’t been.
It’s amazing.
Okay, I’ll be going there, ha-ha, on tour. And then to Brighton and Edinburgh.
We chatted for 5 more minutes. She had a couple of great questions about the blog, and was very complimentary; I felt like the winning dog at Crufts. Every minute was a privilege. You can listen to the full interview below. But first, you should buy tickets for the tour; and follow her on Instagram.
I encourage the liking, commenting on, and sharing of this post, as it really does drive engagement. You may also wish to subscribe.
Audio
Or when posing for the photo below.
Resisting the urge to make this one of the block quotes.
Sorry, Helen, your pain was our gain.
Every fibre of my being wanted to talk about Karl Pilkington here, he’s one of my favourite celebrities. If you know you know, n’ that.
Another great read, well done Dan
Another funny gal to follow! Great interview.