Welcome to a new series of interviews with performers at Vault – Vaulty Chattles!
As part of A Pinch of Vault, the mini-version of Vault Festival happening this spring, Suchandrika Chakrabarti is acting as MC on the show Good News/Bad News, which brings comedy to the headlines.
Where: The Spacement at The Glitch
When: 3 Mar at 2pm
Ticket link: https://www.wearevault.org/apov/good-news-%2F-bad-news
Good News/Bad News is a comic look at recent news items, with you as MC – what should audiences expect?
I encourage a range of styles, from ‘straight’ stand-up to character to alternative to musical to clowning… whatever the acts have got!
Being the booker for the night means that I can curate the kind of show I’d enjoy seeing.
The news theme has proved really popular not only with audiences but also with acts wanting to be booked on the night, so it’s a super-fun way to work with people whose stuff I like.
As MC, I play around with character comedy and get out of my comfort zone.
The show is part of A Pinch of Vault this year. What’s the best thing about being part of a fringe festival like this?
Vault is a delightful organisation to work with, and it’s really nice to have a London-based Fringe to brighten up this time of year.
Audiences understand that our shows are works in progress or newly-launched, as in this case, and that’s so valuable. Can’t wait to see some shows myself!
The world is having a tough time right now – is that a better place to find comic inspiration that if everything is fine and dandy?
I don’t think there’s ever been a time that the world was fine and dandy for everyone, sadly.
What’s specific about this moment in time is that we swim in news all day, get summoned to look at news by notifications, scroll through news while reading friends’ updates and catching up on our favourite TV shows…
News is weaving its way through our entire day – and it provokes our emotions. That’s tough to deal with, and none of us has the answer. It’s an absurd situation with loads of comic potential.
Of course, then there’s headlines like George Carlin estate sues over fake comedy special purportedly generated by AI, or The Met Office warns the UK will be double-fisted by deadly snow and ice, or indeed hall-of-famer Jan. 6 rioter nabbed in Bumble dating app sting pleads guilty to assaulting officers. It’s impossible not to have fun with those kinds of stories.
Your recent show, I Miss Amy Winehouse, was a solo performance. Do you have any preference for being on stage alone or with others?
Having my cake and eating it (why else have the cake?), I’m going to say both!
I am working on my second solo WIP, Doomscrolling, and I hope to take it to Edinburgh Fringe this summer. As I started comedy in the pandemic, I didn’t have much opportunity to be on a stage with others, but now I do and I love it!
I’ve really enjoyed running Good News/ Bad News comedy nights, and I hope to carry on for the foreseeable…
What’s next for the show after this run?
After the Pinch of Vault taster show with Rosalie Minnitt (of Ed Fringe and Soho Theatre smash hit Clementine), Posey Mehta (her Ed Fringe 2022 debut was one of the best-reviewed shows that year) and Sami Abu Wardeh (as seen on Channel 4), we’re back home at Aces & Eights in Tufnell Park, on the second Wednesday of each month.
On 13th March, we’ve got Lorna Rose Treen and Jon Oldfield taking a short break from writing their new Radio 4 series to pop over and headline together. I don’t want to give away their act, but let’s just say that things can only get better (can only get better)…