Jessica Fostekew is an English comedian and actor whose previous show, ‘Wench’, played a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run. She grew up watching the TV show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ which developed her interest in comedy and performing. She started by writing sketches and doing improvised comedy, which led to her working with stars such as Gemma Whelan and Sara Pascoe. Now, she is a two-time Chortle Award winner and an Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee for her show ‘Hench’. She has also appeared in Live at the Apollo and BAFTA-winning drama Three Girls. Her latest project involves a UK tour, during which she will showcase ‘Mettle’ in various cities, including Brighton and London and will take place between February to June 2024. In a recent interview, the versatile comedian shared insights into her upcoming tour.
What made you want to be a comedian?
“Comedy was a huge currency in my home and my family. My dad is really funny. At school, I realised it was quite a powerful currency there as well. It was a great way to win friendships. Once I got into my teens, I desperately wanted to be friends with groups of girls and just didn’t know my way in. I managed to crack the most popular friendship group by being the clown in it; I’m actually still mates with them all to this day.”
Tell me about your show ‘Mettle’, what can the audience expect?
“It’s a brand-new show. It’s all about passion. It’s about the pace of life. I think I expected as I got older, things would slow down. But actually, they keep speeding up and speeding up the more I realise I’ve got to do and want to do. Theme-wise, it’s about not being too cool to try really hard at things and giving things a really good go even if they are things you think might be impossible.”
What made you want to bring your show to Brighton?
“Brighton is always a brilliant gig. You’d be mad to miss it off your tour schedule. Any comedian would. We all love Brighton. Brighton is full of people who come out and go to stuff, which I have a huge love and respect for.”
Your press release says: ‘Jess’ son has joined a cult, and her cat’s learnt to talk’. Could you tell me more about this?
“I’ve got two cats; they are both weird. One of them, if he needs a poo, he starts going: ‘Hello, hello’. How creepy is that? The worst thing is I don’t think he’s even choosing to do it because he looks so embarrassed when he’s saying ‘Hello’. Normally I look at a cat’s life and think God, you are so lucky. But now I think, no, I wouldn’t swap it with my life, not if it meant that every time I thought I might need a poo, I had to start shouting ‘Hello!’”
How did you make the transition from comedy to acting?
“I was doing bits of acting before I started stand-up comedy. Stand-up comedy is so addictive and time-consuming that it took over for about ten years. But I’ve found a way back into acting. I think acting is easier because someone else has written it, it’s someone else’s baby, and the pressure’s not as high as when you’re standing on stage as yourself, telling jokes and stories about your life, which if people don’t like, you think, well, it turns out you don’t like me!”
Jessica Fostekew: Mettle will be performed in Brighton on the 22nd of March 2024 at The Old Market.
