Musical comedians Nicola and Rosie Dempsey, aka Flo & Joan, need increasingly little introduction. After their first show Victory Flaps in 2016 was a word-of-mouth hit, they then scored a viral hit with ‘The 2016 Song‘. Since then they’ve had several sell-out tours, recorded an Amazon special, and appeared on both Live at the Apollo and The Royal Variety Performance. Now they return to the Fringe with Sweet Release. We last spoke to them just prior to their second show The Kindness of Stranglers in 2017, so it seemed like a good time to have a catch-up.
How have the last couple of years been for you both?
Rosie: They haven’t been the worst. Obviously it was shit, but it gave you time to just step back a bit and re-evaluate what you were doing, which we needed. We were in the middle of quite a long tour and we didn’t end up finishing [it], so we could could just pause for a second and ask ourselves, ‘What do we want when we go back?’ We got a chance to do some passion projects that we never would have done, so… let’s take the shit with the smooth. It’s hard to say that you had a good time in one of worst years that lots of people experienced, but we were able to get some good stuff out of it.
You’ve had enormous success over the last six years since your first show. You even ended up doing the Royal Variety Performance in 2019. Can you tell us about that?
Nicola: Terrifying. It’s one of things bucket list items that you don’t think you’ll ever get to do because there’s such a small amount of people that get to do it. But we grew up watching it and remember so many things from it. You see it as something that is in theory possible for something that you do, but not possible for you – or not necessarily doable for you, if that makes sense? When we got asked to do it, it was a huge thing. Like, ‘This is the one!’ And then we got to do it and it was terrifying. You don’t get to enjoy it because you’re just stressed about it. But now looking back on it with hindsight, we got to do that iconic thing.
Out of all of your achievements since we last spoke to you, what are you most proud of?
R: I think the [Amazon] special. I’m really proud of the special, and this new show that we’ve done. It feels like a very PR answer, but we’ve been working on it for so long. The fact we’re still performing it and still enjoying it is a huge win for me. We’ve done almost 100 performances and we’re still not-not enjoying it.
Can you tell us about Sweet Release? Is there any significance to the name?
R: I guess there is. A lot of people think it’s about farts, and if that’s what you want to take away from it, then go for it! The show isn’t about a sweet release, but I guess about the idea that… we just like the name! But I guess it’s about letting go of the things you keep hold of.
N: The words ‘sweet release’ are in the show. But like most comedians say, you have to pick your title before you’re written the bulk of your show. Sweet Release felt like a broad enough title where we had a few touching points at the time where we could say, if you want it to relate to [something specific], then we’ve got it, but it also gives you the space to write extra stuff and not be too attached to a specific title like, ‘The Day My Dog Died’. We wanted something positive and uplifting with not too much weight in it that could cast itself over whatever kind of show we ended up writing.
And how’s is it going so far here at the Fringe?
R: It’s great, yes. It’s been very light on its feet, and we’ve seen quite a lot. The shows have gone really well, mostly. We’re still making changes, even after doing the show for six months. Got to keep it fresh. Yes, really enjoying it. Everyone we’ve met so far seems to be in a relatively good mood. It’s really nice.
The last time we interviewed you was just before your second Fringe in 2017. Since then, have you had any really memorable Fringe experiences, either as artists or audience members?
R: As a performer it will also be the 2016 Fringe, that whole month. It was just very memorable. It will always be my favourite because it was the least stress because you had no expectations.
N: Because we didn’t know what we were doing.
R: There were no tickets sales and there was no PR. We did nothing. We just turned up and put the keyboard on. And having people come was just euphoric. As an [audience member] we saw – I don’t know how it was for you but looking back on it, it was iconic – Hannah Gadsby do Nanette. At the time it was, ‘Have you heard of this comedian who is doing their last ever show?’ We’re like, ‘Okay, we’ll go along and see that because it’s their last ever show.’ And then, even before the hype around it came, it was one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever seen. That’s not a hot take on Nanette [laughs], but I remember watching it, thinking it was incredible, and then watching more and more people pick it up. We’re then like, ‘Well, we got to see it at the Edinburgh Fringe!’ I think that’s one where you think about it and go, ‘Oh, holy fuck, we saw Nanette!’
You also said the last time we spoke was that the worst thing about the Fringe was having to carry your piano around Edinburgh in the rain. Are you still having to do that, or do you have someone else to do it for you now?
R: We have a little peasant with a little bell on them so we know that they’re there!
N: At the show, the keyboard stays there as it’s very heavy, but we’ve got a small gigging keyboard that we carry to extra gigs. The piano stays at the venue but we’ve still slogged that gigging keyboard around in the rain. It’s still part of the job, it really is!
R: Then you’ve got all the shit in your backpack as well. When we were previewing I had a bag with bongos in, tambourines, shakers, laptops and cables in. Just looking like two little donkeys lugging stuff around. It’s awful!
After a few years away from the Fringe do you have any hopes or expectations of what the rest of August is going to bring?
N: I think this is the first year that we’ve felt relaxed going into the Fringe. We’re going to keep that mostly to ourselves, as no one likes anyone bragging that they’re having a very nice time at the Fringe. But other than Victory Flaps in the first year, they’ve always felt very stressful. No matter how much you try to not be stressed, they are stressful in a way that you have normalised but your friends go, ‘That doesn’t sound very healthy’. For me the aim is just to try and be as relaxed as possible. We like the show, so just being able to enjoy that, and to enjoy going to see other people’s shows for a month. That’s all I want: a month where people are seeing our show, having a nice time, and getting to see other people’s.
Do you ever get people screaming requests at you during your show?
N: People used to shout for ‘The 2016 Song’ in 2019, and we’re like, ‘Where have you been?’
R: We haven’t had it so far at the Fringe. We’ve had it a little bit in the tour show, but we do often do the requests they’ve been asking for. The Fringe, I don’t know. I think audience at the Fringe are used to being ‘at the Fringe’, so they don’t want to shout things out because they’re Fringe audiences. Or maybe I’m just being naive. So far no one’s screamed at us – not yet. But you can feel it, someone will go, ‘Sing “Carol Cracker Packer”; sing it!’
Are there any acts that we should check out you think deserve more attention?
R: Who have we seen? They’ve got all the attention in the world, but we saw Josie Long for the first time yesterday. I can’t believe I’ve never seen her before. It was just the most lovely hour. We always love Rob Auton. Ruben Kaye is amazing.
N: Chloe Petts has got an amazing show this year.
R: I’m always on the look out for a good musical, a good play that’s not wanky, a good bit of circus and variety. Any of that kind of thing. Things outside of comedy. Things we can only see at Edinburgh.
Sweet Release runs until Sun 28 Aug 2022 (except Tue 16 Aug) at Assembly Roxy – Central @20:10