Grace Mulvey is an Irish comedian based in London, and is bringing her debut hour ‘Tall Baby’ to the Edinburgh Fringe. As well as her stand-up, she is also the creator of the podcasts The Jump and Fad Camp. In 2020 she won the inaugural Galton & Simpson Award for Comedy Writing. We spoke to Grace about the show, the Galton & Simpson award, and resigning herself to a one-a-day cry during August.

Can you tell us about ‘Tall Baby’?

‘Tall Baby’ is about how I moved to London on my own at the age of 33. It was post pandemic, I was single and committing to doing comedy full time. I wanted to change up my life by becoming a human adult who has fun. The only issue was… everything. I tried one-night stands, it did not go well as I have a very Catholic fear of sex. I was diagnosed with foot trauma, I’m still not quite sure what that means. I had to read my very own missing person’s report, it was humbling to say the least. Basically, the show is about how no matter where you go, there you are.

You’re currently performing the show as a work-in-progress. How is it coming along?

I am currently doing a number of work-in-progress shows in London, Brighton, and Dublin, and they are going well! The audiences at these shows are fabulous, patient, and I think happy to watch a comedian work out material in front of them. The motto of the show now is, ‘That needs an ending’.

For anyone who might be new to you, could you describe your approach to comedy?

Humiliation is good for the soul! My approach to comedy is to be as honest as possible about the most humiliating moments in my life. I just want the audience to have fun and forget their troubles for a while. Also, vagina jokes. I do a lot of vagina jokes.

‘Tall Baby’ is your debut hour. What are your hopes and expectations for the month?

My hope is to make people laugh, find my audience, make a name for myself, and have a good time.

My expectation is to make some people laugh, become a better comedian, and have a good time.

Beside ‘Tall Baby’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August?

Everywhere that will have me! I will be doing the Best of Ed Showcase on Aug 14th so come along.

Apart from your show, what else are you looking forward to (or even perhaps dreading) about the Fringe?

I’m really looking forward to performing my show. I am working hard at it and so far, it’s a show that I would love to see. Also, I am just looking forward to soaking up the atmosphere of the Fringe and getting to see so many incredible performances. What I am dreading is the once-a-day cry I will inevitably have because you know the Fringe (and life) is stressful.

You were a winner of the BBC Galton & Simpson award for comedy writing. How did that come about?

I have always been writing sitcom and dramedy scripts, but life, work and stand-up can take up a lot of your time. So, when the pandemic hit and the BBC Galton & Simpson competition was announced it was the perfect time to focus purely on writing. I wrote a 30-page script called ‘Glazed’, a series development plan, a writer’s statement, and submitted it to the BBC. There were over 2,500 entries so I didn’t expect to hear anything back. A few months later I got an email letting me know I was down to the final six. As it was still peak lockdown times, I did a Zoom interview with the head of BBC Comedy and a week later I found out I won. It was amazing! I just want to say though I had numerous people read the script and give me feedback before I entered the competition. Always get notes on a script!

Are there any other acts at the Fringe that you would recommend audiences see?

Amy Annette. Alison Spittle. Gearoid Farrelly. Joanne McNally. Zach Zucker. Ania Magliano.

‘Tall Baby‘ is at Assembly Roxy – Outside from Wed 31 Jul until Sun 25 Aug 2024 (except Mon 12)