Comedy / Sharon Wanjohi
‘It’s really about the vibe’: Sharon Wanjohi on building a solo standup hour
Sharon Wanjohi is a queer British Kenyan comedian who is increasingly being touted as one to watch.
Although still a relative newcomer on the standup scene, she has provided tour support for Jessica Fostekew and Sarah Keyworth, and since 2022 has amassed a string of writing, radio and TV credits, including appearances on Comedy Central Live (Sky), The BBC New Comedy Awards (BBC Three), the Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV2) and Kiri’s Comedy Club (BBC Radio 4).
Now criss-crossing the country doing work-in-progress shows, she cites her take on “the lack of Gen-Z homeowners, as well as “maybe too much material on the cartoons that inspired a generation of sexual awakenings”.
is needed now More than ever
Ahead of her appearance at The Robin Hood on July 6, Wanjohi shared with Bristol24/7 her enthusiasm about the process of building a new hour of standup.
How would you describe your comic persona?
“I really want to come across as someone who’s just drifted onto the stage carried by a cloud but I probably come across as though I’m teetering on the verge of a breakdown (aren’t we all).”
When you’re building a solo hour, how do your strands of material begin to coalesce into a show?
“I really like using old material to inspire new material but I’m also finding as I do more WIPS that fully relaxing and allowing loose ideas to connect bits is so much fun.”
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What makes a successful work-in-progress show, for you, and how does this change as the hour begins to take shape?
“I think any WIP where I’ve left and learnt at least one thing I’m happy. Oh, and doing it completely differently until I’m happy with where it’s going. I imagine the closer I get to Edinburgh the more things like the structure, technical cues and the general shape will start to make more sense. All in all I’m really excited to be presenting this hour and I’m so grateful to everyone who’s coming out to see it.”
To what degree do you feel vulnerable when sharing work in its nascent stages?
“Oh at first, VERY! It’s scary to present a new hour of nothing and go ‘well, what do you think?’. But I really like the premise of the show and I’m loving leaning on audiences to figure things out. It’s like a focus group if you will.”
In work-in-progress and preview shows, where audience sizes may be smaller, is there such a thing as a false negative/positive in gauging how the material is landing? How do you mitigate this?
“I don’t think so. For me it’s not about the audience size, because you can have a massive audience who never get on board. It’s really the vibe (eeeewwww). So I’ve never really discounted smaller more intimate audiences because honestly, they can be some of the best gigs. They feel like a group of mates have come round for a pint and now you’re banging on about a screenplay you swear you’re going to write.”
Sharon Wanjohi: Work-in-Progress is at The Robin Hood on July 6 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from www.headfirstbristol.co.uk.
All photos: Sharon Wanjohi
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