2018 BBC New Comedy Award Finalist Helen Bauer is bringing her debut hour Little Miss Baby Angel Face to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and we can’t wait. Helen loves drama, she’s her mother’s daughter and likes to take a small situation, blow it up, then get upset when it’s out of her control. Just like all the best reality TV. At the same time, she dreams of being a sweet angel handling any drama with grace. Who doesn’t overthink everything and plan for how they will have all eyes on them at the right moment? RIGHT? We caught up with Helen before she headed up to Edinburgh to talk about her show, advice for others going to the Fringe and her new Daddy…
Funny Women: Tell us about your show Little Miss Baby Angel Face.
Helen Bauer: Little Miss Baby Angel Face is an exploration of my love for tragic situations and the relationship with my Mum.
My mum and I are two sides of the same coin. My mum currently has ghosts in her house and thinks in a past life she was on the Titanic, whereas I spend most of my free time crying and trying to get people to notice. My Mum ran a ‘drama school’ from our house from when I was young and clearly the drama continued everywhere I went.
Sincerity is what the show tackles and my complete inability to be sincere when it is most required.
FW: You touch on quite a few serious issues in Little Miss Baby Angel Face, is there any subject you wouldn’t address on stage?
HB: It’s not so much subject as it is the approach to that subject. At this moment, there are topics I would not feel comfortable tackling in these early stages of my career.
FW: Last year you were part of the Pleasance Reserve, now you’re returning to the Pleasance Courtyard with your debut, how does it feel?
HB: So, so exciting. It’s great to be back at Pleasance. I’m returning from Reserve last year as you said but it’s also my 10 year anniversary of going to Fringe for the first time to tech for Pleasance.
FW: You have a new podcast, which I love, called Daddy Look at Me with Rosie Jones/Daddy. How did this project come about?
HB: Well thank you very much. We are so proud of it! We had never worked together before end of last year where we filmed a short for BBC talking about our periods and it turned out we have both put objects up our vaginas to see how deep we were (me; TRESemme paddle brush, Rosie; pencil case). We fell in love, she is my Daddy and we started the podcast.
FW: As an Edinburgh Fringe regular, have you got any tips for comedians going up to the festival for the first time?
HB: You don’t have to do and see everything. Take time to sit and chat with friends. Don’t always be running around to fit everything in.
FW: Which funny women are you hoping to see in Edinburgh this year?
HB: You ready for a list, please read this in the style of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire.
Heidi Regan, Olga Koch, Izzy Mant, Sophie Duker, Rosie Jones, Esther Manito, Yuriko Kotani, Flora Anderson, Micky Overman, Louise Bastock and Liz Guterbock.
Helen Bauer: Little Miss Baby Angel Face will be at the Pleasance Courtyard Bunker One at 6pm for the month of August for tickets click here!
