Kluane Saunders is an actor, soprano and improviser. She has appeared as Sergeant Stibbs in the web series TSU (Pulped), in Sister Boniface (BBC), and as the hands and blurry face of Just Eat (TVC) in their recent campaign. Kluane’s recent stage credits include Whipped Up at Watford Palace and Newsrevue. Kluane is an improviser and member of the current FA Harold team Hotbed. She also occasionally improvises songs and mini-musicals with The Bean Spillers.
As a writer her sketch “Flatmates” was shortlisted for the Funny Women Comedy Awards, and her writing will appear in Newsrevue’s Edfringe season. Her solo show An Old Fashioned Girl sold out at Bedfringe and Brighton Fringe.
How did you get into comedy/writing/producing etc?
My drama school encouraged us to make our own work and I produced a show with friends almost straight away after graduating. After moving to London I initially found it hard to be seen for anything or to get representation so I wrote a show for myself and two friends in 2016 and took it to festivals. I produced, wrote, and acted in that and it was incredibly intense. The amount of work (and money) it took to produce a show by yourself frankly put me off producing for a while.
I got a lot out of it but realised collaborators would make it more sustainable. Plus, the show got me an agent and a few fun opportunities and I got caught up in performing for a few years. I kept writing and produced a few smaller projects.
During lockdown I felt creatively stifled again (as most of us did) and started putting some comedy sketches online. They were well received. I entered a short I had written in an online competition, and actually got shortlisted for a Funny Women prize! I also started writing with a few collaborators (which I enjoyed much more than writing on my own) and found a lot of joy in creating again. I wrote my first musical with two friends and we were commissioned to stage it at Singapore Fringe Festival.
Meanwhile, I was hired as a writer/performer on Newsrevue. The cast (Tom O’Kelly, Ross Tomlinson, Lucy Buncombe, and myself) soon realised we collaborated well together. After our intense summer of creating and performing a new show each week finished, Lucy convinced us all to write our own show together and Remember, Remember! and Wit? Theatre were born.
Tell us about your comedy style.
Wit? Theatre has an eclectic mix of comedic styles that we have managed to marry together to create a ridiculously hilarious new comedy musical. I personally am a huge fan of physical comedy, and slap stick. I love a visual gag and enjoy nothing more than being told that something I’ve written is ‘stupid’ (in the same way Ru Paul means it). There is no doubt I write from an actors’ perspective and definitely believe that any of my writing ‘working’ on stage/film is entirely reliant on brilliant actors performing it.
What’s your show about and where can we see it?
Our show is called Remember, Remember! It’s a silly, historically inaccurate retelling of the gunpowder plot (y’know? the one with Guy Fawkes?) with all new catchy music. You can see us in previews at The Pleasance, London on 24th and 25th July, 7pm or at Edinburgh Fringe 5th -30th Aug (not 17th or 24th ) 5:15pm at Pleasance Queen Dome.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
For this show we knew we wanted to draw on a topic that the general population immediately recognised. We tossed around several classic literary titles, and other historic events and this one just struck us as the most fun. We love that most people have heard of the gunpowder plot, Guy Fawkes, and bonfire night but their lack of clarity on the details left scope for creativity, hilarity, and playfulness in our storytelling.
What do you think makes great comedy/content/sitcom/etc?
I think we all laugh at people and things that we recognise or relate to. I adore a larger than life physically bold characterisation, and if we (as the audience) can relate directly to that character that automatically makes it funnier for us.
Any advice for those taking their first show to Edinburgh?
Try not to do it alone (even if it’s a one person show). Get a team involved. Rope friends and collaborators in to help you. I truly think it takes a village and I would highly recommend building yours for Edinburgh Fringe because I think otherwise it could be quite overwhelming and a bit lonely.
Who are your favourite Funny Women?
Catherine O’Hara, Tina Fey, Kristin Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Betty White, Carol Burnett, some online creators I’m enjoying at the moment are: Nicole Daniels, Laura Ramoso, and Andi Marie Tillman.
What do you love about comedy/writing/producing?
I love all the creative elements of making work. I enjoy watching comedy and so I lean towards it in my writing. As the state of the world gets more serious I think people (including myself) are more and more keen to find joy, laughter, and release in their entertainment and I love to be a part of making an audience laugh. This creative process has been particularly fun because we have made each other laugh so much too. I am always in awe of my brilliant collaborators and it has been an absolute blast creating this ridiculous show with them.
Tickets and more information are available here!
