In 2019 Helen Bauer stormed the Edinburgh Fringe with her debut show Little Miss Baby Angel Face, she was all set to return but, well we all know what happened in 2020. In between hosting podcasts Daddy Look At Me, Trusty Hogs, and creating her BBC Three show Small Doses, Helen has taken on the self-care industry in her new show Madam Good Tit. We caught up with Helen about her new show and the importance of oversharing…crack on.
Funny Women: How does it feel to be returning to a ‘back to normal’ Edinburgh Fringe?
Helen Bauer: So great! I have been craving this since September 2019. Making people smile about things that thought they were alone in feeling. It sounds so self-righteous but when you find out through a joke that your bizarre thoughts and habits are common it feels great. Everything from anxiety to finding hairs in your butt crack when you leave the shower after washing your hair! So happy to be back.
FW: Have you got any tips for comedians going up to the festival for the first time?
HB: All you can control is how funny your show is, so when everything is overwhelming or you have a tiny crowd just remember: be funny. That is the job.
FW: Your debut show, Little Miss Baby Angel Face, dealt with self-worth and was incredibly strong, it feels like Madam Good Tit’s examination of self-help is the natural next step but why did you decide to address the self-help industry?
HB: Thank you. I had not thought about it like that but yes! I think of Little Miss Baby Angel Face as a show of self-worth like you said about how we control people’s perceptions of ourselves. In Madam Good Tit I am going down the rabbit hole of myself further and how we are expected to self-love and care constantly despite a lifetime of being told the opposite. I can’t go straight from Special K Diet to Intuitive Eating. I think with the self-help industry being such a money maker it’s fascinating to look at and Yoga with Adrienne is inherently funny. I don’t want to give too much away so you will have to see the show to hear it all! It is a very confident show what can I say.
FW: Who are the funny women are you hoping to see in Edinburgh this year?
HB: Looking forward to seeing Esther Manito’s new show and excited to see Catherine Bohart, and Sophie Duker they are all amazing and I am obsessed. Also, Jayde Adams’s new show looks incredible and she is always the queen of fringe for me. Some amazing debut acts this year too who are already stars, Chloe Petts and Thanyia Moore jump to mind!
Helen Bauer’s new stand-up show Madam Good Tit will be at the Pleasance Courtyard Bunker Two for the month of August for tickets go to www.edfringe.com
