Sarah Cameron-West, the writer, actor, and producer of the critically acclaimed show KAREN, returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with her outrageously hilarious one-woman production. In this exclusive interview, Cameron-West delves into the inspiration behind the modern-day Bridget Jones tale, exploring themes of heartbreak, office politics, and feminine rage.
KAREN follows the protagonist’s tumultuous journey through an unceremonious birthday break-up, office nemesis drama, and an unexpected identity crisis. Directed by Evie Ayres-Townshend, the show promises a fast-paced, emotional rollercoaster filled with sarcasm, humour, and a cathartic confrontation.
Don’t miss KAREN at Underbelly Cowgate (Delhi Belly) from August 1 to August 25, 2024 (excluding August 12 and 19). Book your tickets now.
You’re bringing the hit show KAREN to the Edinburgh Fringe after successful runs elsewhere. What can you tell us about this one-woman production?
KAREN is a fun, fast paced, 50 minute show exploring the comedic trials and tribulations of our heartbroken Protagonist as we open to see her being dumped on her 30th birthday by her long term boyfriend Joe at Alton Towers.
Things go from bad to worse when it is revealed that Joe has been having an affair with her arch nemesis: Karen. And the cherry on top? They all work in the same office. Watch our Protagonist navigate the powder keg of professionalism and identity crisis as she explodes in the ultimate office showdown which will leave you in stitches!
The show centres on a protagonist dealing with heartbreak, office politics, and her nemesis Karen in a very relatable way. What inspired you to tell this particular story?
I didn’t have a grand plan for KAREN at the start. I initially wrote it as a 10-minute comedy piece for Velvet Smoke’s Project Passion monologue competition. I wanted to see if there was something about having a one-sided conversation with an audience member and how I could create characters just through the Protagonist’s words so that despite it being a solo performance you feel the other characters around her.
The monologue was the final 10 minutes of the show so once I decided to turn it into a full piece I just started working backwards and seeing what kind of circumstances would bring our protagonist to such a dramatic ending.
KAREN is described as shattering the fourth wall and blurring the lines between performer and audience. Can you discuss the interactive elements and how you aim to immerse the audience?
Absolutely. KAREN breaks the fourth wall as Protagonist looks to members of the audience to play her various characters: her ex, Karen, her friends, her colleagues, her boss. However, the main difference is that I wanted to keep the intrinsically fun part of audience participation but eliminate the panic of the audience member having to say something clever or funny back, instead I just made Protagonist infer all of the replies.
Albeit the intense eye contact, the audience can sit back and enjoy the performance whilst still feeling in on the jokes and involved in Protagonist’s life.
The protagonist goes on an emotional rollercoaster, unleashing her “feminine rage” in an unashamed rebellion. What themes around women’s anger and empowerment does the show explore?
I think it is absolutely crucial to show raw and authentic displays of emotions theatrically regardless of gender as it allows people to connect to the truth of what it is to be human. However, female rage specifically, is at the core of the play’s identity and impact. I say female rage instead of just rage because rage is received and responded to in a harshly gendered way by society. For example, there seems to be a societal double standard in the language we use when describing the same behaviour in genders: a man is assertive, a woman is a rude. A man can react, a woman can only overreact. A man can be angry, a woman is hysterical. Men, generally speaking, are given the space and permission to express their anger.
Although still perceived problematic at times, rage for men is an accepted performance of feeling whereas women are all too often met by restrictive expectations and conditions to their emotional expressions. The female rage celebrated in KAREN asks an audience to embrace mess and big feelings in a cathartic way, confronting society’s call for women to be polite, restrained and palatable.
Our Protagonist goes the entire play trying to appease those around her and squash down her feelings, yet what we discover is that the only way to process your emotions is to tackle them head on and for Protagonist, it’s a case of the final straw breaking the camel’s back that leads her into a liberating explosion.
With its fast pace and blend of comedy and drama, how did you find the right balance of tones in writing KAREN?
I think the great thing about comedy and drama is that they complement each other so well and with one, the other shines so much brighter. A lesson that I have hung on to that I was taught at drama school is that it is so much more painful to watch someone trying really hard not to cry than it is to see someone crying.
With the Protagonist in KAREN, she uses her humour to deflect from her breaking heart and the audience, albeit laughing, can see straight through her jokes to the struggling person beneath and I think that allows them to find the truth in the story whilst also enjoying the comedic writing.
The best bit about performing it is that the audience are laughing one minute and then there is an unexpected emotional sucker punch which causes them to gasp. It is electrifying for a performer because you can feel the audience connecting with you as you take them on this journey filled with ups and downs.
Rhythm is also incredibly important. Knowing exactly the precise comic timing of your joke so that it lands which then acts as the perfect contrast to a dramatic pause later on and allows you to feel like you have earnt it and not indulging. That comes from practise and luckily, having been able to perform KAREN a fair few times now and with the wonderful rehearsals with my director, we have gotten KAREN down to a fine art so it almost becomes a verbal dance so that you know you are going to hit those perfect steps night after night.
That being said you do want to keep it fresh but happily, it is a new audience every night and no two are ever the same and with KAREN’s audience interaction, it always means I find something new in every performance.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see KAREN at the Edinburgh Fringe?
If you are looking for a funny, silly and sweet show that follows a character dealing with the universal experience of heartbreak which leads her to rebuild her identity and finally stick up for herself, then KAREN is for you.
