Josie Long seems to know a secret the rest of us don’t. Judging from the confidence of her performance, her astute observations about the world around her, and her endless witticisms she’s very intelligent and definitely quite talented. What separates Long from other comedians is that she’s dying to let you into the secret as well. In her latest show, delightfully called Something Better, she creates an astonishingly optimistic show about Brexit and the American Presidential Election (!!!) by inviting her audience to see the state of the world as a challenge to overcome, rather than the last stop before the train of humanity derails. Trying to explain her unique sense of humor without making it sound like Pollyanna or self-aware satire proves quite difficult, because most of her power comes from the warmth she exudes onstage. From the moment she walks in, or if you walk in as she’s testing her microphone, you feel like you’re in the presence of a friend.
Her show surprised me because she dares to go places other artists, not to mention comedians, shy away from. She touches on issues like privilege, class and race to let us know that even if she’s onstage, we are all with her simply trying to figure out the world together. She turns the very personal into the universal by sharing her fears, worries and dreams so that rather than being a show with a series of punchlines, it’s a performance in which she gives multiple leaps of faith. In her show she mentions Rebecca Solnit’s Hope in the Dark, which she modestly suggests says everything she wants to say in a better way, perhaps she’s sometimes unaware of the power of her honesty. After the show I approached her to let her know that my father had recently sent me Hope in the Dark and how excited I was to have seen it featured in her show. The more I geeked out, the more interested she was in what I had to say, which is why I immediately knew I needed to have a proper conversation with her. A few days later over the phone I reminded her about the book incident, I referred to it as “weird”, she called it “lovely”. That should give you an idea of what Josie Long embodies.
This might sound a bit too metaphysical, but the darker the world seems to get, the more I notice these strange events and connections like the book my father sent me, also being a crucial part of your show. Is this something that has happened to you as well?
I don’t know if I’ve found myself seeing fated introductions in my life, what I’m sensing is much more human connection and tenderness. On the day after the Trump election I just found myself feeling so desperate to be kind to everyone I encountered, and what I’ve learned is that the harder things get, the more people really appreciate trying to being generous to each other and thoughtful on a micro level. Things in the calendar like the Edinburgh Fringe for instance, and holidays, everyone’s trying hard to make those things count even more. Me and my friends are desperately excited about Christmas in a way we aren’t usually, maybe because we know that’s a time where we can be kind to each other and just keep going. I don’t know if I’ve seen anything really fated, but I’ve seen things that are urgent and necessary.
What’s on your Christmas wish list then?
Half of me is like “peace for the world, my friends and loved ones”, and then it’s like any kind of fancy yoga membership, or bougie stuff like that. Isn’t it weird? The more stressful and threatening things become the more I feel I’m healthy and privileged enough to not be in a position of desperation, so I try as much as possible to be useful.
You know us New Yorkers love feeling special, so if we truly are special, can you talk about what it’s like to perform here?
I think New York audiences are very smart, urban and cultured, not trying to suck up to you guys, but people on the whole are very generous and fun. People join in on certain bits in my show in ways they don’t in the UK, I think American audiences can be slightly more earnest, but in the States people take things literally when they’re jokes.
During the performance I attended you pointed out that it was the first show that you felt was perfect. Do you have a formula when you know the show is right where you want it to be?
I started this show about a week and a half ago and it took me so long to realize how people around me were feeling after the election. It’s such a weird time to be doing this show, Brexit was a similarly seismic event in terms of how it made people feel and what it means for the future. It took me ages to understand the mood and figure out how to translate the show for an American crowd, the last show I brought here was about love, so you don’t have to talk about “American love vs. British love”. I was drinking with one of my friends, and the drunker he got was like “listen to me, I’m going to be very honest with you!” This show on its own has been interesting because I’m talking about my personal reaction to political events so I don’t want to make assumptions about Americans, I don’t expect them to give a shit about the intricacy of British politics.
I’m not that well versed in live comedy, but for some reason after the election I’ve watched more comedy shows than ever before. When people run out of nouns and adjectives they usually refer to comedians as “jesters”, but watching your show it struck me that more than the work of a “jester” you’re doing the work of a “healer”. Do you see yourself like that in any way?
Oh gosh that’s really interesting, in my shows I try to respond honestly to where I am in my life. I’ve been trying to write about politics for so long, and been through so many different stages, so I did want to write a show that interpreted these big things and was trying to be useful. I’ve been thinking a lot about what political comedy can achieve, I don’t know if it’s good at fighting fascism, but on a small level I think we can offer solidarity and give people hope. I wrote with that aim in mind, with comedy you might as well write something that aspires to be positive and encouraging. My only problem with this show is when it works it can be very lighthearted and fun, but when it doesn’t it’s too earnest. It’s a hard line to walk, but one I’m interested in exploring. Your comedy should be honest, where I am from there’s anguish whether you’re conservative or liberal, so I wanted to talk about that. Also, stand up is a new genre so to put limits on what it is, just diminished it.
You’ve worked on every single medium but watching your show I kept wishing Mike Leigh would cast you in one of his films. Are there any filmmakers you’d love to work with?
Mike Leigh is incredible and I love his work. I also really like Shane Meadows who made This is England, they both have a similar style in how they shoot actors in a real, human way, not actor-y. In America I really like Joe Swanberg because he makes things on a very human scale, and also just because of how much he makes and puts out. Me and my friends set up a company called Caledonia Mumblecore, we basically make films in Glasgow and modeled the writing and acting on Leigh, Meadows and Swanberg. We just made our first film, nobody paid for it and nobody asked for it (laughs) but we chose to disturb the universe with it. We wanted to experiment with that kind of low-key, realistic, not necessarily understated, explorations. Mike Leigh would be my dream though!
I have such a crush on your BBC podcast Short Cuts…
Amazing! We’re recording our 50th episode on Wednesday. I’m really excited about it, the most recent one was on dreamers.
It was a great episode too! Recently I heard a quote by Elizabeth Gilbert who said that “an interested person is an interesting person”, and on the podcasts you always seem so excited about the things you discuss which made me think how wonder is such an essential part of your work. Can you talk about how keeping that sense of wonder affects your life and work?
Definitely, I’m thrilled this came across because that’s a basis of everything. Staying interested because there is a constant abundance of things to find out and celebrate, growing up my mom wanted me and my sister to be creative but also academic in terms of research, learning and finding out more about the world. I think it’s intrinsically pleasant to do so, it’s never boring. On the whole I remain excited by that, that’s why it’s been so hard to write political shows, initially my shows were based around exuberance, finding stuff out and passing it on. I made a radio series called All of the Planet’s Wonders which was about wonder in finding things out, I want to celebrate that because just a shows can be consolatory, they can be enlivening, fun and informative and I want to get back to that.
To end on a silly note, other than “The Piña Colada Song” what are your go-to karaoke numbers?
Oh my god I’m so glad you asked this (laughs), my favorite karaoke song is “Nothing Compares 2 U”, not the Prince version - even though it’s great - but Sinead O’Connor’s cover. I like to do it with a pint of water in my hand and then during the guitar break I throw it all over me and do a massive crying breakdown, which I’m so proud of. I think it’s the pinnacle of my performance.
Something Better is running at the Barrow Street Theatre through December 3. For tickets and more information click here. For more on Josie Long visit her official website.
