Stand-up comic Isy Suttie on finding the adventure in domesticity

Though destined to be indelibly fixed in the public consciousness as Peep Show’s Dobbie, Isy Suttie is also an acclaimed musical comedian, actor and author, known for her chatty and warm persona.

She is now back on the road for the first time since going on tour with 2016’s The Actual One; this time with Jackpot. A lot has changed for Suttie in the intervening years.

Now a mother of two, she finds herself ever searching to recreate the spontaneity and excitement that characterised her youth. And, as she told Bristol24/7, this quest proved to be the catalyst for the new show.

Isy Suttie – photo: Matt Crockett

What made you want to come back not only to stand-up, but to touring, after a decade focused on writing, broadcasting and other projects?

“I always felt like I was a comedian, even in that long break of six years, partly due to the pandemic. I always felt I probably would write a new hour-long show but stand up doesn’t marry well with being a parent of very young kids, so I had to wait until I felt this real urge to tour again, which I did.

“We’ve also planned it so we’ve never got more than two nights away a week and I’m taking my daughter with me to some gigs, which will be interesting as she’s not allowed to watch the show!”

Can you describe the process of finding what it was you wanted, or needed, to talk about, this time around?

“It came about very organically. I was sick of my old set so was mainly doing new material nights once lockdown lifted. Because there was no pressure and I didn’t necessarily intend to write a new show, it was completely different from in the past when I had Edinburgh as a deadline and previews booked in. 10 new minutes expanded into 20 and a theme started to emerge. Then I got my friend Matthew Crosby to direct it, and he was absolutely brilliant, especially on structure.”

Isy Suttie – photo: Matt Crockett

As a parent of young children, it seems inevitable that you go off the radar for a while. Do you feel like you’ve reclaimed your identity again, on the other side of those early years, or is it a continuing balance you’re trying to find?

“It was important to me to always have some kind of creative protect ticking away, even in the newborn stage – I don’t mean me working every day, but thinking over a project of some sort and scribbling down little notes perhaps. In terms of visibility, I went off the radar which was exactly right as I did try to do it all when my daughter was born and got quite ill with burn out, so then had to pull work back – but my brain was never not occupied with coming up with ideas.

“I do now feel it’s much better for me to generally work a bit less than I used to and not always be rushing about. That means I enjoy all aspects of my life more.”

Isy Suttie – photo: Matt Crockett

Do you think you’ve landed on the recipe for a lifetime of adventure, given all the mitigating factors of your domestic life? Do you still care about it just as much, having got it out on stage?

“Yes, and I think it can exist in smaller, more nuanced ways. You can have smaller adventures. Also, I’ve redefined what I class as an ‘adventure’. I think for me now, rather than the big things like jumping off bridges for a bet and doing ouija boards, it’s more in the way I live – remaining prepared for a risk, for being curious about life and people, and tending to say “yes”.”

What sort of older person do you aspire one day to become?

“I can’t ever imagine stopping creating stuff, but I just love being with my family and having fun too. I’d just like to carry on doing that.”

Isy Suttie: Jackpot is at The Redgrave Theatre on October 27 at 8pm. Tickets are available at www.redgravetheatre.com.

All photos: Matt Crockett

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