- And the guinea pig took off her knee pads,
got off her skateboard and said,
"F*** you. F*** you!"
Thank you. Wow, great crowd, wow!"
- [Interviewer] What a rousing performance!
- Alright, Joe!
- [Interviewer] Alright?
- Alright. Just how we say hello here.
- [Interviewer] Oh! Alright,
well I'm here to ask you 73 questions...
- Alright.
- [Interviewer] So, what material am I
walking in on right now?
- This is a rehearsal of Fleabag, the play.
- [Interviewer] And what's the significance of this theater
that we're in right now?
- This is the very same space I ever did
the first preview of Fleabag.
- [Interviewer] And what's the most memorable,
theatrical moment that you've had in the theater?
- In quite an early performance,
I was performing right here,
and there was a girl sat in the front row,
who laughed so hard at a joke that her boob came out.
- [Interviewer] Ok, then!
Well, Fleabag is now a massive hit - and I'm a huge fan.
- Thank you.
- [Interviewer] Where did the concept
for the show come from?
- I think it was really inspired
by the cynicism I was feeling in my twenties, and then
also wanting to play a character I can really relate to,
and also a touch of female rage.
- [Interviewer] How would you define female rage?
- Uncontrollable, violent, female anger.
- [Interviewer] And Killing Eve
is another show that I'm a big fan of.
- Thank you.
- [Interviewer] How would you condense that series
into a quick little sound bite?
- Murder, murder, hair.
- [Interviewer] Now, which do you prefer -
writing from multiple points of view
or writing from a singular point of view?
- I do like writing from a single point of view,
because it means you really have to
delve into the psychology of one person.
- [Interviewer] And how different or difficult was it
to write without also acting it?
- It was kind of a relief to begin with,
but then I did start to miss it.
- [Interviewer] When talking about Fleabag,
I heard you said it was hard to not look at the camera.
Does it feel good to be in front of the camera again?
- What do you mean?
This is not...
this is just your face isn't it? Can you feel that?
- [Interviewer] I was just testing you.
Of course it's my face. There's no camera here.
- Should we move on?
- [Woman] See you tomorrow!
- Bye guys!
Thanks so much.
Great pretend rehearsal.
- [Interviewer] So, Fleabag is a show
that I binged recently.
What's a show that you've done recently?
- Homecoming
- [Interviewer] What's your dream role in life?
- I'd really like to play someone
who's brought up in the wild,
like raised by animals.
- [Interviewer] What's your favorite word
in the English dictionary?
- Trumpet!
- [Interviewer] Favorite podcast in the podcast pantheon?
- "Guilt and Shame"
and "Guilty Feminists."
Just anything with the word guilt in it.
- [Interviewer] Favorite artist?
- René Magritte.
- [Interviewer] Favorite artistic moment
in the history of all art?
- In the history of all art?
F*** you.
- [Interviewer] What's your favorite British idiom?
- Never look a gift horse in the house.
In the house?
In the mouth!
- [Interviewer] Favorite American idiom?
- I'm just gonna circle back.
- [Interviewer] Biggest difference
between American and British humor?
- I think if it's really truly funny,
there really shouldn't be a difference.
- [Interviewer] What's one thing fans will be shocked
to learn about you?
- I didn't write any of it.
- [Interviewer] Would you consider a stand-up ever?
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] Can you tell me a joke?
- First hurdle.
- [Interviewer] Phoebe, you are staging
the world's biggest art heist.
What lie do you tell the security guard
to let you into the museum?
- I am the main security guard.
- [Interviewer] So I can see you're on your way out.
What do you have planned for the rest of the day?
- I'm gonna go into the Fleabag edit.
It's the final day.
- [Interviewer] Oh, I cannot wait for that.
You find yourself on a plane,
do you take the window or aisle seat?
- Window.
- [Joe] You find yourself on a train,
are you riding backwards or forwards?
- Forwards.
- [Interviewer] How do you unwind?
- Oh, sleep.
- [Interviewer] Who is your favorite designer right now?
- Galvan, who designed my amazing liquid red thing
from the Golden Globes.
- [Interviewer] Who is the most stylish fictional person?
- Villanelle.
- [Interviewer] Who is the most stylish real person?
- Bill Nighy.
- [Interviewer] What would you consider
to be your beauty philosophy?
- Don't overthink it, but also, eyebrows.
- [Interviewer] Can you tell me a PG-rated version
of the most R-rated story that you have?
- Oh wow. I did do a play here upstairs
when I was in a bath, naked with somebody
for...
I don't think there is a PG version of this story actually.
Let's move on.
This is Maddie who played Fleabag in the tour.
- [Interviewer] Oh, very cool.
- Hey Maddie!
- [Interviewer] Hey Maddie!
- Hi!
- [Interviewer] Favorite gift you've ever received?
- Build your own gingerbread house,
I got this on Christmas from my mom.
Then I also got a very beautiful bracelet.
- [Interviewer] Oh, that sounds really, really nice.
- Bye box office...
- [Box Office] Bye bye.
- See you.
- [Interviewer] Favorite gift you've ever given?
- I gave my brother a record
and I had recorded all of his friends singing
Happy Birthday and sending lovely messages
to him on it.
I was really chuffed at that.
- [Interviewer] What's your biggest pet peeve?
- Rudeness.
- [Interviewer] Ok, I see the work station over here.
Can you tell me what you're currently working on?
- No, of course not.
- [Interviewer] What three words
describe your writing process?
- Panic, panic, hope.
- [Interviewer] And what is a crucial aspect
to your creative process?
- Panic and hope.
- [Interviewer] What would you say
to anyone in a creative rut?
- Read
and walk around.
Get out of bed,
and call someone
who can complain about your rut too.
- [Interviewer] Ok, show me a hidden talent.
- Are you ready?
- [Interviewer] Yes.
- And then...
- [Interviewer] What?
Ok, that is weirding me out.
- Creepy?
- [Interviewer] Yes. Tremendously so.
What's the best description of London that you've heard?
- That it's a lovely country.
- [Interviewer] What's your favorite thing about SoHo?
- Oh sorry! People just open doors to you
whenever you want to leave the room.
Thank you!
The seven noses of Soho.
- [Interviewer] And what's the most English thing
that I can do while I'm here?
- Apologize for everything.
- [Interviewer] What's your favorite insult?
- Can you bleep it out,
'cause Americans really don't like this word.
C***
- [Interviewer] Oh, we bleeped it out.
Favorite quote?
- We write to taste life twice.
- [Interviewer] Which is the hardest to nail,
imitations or accents?
- Imitations
- [Interviewer] Are you good at imitations?
- No.
- [Interviewer] I don't believe it for a second.
And you're pals with Donald Glover.
- Yeah.
- [Interviewer] What's he like to work with?
- He's an adorable little kitten.
- [Interviewer] Can you tell me something about him
that absolutely no one in the world knows?
- No, why would I do that?
- [Interviewer] Ok, so we have a British red phone booth.
- Yes!
- [Interviewer] People don't actually
use these anymore, right?
- Oh they do,
but mainly to urinate
and to call up prostitutes.
- [Interviewer] You said Fleabag is not autobiographical,
but what would you say are your
biggest similarities with her as a character?
- Deep down she's a hopeless romantic.
- [Interviewer] And what's your favorite thing about her?
- She lives to make you laugh.
- [Interviewer] And it's going off-Broadway...
- Yes!
- [Interviewer] Will this be your first time performing
on stage in New York?
- Yep.
- [Interviewer] Who is someone
you'd love to see in that audience?
- Glenn Close.
- [Interviewer] What dating advice would you give to anyone
who's single right now?
- Always smell good.
- [Interviewer] What's the worst first date you've ever had?
- Someone who was more boring than they were hot.
Does that make sense?
- [Interviewer] Yeah, kind of.
- Oh!
- [Interviewer] What would you like to be remembered for?
- My favorite lamppost.
Making people laugh.
- [Interviewer] And who would you ask 73 questions to?
- Um,Rasputin.
- [Fan] Oh my gosh! Oh hey, Phoebe.
- Hey!
- Love the show.
- Thanks so much, thank you.
- [Interviewer] Do you normally...
- Fans.
- [Interviewer] get recognized on the street?
- Ah, yes
- [Interviewer] Peaceful ambience we have here.
How do you handle pressure in your career?
- I think I feed off it.
- [Interviewer] Do you have any regrets in life?
- No
- [Interviewer] What is some of the best advice
that you've ever given or received?
- Um, my mom's always given me the best advice.
And there's one in particular
when I remember
she said to me when I was younger,
"One day darling you'll walk into a room
and there'll be somebody there
who you're very attracted to
and you might just want to have sex with them immediately,
and they might to have sex with you immediately,
but that doesn't mean you have to."
- [Interviewer] That's good advice!
Now, what's the best advice that you've completely ignored?
- Don't eat that.
- [Interviewer] What's a question
you generally detest being asked?
- What's it like being a woman in comedy?
What's it like being a woman in this industry?
What's it like being a woman?
- [Interviewer] What's a question
that you wanna be asked more?
- Um, are you a model?
- [Interviewer] Do you want me to ask that question?
- Go on.
- [Interviewer] Alright, so we're in a park...
It's a lovely park.
Tell me something a little bit about this park.
- This is where I always end up after Gay Pride.
- [Interviewer] Where did you grow up, Phoebe?
- I grew up in Ealing.
- [Interviewer] How do you describe your upbringing?
- Loud, loving, and flatulent.
- [Interviewer] Look at that dog behind you, that's so cute.
- Aw! Are you doing something behind my back?
- [Interviewer] Morning person or
night person, what are you?
- Night.
- [Interviewer] Pilates or yoga?
- Yoga.
- [Interviewer] Jogging or swimming?
- Jogging.
- [Interviewer] Very random -
we're at a party, it's a good party,
karaoke happens. What do you do?
- Take it very seriously.
- [Interviewer] And I heard you have a
theory about song selections...
- Yeah, I think you can tell an awful lot about -
- [Interviewer] That guy's loving it.
- ...you can tell a lot about a person
by how they conduct themselves in a karaoke session.
- [Interviewer] What would you pick?
- "He's a Tramp," from Lady and the Tramp.
- [Interviewer] Oh, that's a good selection.
When in doubt, you should always go with Frank Sinatra
I guess, right?
Phoebe! Last question.
Before you head to your appointment,
would you be available to give some feedback on a script?
- Oh yeah, sure.
- [Interviewer] I wasn't talking about me
- Oh no. Oh wow! Look at that!
- [Interviewer] I'm really proud of it
- Oh my God, you should be. That's so exciting!
- [Interviewer] Super exciting!
- Joe! So good,
I will give you encouragement and read it.
- [Interviewer] Thank you.
- I really will, God, I', so excited,
thanks so much.
- [Interviewer] It's just a draft.
- I can't wait to read it
- [Interviewer] It's just a draft!
- This is so great! - [Interviewer] Ok!
- Bye.
- [Interviewer] Thanks, Phoebe. Bye bye.
She's going to love it...