Tell us about you/your act.
Hiya! I’m predominately an anecdotal comedian, although I have been known to dabble with character at Manchester’s finest alt nights. I try to be super posi-vibed and energetic. I want my time on stage to feel like a good catch up with your best friend…’s annoying little sister.
I’m very type-A (the A stands for AHHH), which lends itself well to MC’ing, because I love being the person who can make a show finish on time. Knowing those lovely audience members are going to be snuggled up in bed by 10:30pm? It sends SHIVERS down my spine.
How did you get into comedy?
I was always playing the comedy roles in school productions (mainly in drag as male villains) and writing funny little things. When I moved to Manchester, I discovered the open mic scene through my University’s Comedy Society and the rest is history/heavily documented on Chortle Student Comedy Award’s YouTube.
Tell us about your show, Slumber Party. What inspired you to blend alternative comedy with a sleepover theme?
Slumber Party is my 2000s-sleepover-themed comedy show with games, prizes, stand-up, characters, and a misogynistic build-a-bear mascot.
That 3am feral sleepover energy from our childhoods felt like the perfect fit for a night where anything can happen. I wanted to create a night specifically targeted to Gen Z and younger millennials, because most gigs are not, and because they’re the people I want to make comedy for. That being said, the sleepover welcomes one and all, as long as they’re a nice person (!) and don’t get annoyed if they don’t get all my Horrible Histories references (!!).
How did you go about creating your podcast, Golden Time with Charlotte Cropper?
Honestly, a rode mic and a dream. Looking back, I wish I had filmed the episodes but I was a one-woman production company and it just wasn’t feasible. I’m really proud of Golden Time, I interviewed so many incredible comics and gave so many fun hobbies a go, from puppet-making to pole fitness. It’s such a wholesome little pod and was a proper passion project.
What’s the most excited you’ve been about a hobby someone has brought onto the podcast?
You’d think it would be jumping round a wrestling ring, but I’m going to actually say getting to have a tarot reading from the fabulous Steph Bradshaw. Although the wrestling changed my self-perception, the reading CHANGED MY LIFE.
How do your comedy skills help empower children through your workshops?
My workshops are gigs; I’m essentially MC-ing to a bunch of young people, trying to entertain them and #changelives in the process. I’m not easily dissuaded by a folded arm because I know what’s on the other side of cringe mountain: SELF-EXPRESSION. CONFIDENCE. FREEDOM. And if I can give that to a young person growing up in this mad world by acting like an idiot for an hour, I’m absolutely going to do it.
On the outside, it looks like improv, sketches, silly characters, stand-up, but on the inside, it’s super powerful stuff. And that’s why I do it.
What’s your secret to balancing all your different projects?
On a long car journey as a child, I ate too many lovehearts and threw up in a plastic bag. That mess of bright colours swirling around in harmony is what my google calendar constantly looks like. It’s horrendous but it’s organised.
Plus did I mention I’m Type-A? I live for this level of plate spinning.
Who is your favourite comedian we’ve never heard of?
I spiralled trying to answer this question because I want to name 1000 people, so the easiest way to direct you to my faves is anyone who’s performed at Slumber Party. Only 10/10 hotties and legends at the sleepover.
What challenges have you faced working in comedy? How do you think that comedy as an industry can better address these issues?
The usual suspects, but I’m a very resilient person. When I was starting out, it was hard to know how to handle tricky situations and I didn’t have a community around me for guidance, which is partly why I set up the Fight Club collective with my bestie Beth Moore. Now we have a hive mind of incredible women and non-binary comics, and they’ve completely changed my experience of working in comedy. I advocate for myself so much more, because I know I’m now also advocating for them.
Get Off Live Comedy does incredible work – they’re “an independent and confidential HR support service that deals with sexual harassment in live comedy”. Every comedy club and regular promoters should be members.
On a less severe note…I think we need to bring back public shaming. Just know when I see an all male line-up advertised in this day and age, I’m throwing tomatoes at your (most likely tacky AI) poster. Male comics on those line-ups: say something!
What appealed to you about hosting a show like Blizzard?
I love Blizzard! It’s always such a gorgeous, warm gig filled with brilliant comedy-savvy audience members, which are naturally my favourite rooms to play.
Do you have any advice for anyone hoping to get into comedy?
Create from joy. Make lovely things for lovely people. Don’t spend too long on the Facebook Forums.
And if you’re a female or non-binary writer/performer in the North-West, come to Fight Club. We organise monthly meet-ups to champion each other and share advice for working in comedy.
What have you got coming up that we should look out for?
I’m trialling a spin-off new material show set in the Slumber Party Cinematic Universe (SPCU) called Pillow Talk. The inaugural show of that is on November 4th.
And we’re hosting a Fight Club showcase/panel as part of the Lowry’s Funny People exhibition on December 15th, please come and support your local comedy collective.
Charlotte is guest hosting Blizzard Comedy on Thursday 15th October at Gullivers NQ. Book your free ticket here.
You can find out more about Charlotte and her upcoming shows by checking out her website and following her on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
