BTJ: What did you think about the BBC’s women-on-panel-shows decision?
VS: I was asked by the Today programme to go on and talk about it, it’s difficult. I have a lot of opinions but every time you talk about it someone will pipe up and go 'stop talking about it!' It’s only an issue because you are talking about it. I think tokenism is a good thing, but the BBC should have just done it rather than announced it. Now it looks like the women are only there because they are women. And of course they are there on merit, there are so many great women comedians. I don’t think they will run out of good female comics. Female comedy isn’t a genre. Comedy is comedy. When I started in comedy gender bias didn’t even occur to me. It only occurred to me as I moved up. You don't notice when there are ten of you on the bill and half are girls, but when you gain momentum it becomes obvious. There are clubs that won’t let women headline. I quite enjoy a gig like that when they won’t let you close and you smash it.
BTJ: You’ve been compared to Victoria Wood – she came to one of your shows once didn’t she?
VS: I walked onstage and wasn’t aware she was coming, she had just bought a ticket and she was sitting there next to Daniel Rigby. I could have been sick on my feet. We worked together when I did her play Talent at the Gatehouse. It’s very flattering to be compared to Victoria Wood. She’s not actually a big influence though, my writing is much more grounded in musical theatre. That’s where I came from and then I got into comedy. Tom Lehrer, Avenue Q, Noel Coward is more my style. Seeing Elaine Stritch in 2006 was a catalyst.
I hope that this new show deals with more important topics. Up to now I’ve been lighter. I was very nervous the first time I did it, more nervous than ever before. It’s real heart on the line stuff, if you don’t connect, it’s one of those things where I need laughs, but I also need people to be involved in the story.
BTJ: What was it like working with Elton John?
VS: One of my first jobs after leaving The Royal Academy of Music was doing backing vocals for Elton John. I did Wembley, Royal Albert Hall, with lots of step kicking and oohs and aahs. He doesn’t come to rehearsals – you have an Elton stand-in – but I met him after a couple of gigs at Wembley when he did a walkabout with his dog Arthur. His dog has an Access All Areas pass. I was trying to think of a good question so that we could be best friends. I said ‘does you dog travel well?’ he said ‘yes thanks he’s only made a mess on a plane once’ and then moved on to the next person. That was it, eleven words about dog shit.
Vikki Stone is at the Underbelly from July 31 - August 24. Tickets here.
