Phoebe Bourke Brings the Laughs to Armoury

Armoury welcomes comedy director Phoebe Bourke to the roster. Phoebe hits the ground running with fresh spots for Remember A Charity.

In the interview below, Phoebe shares her comedy inspirations, her seven-year-old breakfast show, and what she’ll be remembered for. Check it out!

Q> When did you know you wanted to be a director? 

Phoebe> I used to write, direct, and present a breakfast show with my sister called 'The Rise and Shine Show.' I was seven years old. I didn’t have a camera, but I used a tape recorder to create a phone-in with members of the public (all played by me). Looking back, I think it was clear I wanted to be a director.

Q> Has any particular comedy shaped or informed your style?

Phoebe> The type of comedy I find funniest is when people aren’t trying to be funny. Comedy characters who don’t realise they are funny and would likely be devastated to know they are a joke. I lean towards people being real and accidentally funny rather than people telling jokes. That’s what I aim to create.

Q> Where do you find the comedy that you enjoy the most? Is it in TV, online?

Phoebe> I am always looking for the funny in everyday life. It’s something of a curse. I’m constantly distracted by strangers interacting with each other in funny ways. But let’s be honest, if you’re looking for comedy, the funniest things are on the internet, including all the best clips from TV and film. Some people think the internet has ruined comedy, but there isn’t a finite amount of laughs to go around. It’s just easier to access them nowadays.

Q> What's the funniest thing you’ve ever seen? Could be anything.

Phoebe> Obviously I can’t think of anything except that viral video of the woman being interviewed on the BBC who says ‘Not another one’ or that group of women drinking in the garden saying ‘Did someone say Beveragino?’

Q> Worst experience as a director? Spill the beans

Phoebe> Having to show my team the embarrassing test shoots I have starred in using props from my kitchen.

Q> Best experience as a director?

Phoebe> I don’t think I can pick one specific moment but the thing I love the most is when an actor gives me something I wasn’t expecting. There’s something magical about how we all interpret things so differently and when an actor sees something in a script that you didn’t see that is such a gift. 

Q> You've worked with some amazing comedians who have gone on to do big things. How necessary is collaboration in building these relationships in comedy?

Phoebe> I believe collaboration is the key to comedy. It’s like if a joke falls in the woods and no one is laughs, was it funny? It’s incredibly hard when you’re creating comedy to know for certain whether it’s funny or not. There’s this invisible magic that happens along the way that you can’t plan for so you’re basically just stabbing in the dark, hoping for the best and that’s terrifying. What makes it less terrifying is that collaboration with other creators - making each other really laugh and building that confidence in the material. 

Throughout the entire process you never want to stop making it funnier and when you are collaborating with other creatives who want that too, it’s golden. You can basically keep building, using every opportunity to squeeze more humour out of a script whether that’s adding jokes in rehearsals, improvising a line on set or adding comedy beats in the edit. When you’re with the right people you never stop.

Q> How do these relationship fuel your writing?

Phoebe> I feel like I have a rolodex of comedic voices in my head informed by people I have worked with and characters that I have loved. I pull from this collection when I am writing so that I can hear where the comedy is coming from as I write. 

There’s an alchemy between the humour on the page and the humour in the performance that you need to get right. A script can be funny but in the wrong hands can give you nothing. You need find the strengths in a comedians performance and push that on the page or you need to find the right performer who can push.

Q> What did you enjoy most about making RAC? Any stories from production.

Phoebe> We presented an alternative, more ambitious but ultimately more creative route to the client which was encouraged by Armoury. We shot three films in different locations in one day and we were ahead of schedule. Did you hear that? Ahead. We made sure that we were super clear on what we needed to get and when we got it we moved on. The performances were brilliant so we were able to move really quickly through the day. It felt suspiciously stress free and that is down to having such a great team who contributed great ideas which made it possible. 

And the lunch was really good!

Q> What drives you to make people laugh?

Phoebe> Comedy is the only artform that has to be funny or it’s not comedy and people will tell you that. With a painting or a piece of music it still exists if people don’t like it. With comedy if it’s not funny it’s fundamentally not comedy it’s…drama? It exists to be funny or it’s not comedy. When the aim with your art is to get a specific reaction out of people it’s so incredibly satisfying especially when that reaction actually makes people feel good. I know very clearly when I have done my job and when I have done it well it gives people a positive physical reaction - that is crazy to me. Why would I not want to do that?

Q> What memory would you wipe and why?

Phoebe> I wouldn’t wipe any even my most mortifying moments have taught me something or at least been a funny story to tell at parties. 

Q> What will you be remembered for?

Phoebe> Laughing when I am not supposed to be.