Interview with Scarlett Smith

Ahead of Any Objections?, I caught up with Scarlett Smith to talk about the themes at the heart of the production, the creative journey behind it, and what audiences can look forward to when the lights go up.

What first sparked the idea for Any Objections?

I remember seeing Faye Tracey’s live looping comedy trombone show maybe 9 years ago, which was really my first source of inspiration! In all honesty I remember very little of her show now, but I’ll always be grateful to her for giving me the confidence to start exploring what I wanted my own ‘harp comedy’ style to be years later!

Any Objections? has had five-star success at Edinburgh, how does it feel bringing the show to London audiences at The Drayton Arms Theatre?

Very exciting! Even in the months since Edinburgh the show has continued to grow and solidify. I love seeing it slowly evolve with every new audience, and every show has its own unique energy depending on the crowd. It’ll be fun to see the unique flavour a London audience brings!

What central question sits at the heart of this play?

I think the whole show could be summarised with the question “What if…?”

What if we reimagined the harp as a modern electronic instrument? What if I’d said yes to that very unhinged enquiry last year? What if I created a whole new job the takes me to new planets? There is a lot of childlike curiosity in the show, that we often neglect as we grow up and feel pressured to fit into a nice neat and tidy box. Be that in our work, life, or art.

How has the development process been so far, and have some moments radically shifted from your original intentions?

I often say the show was devised rather than written. When I started making it, I didn’t know exactly what I was making, just that I wanted to explore what ‘harp comedy’ could be. I think that freedom of creating without a specific end vision has worked really well for me in this project. I was told very early on to absolutely not work with your partner as a director. So of course I ignored that. But actually having Joey direct the show from very early on has been invaluable. I’m so grateful to have someone to bounce ideas off of, and to outside eye almost every performance. Especially as we were figuring out the goal and message of the show as we went along. A lot has changed since its debut at The Wardrobe in Jan 2025, but more in gradually refining then huge rewrites.

How do you approach pacing in a one-person show where you’re musician, comic and storyteller all at once?

Interestingly, the pacing has mostly worked itself out? Again I devised the show from various smaller ideas that we then tied together, so it has more of a sketch show energy than play energy. But it has been challenge trying to balance all the different elements! There are always a few people who say they “wish there had been more music”, but I think when your goal is to make a comedy show, you’ve got to be quite strict about timing and letting the music be juuuust long enough so that it’s a surprise when the punch line arrives, but still lands comfortably.

You began busking at 15 in Bournemouth. What did those early street performances teach you about connecting with an audience?

Eye contact is invaluable! Also that the energy you bring to the music is far more important than being technically note perfect.

You trained in clowning and stand-up at Circomedia. How has that physical theatre background influenced your stage presence?

I think actually this is one of the least physical shows I’ve ever performed! Given a lot of it is just music or stand up. But I still somehow end up out of breath and sweaty by the end. I think the key influence it’s had is being conscious of how I use the space, how I create worlds with fairly minimal set, and how I can use physicality to help the structure and pacing of the show.

Your time in the wedding industry plays a big part in the show. At what point did you realise those experiences could become comedy gold?

I think when writing comedy, the best content comes from talking about things you really know. Your unique perspective of the world. I remember a (stand up) teacher once saying “everything has been done before, except your life.” And I have been to hundreds of weddings at this point, so it just felt like the natural place to start! That and the fact that almost everyone has attended a wedding or two, and they’re this big fancy memorable event! Making it a good source of relatable humour.

The harp is often seen as delicate or classical – how do audiences react when they experience it through live looping and indie-pop covers?

Generally very positively. I think people love to see something a bit different, and feel like they’re having a unique experience. Having a few covers of music that people will know (humorously integrated of course) also makes the music feel more accessible and relatable. You might feel quite far from the world of a classical harpist, but when you hear them playing Jurassic Park or the Jaws Theme, you’re immediately brought into that world with vivid imagery.

What conversations do you hope audiences are still having on the journey home?

Honestly, if they’re having any lengthy conversations that’s a win for me! I used to worry about how much people enjoyed the show, and trying to win everyone over, but I think actually the best art is a bit challenging! And leaves you with more conversation than just “Well that was good wasn't it!”.

One final question, why this show, and why now?

In a world where everyone is starting to worry about AI taking our jobs, I think it’s more important than ever to remember to find balance. To recognise the ways in which new technologies can help us create something contemporary that encourages open mindedness, but also remember the fragile beauty and humanness of live performance, and embracing what makes our own creativity and self expression exquisitely unique and unreplicable. I also think there’s never a bad time to be sharing joy and silliness. There will always be reasons to be sad about the state of the world, but if we spend all of our time stressing about what we can’t control, we can forget about the positive butterfly effect we can have by simply slowing down and celebrating whatever small joys we can find.

Any Objections? plays at the Drayton Arms Theatre from the 12th - 13th April.

Full information can be found via this link: https://thedraytonarmstheatre.co.uk/tickets/any-objections

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