It’s been a gruelling but rewarding week for both Grace Wakeman and Flora Maxwell after six performances of Footlights’ Spring Revue. But the curtain has not yet closed on their term of comedy. Now in their final year, both Footlights have stepped into the spotlight with solo shows, something neither would have imagined in their first year. The experience, Grace admits, has been terrifying but in hindsight something she is “so glad” to have done, adding that it “feels like a big milestone”. Grace’s Spoilt for Choice and Flora’s upcoming I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better, (a spin on the margarine slogan which “had to be done”), are set to take the Corpus Playroom by storm.

From performing sketches and writing a panto to directing shows, Flora and Grace have built up an impressive repertoire within the Cambridge comedy scene. Their paths crossed last Lent when they co-directed Master Tasker. Grace remarks that “comedy’s an area of theatre where there is more bleed over between writing, acting, directing and producing,” and tells me that having a range of experience has been “really helpful” when putting together a one person show.

The posters are plastered around town as Grace looks back on two successful nights in week three and Flora anticipates her night on stage next week. Yet for both comedians, the decision to pitch their initial idea required some courage. “I had to psych myself up” Grace recalls, as Flora admits she pitched largely “on a whim,” adding that “the whole thing about performing is that it’s an in-the-moment thing.” Since then the process has become a “waiting game” of scriptwriting, improvisation, artistic design and more.

“From the Notes app to the stage, Flora and Grace have remained acutely aware of audience reaction”

Rehearsals have been jam-packed, with Flora juggling assistant directing for The Marlowe Showcase alongside Spring Revue – a production many of Grace’s team were also involved in. With the script entirely in their hands, an unfinished draft means rehearsals can’t move forward. Grace describes the struggle of blocking out mornings to write, only to feel “completely uninspired,” while Flora jots down ideas when inspiration strikes in her “extensive folders of different vibes of notes,” the hallmark of a comedy actor.

From the Notes app to the stage, Flora and Grace have remained acutely aware of audience reaction, knowing it will range from comedy insiders to members of the public. For Grace, trialling her material in smokers was an invaluable way to test the crowd. She performed at Corpus and Robinson in the week before her show, describing it as a great way to “do bits that I was less confident in,” with the chance to “last-minute try and rejig stuff”.

Reflecting on the uncertainty of the process, Flora adds that script editors have been essential in giving feedback in a group setting. Having both served as script editors in the past, they know that “you do just sit there and even if you find something funny, you’re not laughing” when reading material in a room of three people. Despite all this preparation, there is still an element of hope on the night. As Flora wryly concludes: “You’ve got to have faith that on the night, it will be funny.”

“You’ve got to have faith that on the night, it will be funny”

Describing herself as “indecisive,” Grace built her script around audience choice, a difficult choice as “I had to learn double the material!” From promotional polls and quizzes on Instagram to a Kahoot quiz upon entry, Spoilt for Choice really lived up to its name. Asked to choose between loving or hating Paddington, the audience luckily opted for the former: “My love Paddington material is so much better!” Later in the show, the chaos escalates: “I have to run around, be three people, dance, and play Bop It”, whenever an audience member plays a harmonica. Coming from an improv background, Grace says this structure was “a fun choice,” which really kept her on her toes.

Refraining from major spoilers, Flora teases I Can’t Believe It’s Not Better. Rumour has it a silver jumpsuit makes an appearance, as she takes on the role of a “space therapist”. The therapist is just one of many characters played by a jaded actor trying to “prove their range” through a series of self-tapes. Inspired by Rory Marshall’s Fringe show Pathetic Little Characters last summer, Flora recalls how he captivated the audience whilst remaining strikingly humble: “He was not pleased with himself. It was so not comedians-y comedians.” From there, she decided to pitch her own show and capture some of that atmosphere.

And so Grace and Flora take to the stage at the Corpus Playroom, a venue they prefer to the ADC because “the audience is so close and you can hear all the laughs”. Nerves and anticipation awaited Flora, who was bracing herself for the “crazy day” of get-in, sorting tech and running a full performance. With just one day to prepare, she says “you need to have faith that everyone’s going to do their job so that you can do yours.” Yet ultimately, Grace reflects that “everyone in that room wants you to succeed,” a reassurance that gives both performers confidence as they step into the solo spotlight.