Performers’ Notes: Holli Dempsey on Comedy

Actress, writer and comedian Holli Dempsey is known for her roles in ITV drama The Ice Cream Girls and comedy series Derek. She’s also about to star in war comedy film Dad’s Army, based on the classic sitcom. Here, she reveals what it’s like to act in a comedy, and why it’s important to be able to think on your feet…

“I’ve never considered myself that funny, but my friends seem to and my Mum laughs at my jokes!

“I wouldn’t like to say I’m a comedian though, because I know stand-ups and people who are naturally funny. But saying that, I think it’s a character thing. Comedy is the true-to-life stuff, that’s what makes me laugh. Things that I can relate to. Vicky was less of a laugh-out-loud character on paper and instead of making her funny, which would be an easy way out and a bit of a caricature, I was playing a character as true as I could and the comedy comes from that.”

“I felt pressure being in a room with Ricky Gervais every day. There is that thing of ‘say something funny’, but at the same time I was comfortable. Lack of fear is important. I worked in a comedy nightclub waitressing for a few years and you see it raw. You have to be so confident to get up there and make people laugh.

“With Derek, we sort of built it up ourselves. We are part of the making of it. Even from the first audition I did, we did some improvisations and a couple of my lines made [Ricky] burst out laughing. He said, ‘Enough! Write them down.’ I thought either he’s going to nick my lines and give them to someone else, or I’ve got the job. He kept those lines in the first series. We’ve had great freedom to bring things into our own character. It’s very unique, just because Ricky’s got the power, it’s his production company.

“I do write little jokes and names for characters. If you’ve got an imagination, it’s definitely going to help you as an actor. That’s why I got the job on Derek – because I could think on my feet and find funny things to say as the character. It is nice to be able to turn your hand to it.

“I’ll be at home watching something, or chatting to my brother and we’ll start giggling about something and think, ‘that’ll be hilarious on Derek.’ I’ll save it for the next meeting, or email Ricky. When you’re that much part of the world, it’s naturally on your mind.”

“If I’m reading a comedy script, I make sure I’ve got time to sit down and do nothing else. Get myself a cup of tea. I don’t want to read it on a train, or start reading it and then have to stop. It’s about really immersing yourself in it. Music is useful. Sometimes the script opens by saying ‘The Bee Gees is playing’ or whatever, so I’ll put that on because that always helps me to visualise the world.

“If you burst out laughing while reading it, that’s always a good sign. If you’re already laughing at the script, you’re onto a winner. I had that with Dad’s Army.

“I was doing Derek at the same time I was doing the Dad’s Army film and I nearly lost the latter because of that. How can you be in two places at once? So every night I was on a train from Scarborough to London and then back again for about three weeks, it was a bit mental. I remember leaving each character on the train as it pulled away. ‘Hello Vicky, bye Vera.’

“My character in Dad’s Army is called Vera and she’s from the 1940s. Who knows, she could be the great-grandmother of Vicky? I like to think of them a bit like that.

“They’ve done something really clever with the film bringing it into the 21st century. Catherine Zeta-Jones is the female lead and then they have all the wives and girlfriends. I play Pike’s girlfriend. There are a few scenes of men against the women and it’s naturally funny. It’s a really nice twist to bring all the women in and make them such strong characters. Argh – I want to watch it now!”

• Dad’s Army will be released on 5 February, 2016.