Sarah Tollemache is a stand-up comedian and writer. In 2017 she appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Tollemache followed that up with another late night appearance, this time on The Late Late Show with James Corden. She has also appeared on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle. When she’s not touring comedy clubs around the country, Sarah can be seen regularly at The Comedy Cellar and New York Comedy Club in New York City. She also runs a monthly online short film festival called At Home Film Festival and has been selected to premiere her short at this year’s JFL Eat My Shorts. Take 2 Indie Review sits down with Sarah to discuss her career.
Where were you born and raised
I was born in South Africa but my parents moved to Texas when I was less than a year old, so I grew up in a suburb outside of Houston, TX called Kingwood.
Were the arts a part of your childhood?
We weren’t really an artistic family but we did love consuming movies, tv and music. I think my siblings were way more into art than my parents.
Do you remember watching your first film?
My first earliest memory of film was watching ET in the theaters and I remember bawling my eyes out.
You are a stand-up comedian and writer. How did your career in stand-up comedy begin?
Growing up, my family would watch a lot of stand-up specials so I really liked that art form and found it fascinating. At first, I was basically repeating bits that I heard in specials and liked how that felt, and then I think in High School, I started writing material. I was always told that I was funny. I even got voted most humorous in middle school.
What is it like touring comedy clubs around the country and are audiences always receptive to your material?
If you can tour with a friend then it can be fun but when you’re headlining and you don’t have a fan base it can be grueling and depressing. My act isn’t for everyone and I’m okay with that. I like my act.
In 2017 you appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. What was that experience like?
That experience was so nerve-wracking. You have to arrive so early, so the whole day you’re waiting, so you play different scenarios in your head all day. To be honest, once you go on stage and deliver your jokes it goes by so fast that you don’t remember it that well. You just remember that you didn’t bomb and that it went well. At that point, you deserve to be there because you’ve gone over your material with the booker for months and they wouldn’t have any dumdum on stage.
You also appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden. What can you share about that experience?
That experience was a bit more fun for me. I had already done late night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert so I was aware of the process. Also, James Corden was so nice and comes to meet you before you go up which was very welcoming. I also had my husband and childhood friend with me for the whole time so I felt more relaxed.
Your short comedic film Sleepover Mom recently won the “Best Medicine” category at the New York Short Film Festival. What was the catalyst to write this film?
This film first started off as a character I would do. Growing up, I would always notice that moms on sleepovers, or in general, would release little details of their personal life. You could sort of read in between the lines of what was going on behind the scenes of their marriage which I always thought was odd. I took that idea and then heightened it. I also think everything is funnier when delivered as a whisper.
The film is only 2 minutes and 45 seconds long. Why did you choose to make it this length and not a longer version of a short?
I’d love to lengthen this to a feature or a longer short, but when you’re starting out making shorts, it’s hard to get people to work for free for your project. It took me awhile to get the house and then I had to find friends that would let me use their kids. The subject matter is quite dark so I had to figure out a way to shoot around the kids. Kids also have a short attention span so I didn’t want to occupy their Saturday with work. It’s also cheaper to shoot in one location and helps to have friends that can afford to live in a house. I live in New York so finding a suburban home in New York to use was hard, so I had to wait until I was back in Texas. I also thought shooting a monologue scene would be an easy thing to shoot.
The film grabs the attention of the viewer immediately, leaving the audience wanting more. Tell us about the feature length version you’re currently working on.
I keep going back on how I want this to play out. I think I’m going to change it where my husband, Josh’s dad, is the one that falls down the stairs and breaks his neck and dies on contact and then have it where her life improves after that. I’d like to play around with how ridiculous toxic masculinity is and what it is like to grow up in the middle class suburbs of Houston, TX. It’s quite comical.
You play the role of the Mom. Was that always your intention?
Originally, I had a friend play the mom for the stage version, but she lives in California, so I decided to play the mom. I also enjoy acting and would like to do more, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to expand. If I make a feature, I think I might have another actress play the mom. It depends how I end up writing the mom.
You learned video production and editing at the Art Institute of Houston. How did this prepare you for the struggles in making your own films?
I had no idea that my degree from the Art Institute of Houston would come in handy. I basically learned how to use film/video editing software there and it is the one skill that I enjoy to do. I edit most of my own shorts and, in fact, I wouldn’t mind getting into film editing. Knowing how to edit has taught me to be a better film editor. When shooting, I’m aware what I need as an editor. Also, if you make a mistake in filming you can cheat some stuff in editing. It is its own art form.
You run a monthly online short film festival called At Home Film Festival. What made you want to start a film festival?
Covid happened and we were in quarantine and we weren’t really able to perform stand-up at that time so I needed an outlet. I like making sketches and shorts so I teamed with my good comedian friend Ashley Brooke Roberts and created the At Home Film Festival. It was really so we would create deadlines to create shorts. If I don’t have a deadline, nothing gets done, so it kept me accountable. I also learned it’s better to create as much as you can and you’ll naturally get better at filmmaking, rather than trying to create a masterpiece. Perfecting kills creating.
What kind of stories do you wish to tell as a filmmaker?
I’d like to create heightened versions of actual events and predominately comedies.
Advice for first time filmmakers.
Just start making stuff with your friends.
What’s next for you – both as a filmmaker and stand-up comedian?
I’d like to make a feature length film using the scene from Sleepover Mom and submit to festivals. As for standup, I plan to shoot another special this year and premiere it on my YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@sarahtollemachecomedy
