After a decade of charm, chaos, and character work, Rebecca Perry is back at the Edinburgh Fringe with her international cult hit Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl. Armed with 20 roles, jazz-infused storytelling, and a nod to coffee-fuelled millennial mayhem, Perry turns everyday barista life into a wildly entertaining solo show. From eyebrow-overplucked regulars to David Attenborough-style narration, Joanie Little’s story is as hilarious as ever—and it’s never felt more relevant. We caught up with Rebecca to chat career milestones, generational shifts, and why coffee shops remain our modern-day watering holes.
You’re celebrating 10 years of Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl. What does this milestone mean to you as a performer?
It’s incredible to me that this story has been so relatable that it’s travelled around the world and I’ve had the joy of playing 20 characters (or should I say, animals?) and getting to do what I do best, which is interact with an audience and make them smile and laugh. That brings me the most joy.
Joanie Little turns a dead-end barista job into a jungle of human behaviour. What drew you to telling this kind of observational story?
I’ve always had a fondness for Jane Goodall and everything she does, and you’ll find me watching anything David Attenborough is narrating. It was only so long before I was described as the David Attenborough of the coffee shop. Much like Jane Goodall did with the chimpanzees, I figure out what each human being and/or archetype of the coffee shop would be in the jungle! Not to mention, a theatre degree really lends itself to playing both humans and animals!
You perform over 20 characters in the show. How do you keep each persona distinct and fresh—even after hundreds of performances?
What’s amazing is that the coffee shop I worked in in the Annex in Toronto, which has its own quirks (much like the wonderful Shoreditch), had these characterful regulars who my characters are based on. I can still see them fresh in my mind, tell you who has over-plucked their eyebrows, and tell you who would barrel in on rollerskates and all but fall flat on their face before I got to take their order! It’s funny, but every time I slip into a character, I feel like I’m encapsulating these friendly faces and paying tribute to them.
Jazz-infused musical numbers are central to the show’s charm. How did you choose the soundtrack that weaves through Joanie’s journey?
I wanted Canadian music, but not just that – I did consider both covers and original tunes by Canadian bands. You might hear something you recognize, but delivered in a different way! Then originals by artists like Feist. They were also all tunes that I heard playing in the coffee shop while I worked there, and so also very much early- to mid-2010s.
This piece has toured more than 38 cities globally (note: sold out 38 cities – been to more). How have different audiences—Edinburgh to New York reacted to the ‘coffee shop jungle’?
I think coffee shop culture is never going to go out of style, so what’s interesting is that young millennials like myself are coming because the second we graduated that was the place to be to expand your social circle, and now Gen Z – who are a bit more sober-curious – are also reverting to the coffee shops for professional meetings, interviews, and what-have-you, so there will always be a coming back to this meeting place, everyone with a different goal in mind.
The show taps into millennial job struggles, but also speaks to Gen Z now. Has your perspective on Joanie’s story shifted with time?
What’s kind of fun and cheeky about this now is that it’s a nostalgia piece that makes people giggle at references to things that were current when I wrote the show and are now flavoured with a retro quality from Lady Gaga’s meat dress to the original iPhone. I think it’s lovely to look back on my early twenties and no longer be in the thick of them – it was a wonderful but awkward time and I think everyone can relate to that.
Solo performance isn’t for the faint-hearted. What keeps you grounded—and excited—about returning to the stage alone night after night?
Telling this story and portraying the many characters brings me joy. It’s based on a really good time I had in my life where I made magic out of this ho-hum job, and made friends I’m still connected to to this day. I also have such a love for my city because of that job and all the amazing people I still see and know and run into all over Toronto.
Female-led comedy can still be under-recognised. What’s your experience been carving out space for stories like Joanie’s in the industry?
Oh, it’s definitely still under-recognized, but I don’t want any females to be deterred from a comedy career. It’s worth putting your story out there, and there’s definitely an audience for what you have to say. It may take artistic directors and producers and so on take a bit of time to catch up with what is so wonderful about what we have to offer the stage. It’s the same in Canada. The male comic and male solo performer will still get first draft, but I can feel the winds of change, and I hope they come sooner than later.
xxx
Rebecca Perry’s ‘Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl’ is at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival until 25th August. For tickets and more information, visit: https://tickets.gildedballoon.co.uk/event/14:5373/