Spotlight On: Actress and comedian Laura Checkley

For this week’s Spotlight On feature, we spoke to actress, writer and comedian Laura Checkley.

Laura is best known for playing Terri King in BBC’s hit comedy drama King Gary, Louise in the BBC BAFTA award-winning show Detectorists, and Mrs Blocker in the award-winning BBC series In My Skin.

She is currently starring alongside Derry Girls actress Jamie-Lee O’Donnell in Channel 4’s six-part comic crime drama series SCREW.

Laura is also well known on the comedy circuit, notably as part of her double sketch act with Victoria Bush – Checkley & Bush.

The duo toured the UK with shows at The Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre, Latitude Festival and Leicester Square Theatre. Their hard work was recognised and earned them a place as finalists in the UK Funny Women Awards.

Check out Laura’s exclusive interview with Goss.ie below:

Was a career in acting something you always wanted to pursue? 

I have always wanted to make people laugh for as long as I can remember and that progressed naturally into acting. I remember the first time I saw Julie Walters on TV I was only little and she was doing all these different characters in ‘Wood and Walters’ and I thought ‘that’s it right there, I want to do what she’s doing.’ Nothing else was an option to be fair. It was always this.

Tell us about your first major acting role. 

My first major acting role was in an Alan Ayckbourn play called House and Garden. I’d not long graduated from drama school where I had been studying Musical Theatre so it was a big deal, my first ever play. It was an amazing experience because its basically two plays that take place simultaneously in the same Theatre but in different auditoriums.

The characters walk off one set and straight on to the other. Their stories entwine but the audience had to either watch House or Garden on separate nights or just do the one as both portions are a complete theatre experience. It was so much fun and I knew this is where I felt happiest, being an actor. I left Musical Theatre shortly after.

How did you first get into comedy and what do you love the most about it? 


I always knew I wanted to do comedy and more specifically always had a dream of being in a double act. At the time I made the leap I was playing a lot of comic roles in musicals but it wasn’t fulfilling enough. There was a disconnect for me.

I was desperate to write my own material and create my own characters. I had been doing it for years really either in my bedroom or mucking about with mates but it wasn’t until I met Victoria Bush on a Christmas show (that believe it or not actually closed before Christmas) that I really took the plunge.

In the show we played these Scottish bouncers that were snowman and it went down a storm and one person one night said to us that we reminded them of French and Saunders and that was all I needed. I’d found my double act partner whether she liked it or not lol. We booked ourselves a venue and became Checkley & Bush and it didn’t take us long to establish ourselves as regulars on the sketch comedy circuit.

How do you deal with criticism? 

Art, Comedy, Music etc…it’s all subjective so if someone doesn’t like it, another person will. You can’t please everyone or take it too personally. I mean if someone goes out of their way to be mean then of course that’s not pleasant and can be difficult, but I’m a working class girl and I’ve dealt with far worse things in my life than someone not liking my comedy or acting. So I would say I’m pretty good at distancing myself and shaking it off.

It’s been a long road for me and I’ve had to work really hard to get where I am so I’ve had plenty of time to grow a thick skin and stick two fingers up at the haters.

 

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You are currently starring in prison drama series SCREW – tell us a bit about the show and 
what you enjoyed the most about filming it. 

SCREW is a 6 part hour long prison drama set in an over crowded and underfunded male Prison. It centres around the lives and relationships of the prison officers on C Wing. It’s a real uncensored look at the prison system and those serving it. It’s high paced, with loads of twist and turns but it’s funny too and very honest. It’ll definitely have you hooked.

It was an incredible experience filming SCREW. Learning what prison officers have to deal with on a day-to-day basis and what prison life is really like for both prisoners and prison staff alike was a real eye opener and experience I won’t forget.

What has been the most surreal moment in your career to date?

There’s been a few over the years but the one that really stands out is when I got to audition for Victoria Wood. I was a quivering mess obviously, I could hardly string a sentence together but she was so lovely and I instantly felt at ease. She read the script with me and I managed to make her laugh and then I had to sing a comedy song for her and she laughed loads more, it was a real pinch me moment.

When I finished she stood up and applauded. For what felt like forever. On my way out she winked at me and said ‘You’re great…very funny.’ And I thought did that just happen? Did I make Victoria Wood laugh?? Mad moment. I didn’t get the job but it was enough to just meet her and have her say that. Actually, whenever I doubt myself I think back to that moment.

What can we expect to see from you in the year ahead? 


Well I’m writing my own comedy at the moment so very much concentrating on that. I’m also back writing with Bush too so hopefully some of it will get picked up and made. And of course here’s hoping we get to make more SCREW.