Taylor Glenn, comedian
THE idea for the Drunk Women Solving Crime podcast started with the title. Catie Wilkins – who is one-third of the podcast – had been holding onto this title for years but didn't know what it should be. The three of us – myself, Catie and Hannah George – were working on a script together for TV and she threw the title out there and asked us what we thought.
We riffed on some ideas over pints in a pub. We all like true crime, having a drink, storytelling and working with women, so it came together as a podcast. We are all connected by the comedy circuit and have done stand-up at one point. Hannah is a screenwriter, Catie is a children's author, and before I went into comedy and writing, I was a psychotherapist.
All of us liked true crime before it was the craze it is now. I can remember being fascinated by human behaviour as a kid and I would read books about Ted Bundy when I was far too young. I was terrified yet couldn't help but be drawn to it.
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On the podcast we don't only cover dark murders. We will look at silly crimes, atypical history and focus on women's stories too. Such as the “Bat Man” case, about a woman who kept her secret lover in the attic for a decade. It ended in an accidental shootout in which her husband was killed.
How useful an aid is alcohol to solving crime? I've noticed a tendency to go with your gut instinct, rather than doubt yourself. If you have had a cocktail, you are just going to say what you think and not censor yourself. Sometimes you come up with good ideas. When women get together and drink, I find that so often we end up thinking that we are solving all the problems of the world.
We ask all our guests: have you been a victim of a crime? Although there is a comedic slant on everything we do, people have shared very personal and harrowing stories. As women we all have a story about feeling vulnerable or being a victim of a crime. Sometimes it is helpful to address this by being able to tell the story in a safe space. Finding the humour in it can be empowering when you do that on your own terms.
Our live shows are so much fun. The audience tends to get very invested in the case. Sometimes we have people shouting out answers and they crack it before we do. For our Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows we have Zoe Lyons, Jena Friedman and Sukh Ojla confirmed as guests.
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International Men's Day is on November 19 and we are allowing men on the podcast for one month only. We have recorded one with James Acaster and his drink was suggested by Cerys Matthews who said to mix together Tia Maria, Guinness and vodka. James wrote on Twitter the next day: "I am a shell".
Drunk Women Solving Crime is at Underbelly Bristo Square, Edinburgh, 7.20pm, from today until August 11. Visit drunkwomensolvingcrime.com
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