Phoebe Bourke Isn’t Guessing – She Knows What’s Funny

Phoebe Bourke’s route into directing wasn’t mapped out – it was powered by a killer instinct, sharp comedic timing, and a knack for making people laugh that started long before her career did.

A self-described comedy obsessive who grew up in a household where “taking the piss was currency,” Phoebe cut her teeth not in film school, but in university sketch shows, where she discovered both the thrill of collaboration and her own natural eye for what was working and what wasn’t.

Since then, she’s gone on to establish herself as a formidable comedy director across both screen and stage. Her short films have played at BAFTA-qualifying festivals including Encounters and FilmBath, she’s written for everyone from Channel 4 to Sky, and most recently directed ‘Power and Chaos’, Fern Brady’s original Netflix comedy special, released in April.

But her time in live comedy isn’t over either – she helmed ‘Horndog’, Rose Matafeo’s Edinburgh Comedy award-winning show and she co-founded Berk’s Nest, the multi-award-winning production company that’s helped shape the Fringe comedy landscape over the last decade.

Phoebe’s work doesn’t rely on trends or follow formulas. Whether it’s a short film made with “a budget of favours” or a premium hour for Netflix, she works under one clear, grounding rule: “I think it’s funny.” That sense of clarity – about her voice, taste, and process – runs through everything she does.

LBB’s Zoe Antonov caught up with Phoebe to hear more.

LBB> What first drew you to comedy as a creative expression, and when did you realise directing the lane through which you want to explore it?

Phoebe> I grew up in a funny household – comedy was how we communicated with each other. My sisters and I were always trying to make each other laugh, but if the joke didn’t land or the story wasn’t as funny as we thought it was, we weren’t supportive – we were brutal.

Taking the piss was the currency, and no one was safe. We used to mimic my dad’s thick Irish accent, and he would say, “Don’t imitate me accent,” which we’d repeat on loop. Must’ve been so annoying, especially with three of us, but we found it hilarious. So from a young age, we trained each other to be funny until it became effortless.

I wasn’t following any kind of creative lane until I got to university and skived off my incredibly difficult Biological Sciences degree to join the comedy nerds making sketch shows. I’d never even heard of the Edinburgh Fringe when I was asked to go. Pretty much straight away, once I started working with performers, I had an instinct for what was working and what wasn’t – and that instinct just sharpened over time. I think I’ve always had a natural inclination to take charge of a situation – it doesn’t feel scary to me, it feels like my natural home. So directing suits me. I get to use those instincts and lead the way.

LBB> You co-founded Berk’s Nest back in 2013 – what was the original vision for it, and how has that evolved?

Phoebe> The original vision Katie and I had was just to create shows with artists we thought were the best, and then support them – not just in creating a show, but in all the areas you need to sell the show. We didn’t create the company with a plan – we just focused on the shows and the performers, and the company formed around us.

Edinburgh can be a confusing and overwhelming place, with everyone telling you they’re an ‘award-winning comedian’ with a five-star show, and Berk’s Nest became a bit of a brand that people trusted to deliver good-quality shows amongst the sea of choices. I guess people liked what we liked, because that’s the only way we ever chose to collaborate with people.

What’s evolved is just a bigger, more tightly run version of that vision — and that’s all down to Owen Donovan, who now steers the ship.

LBB> From live shows to Netflix specials, your work spans so many formats – what's the through-line that connects them all for you?

Phoebe> The only through-line is that I think it’s funny. Comedy is so subjective – you have to really honour what you find funny and not get lost in what you think other people might find funny or what’s popular. So the only real through-line for me is that I think it’s funny, and I aim to make everything I work on as funny as possible for me and hopefully audiences will agree.

LBB> How did the opportunity to direct Fern Brady’s Netflix special come about, and how did you approach that process?

Phoebe> I’d worked with Fern before, and I love her style of comedy – she isn’t afraid to go anywhere if it’ll get the laugh. There are only a few comedians I feel are truly original, and Fern is one of them. This project stands out because she’s a very unique talent.

LBB> Your short films have screened at some seriously respected festivals – how do you approach making a short that punches above its weight?

Phoebe> Really talented, funny actors. Most of my shorts were made on a budget of favours, and I just happen to have great relationships with some incredibly funny and talented people. Most of my shorts were performer-first, idea-later – which I believe, in comedy, has really great results.

LBB> Is there a particular project or moment where you felt things really shifted for you career-wise?

Phoebe> Probably when I made my first short film. I’d only directed live shows up to that point, and I didn’t know if I was going to be into it or not – it was sort of an experiment. Obviously, I loved it, and from that point on I pulled focus from live work and started to pursue film.

LBB> When you're working on something you’ve co-written versus directing someone else’s material, how does your approach shift?

Phoebe> When I’m co-writing, you’re constantly throwing everything up in the air because you need to keep your options open until you land on the best idea. It’s about evolving the material over and over and not being afraid to throw stuff away – trusting that you’ll think of something better. Remaining open to all ideas, good and bad, is really important to me when co-writing. I need an environment where I can feel comfortable sharing my dogshit ideas – and so can my collaborators – because some really good stuff often comes from an idea you thought was too dogshit to say out loud.

When I’m directing someone else's material, you can’t tear things apart in the same way you can when you’re writing and creating. I need to understand the material as much as possible so I can create a vision for it, so I like to work really closely with the writer — to get in their head and find out what they’re thinking. I like to build with the writer. And with comedy scripts, I try to use every step of the process to squeeze more humour out of the project – from script edits, to casting, to editing – there’s always an opportunity to elevate the comedy, and that’s always my aim.

LBB> You’ve directed a lot of award-nominated live comedy – how do you know when something is landing with an audience in the room?

Phoebe> Quite simply, they’re laughing. If you’ve really killed it, they’re applauding. Comedy is pretty ‘yes or no’. ‘Yes, it’s funny’ means it’s a comedy; ‘no, it’s not funny’ means it’s not comedy.

You don’t really have that with other art forms – if I don’t like a song, it’s still a song. It’s the only art form where the audience will tell you whether you’ve done your job or not. That’s why I like it. There's clarity. It’s very clear when you’ve got it right – and very painful when you’ve got it wrong.

LBB> What did making ‘The Neighbour’ teach you about your voice as a director, and how has that voice evolved since?

Phoebe> It taught me that the performances are everything. It doesn’t matter if your camera moves are cool and your lighting is spectacular – if the performances don’t hit, none of it matters to me.

There are tiny moments in an actor’s performance that can make an entire movie, and I’m always looking for those. That’s my focus when I’m directing.

As I’ve evolved, I really want both – I want a great-looking film with ambitious shots and stunning cinematography, and I want to capture those special moments from the actors. It’s just about keeping your eye on several balls – not prioritising the look over the quality of the performance, but giving both attention and weight.

LBB> Who are the comedic voices, past or present, that you find consistently inspiring or grounding?

Phoebe> I find a lot of the old stuff really inspiring – like Mike Myers, Jim Carrey, and the Wayans brothers’ movies. Stuff that was so dumb it was genius.

Patsy and Edina in ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ are truly iconic, and the humour in that show is ridiculous – which I have huge admiration for.

I love sketch comedy, even though everyone says it’s dead and has been replaced by TikTok. Old SNL skits with Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, and Bill Hader still have me howling.

LBB> What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given in your career, and what’s the one you’d pass on?

Phoebe> I don’t know how much advice I’ve actually been given and how much I’ve just absorbed from interviews on YouTube. But the main thing I’ve taken in is: you’ve got to love the process, because you have no control over the result. If you’re making something – anything – you’re winning, because that’s the best bit. Just because you’ve made something you think is outstanding doesn’t mean anyone else will think so. Let go of the outcome.