What I call "Joyful Galloping" Miranda Hart talks to Lady Carnarvon

I'm delighted to welcome the wonderful Miranda Hart to our podcast. We cover many topics, from the importance of joyfulness and humor in life to her iconic character Ms. Bates in Jane Austen's 'Emma'. 

Miranda opens up about the challenges she faced during her career and the inspiration behind her book, 'I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You'. 

We chat about the intricacies of British humor, the pressures of performing in front of a studio audience, and the technical aspects of comedy. 

Miranda also shares personal stories about her health struggles, finding strength in vulnerability, and her unique approach to writing, which includes 'treasures of darkness' she discovered through her own experiences. Join us for this heartfelt and humorous conversation, complete with aspirations for future gallops around the garden and cherished moments of British comedic history.

00:56 Discussing British Humor and Sitcoms
01:45 Miranda's Memorable Roles and Experiences
03:00 The Art of Comedy and Scriptwriting
07:51 Challenges and Vulnerability in Acting
09:24 Miranda's Book and Personal Treasures
13:08 Living with Chronic Illness
19:39 Finding Joy and Future Plans

You can hear more episodes of Lady Carnarvon's Official Podcasts at https://www.ladycarnarvon.com/podcast/

New episodes are published on the first day of every month. 

Transcript

Welcome  to my podcast and I'm thrilled that Miranda Hart has agreed to be my guest. Today have many things to discuss  from joyfulness and humor to the character  of Ms. Bates in Jane Austen's, Emma. To the challenges that Miranda has faced and picked up in her book? I haven't been entirely honest with you. think we both love British humor  turns out that we both like  galloping around the garden. there are many moments to enjoy.

We are in sofas in different homes. But I hope at one point I might well be able to welcome you here, Miranda, but thank you for joining me.  

thank

you. I'd love to be there at, hi, clear Abey, Downton Castle, whatever it's called now.

I don't  know

That would be such a thrill.

Another time.

You are marvelous. 

And I  think that first met you through the screen in my room here as Miranda on television, and you used to be so cheerful  and cheering up and so honest as  well that I think I, and I have five younger sisters. All of us used to. So enjoy watching that program alone before.

I've also met you through the books you've written, which I have also enjoyed.

 Oh, thank you. It means so much that people still remember the sitcom. amazing that it's still got a life kind of 10 years on now and people are still watching it as well. But yeah, that means that means a lot. I suppose it was my baby that sitcom.

 If I,

you could look back on, was there one particular series or role you played that you most enjoyed? Miranda?



it's been interesting looking back recently as I, have been with, writing and things that I realized that a lot of what I was doing sort of back then when I was very  busy doing Miranda and then call the midwife and things like that  was that actually it did really become a job rather than a sort of joyful thing at the moment.

So I wish I could go back and kind of do it again with real presence and joy, but I think my.  Lasting memory will always be an episode of  Miranda that I did with Patricia Hodge and an actor called Mark Heap. And it was basically just three of us in a psychiatrist's office and it was in series two, and it just felt like doing a  play on television.

So it combined  my two loves. It was such an unusual day, and we did, we did a matinee and an evening performance, which is very rare in front of a studio audience, and it just sort of connected with the audience in a way we weren't expecting, and I, I just never forget that day.

How  amazing. Because in a sense you are very theatrical and I and think you ad-lib some of it. I dunno how much is ad-libbing and how much is actually script written in some of that series. But  it does seem as if it was you. And yet in this  book here, which I do recommend, I haven't been entirely honest with you. Perhaps some of it was an acting role, even if it was more off the cuff than script driven.

 Well, I'm, I'm very flattered that you say it's off the cuff actually, because , was scripted to within,

 mil  millimeter. Yes, it was. Very, tight. And, poured over every um, r and comma and, and to me that's, that's how I do my comedy. It, it when you're in front of an audience, you've got to get a laugh.

So it's got to be really technical and really regimented. And then when you've learned it in that way.   can then make it try and look fluid and improvised  and natural. And so I'm really proud of the fact that we managed to do that because the studio audience sitcoms quite an unusual and the pressure of having to get a laugh.

So yeah, I'm really flattered by that and intrigued. it was very much me. I wrote a lot of that at my parents' house actually that episode. And I was wandering around their sitting room just picking up objects and playing with it a bit. And that's what I ended up doing in, in the episode.

 I am silly and have a  harnessed a lot of joy, particularly in recently It's and like to subvert social convention and. British polite society as much as possible, but I was able to do it in the sitcom in a way you're not really able to in real life. But, say it's the clown version of me, so it was a performance, it was acting, it was very technical and the looking to camera, you know, think, okay, in this  shot, I'm looking at camera one, then I'm looking at camera four.

So it's, really technical and hard work, but that's partly why I love it. And we were recording in a studio, which was   where more wise, my comedy heroes filmed in at the BBC. So that just added this history of British comedy. The fact that I was performing there made me want to work harder as well.

Thank you for asking about the sitcom. Do you know I could talk about it all day?

we 

 I.

heritage of British comedy, I think which I love And I worked with theatrical agent in a previous life and used to go along and watch some 

 Oh. 

being  filmed which I did really enjoy. He Judy Dench, for example, and we'd worked with Michael White all and I used to go along to  what they were doing at the BBC.

Honestly, I was so  lucky in that particular life of mine and I had to go racing with people like Dan Day Lewis. It was just terrible. Honestly, Miranda, it was such a difficult job. It really was. John hurt, so it was wonderful.

 No that, that's amazing to see those shows though. I'm glad you've had an insight into that.

I Think funnily enough, in an earlier life I had a clothes business and I think your mother had a clothes party for me just to let you into a little secret, 

 sounds very like my mother

yes  

 probably she would probably would've wanted me to have close parties and go to close parties, I'm afraid. And if a form mentioned subverting of society, I wanted to just roll in mud and, ideally. I really walk around naked. My mother, she, she tried her best.

But

 Nice.

I and my  sister sometimes might gallop along the street thinking we are Miranda, just to let you know because you do all the things that we'd like to do, and then we try to find your courage to do them, which I think is very interesting. 

we're All different, aren't we? Some of us love. Fashion and makeup and looking, it is important to look good, and some of us, like me are grungy and sweaty  so  at all. 

, But, all of us need a gallop at some point to just that sense of freedom. Take all the cares and the worries in the conventions office. The rules, no rules.

 you'll come to a book club and we might have to gallop in together if nothing else

Oh,  please, can we, can we go up around Highclere Castle? I mean,  get up outside with a horse walking beside us  is  walking. I mean, I think we need to do at least a two week shoot on this.

 No, but you are so technically perfect, it would be fine. So definitely

 It'll be fine. I think it's gonna go viral. Okay. It's a date.

Funnily  enough, Miranda, one of the roles I really enjoyed was when you played Ms. Bates in Emma, in Jane Austen. 'cause I think it's an extraordinary character.. I think Jane Austen just completely caught the  slightly sad spinster who is dependent on another  people. And, I just thought that was very moving Actually I'm a huge Jane Austen fan, but I did really admire that particular characterization the sensitivity that she did it.

 thank you. That means a lot. As you Mentioned earlier, was I playing a character in Miranda or was I hiding stuff with having my book talking about having had a me and actually in filming Emma,, it was hard. I wasn't particularly well there. I still didn't know quite why.

So going to work was very, very difficult doing long filming days. So I'm. proud of the fact that I managed to do it  and that people liked it. But, interestingly it  helped me harness her vulnerability and sensitivity, I think, because I was beginning to feel so vulnerable, which I'd never really felt before.

I also think a bit like Miranda, just in a different way. It's important to show, to connect with an audience and play characters. That do feel left out or don't, don't quite fit in, or don't feel they're included or part of something , and make social mishaps, you  know, all that. Jane Austen, in many ways was the first  sort of female comedian to kind of highlight those observations.

I think she's a beautiful character. I remember doing the picnic scene, that's such an important scene for, Emma because if Ms. Bates gets hurt and the audience believe that she's really hurt, then it's what sort of goes on to develop Emma and, and Mr.

Knight's relationship. That's the most nervous I've ever been on set, was doing that,  , I think it was a second take, and the director and producer came out in floods of Tears and I was like, yes, I've got them. I've done it. I was so relieved. So, interesting playing that, 'cause I was, yeah, to feel really very unwell then, so I, I felt very aligned to Ms.

Bates in our, vulnerability.

 for those people who haven't read Miranda's book, what's really interesting is it's a completely different approach to writing about the challenges you face in your division of the book into three sections, and also the way you  interweave a treasure into each of  the sections that you are writing about, which is, I suppose very Miranda is completely different from perhaps how anyone else. Might have written it. Did you have a clear idea of what you were going to write before you wrote this book? How you were going to structure it? 

Yeah,

I think I

did know it 'cause I didn't, I didn't really want to write it. But I was researching as I was feeling unwell and not getting answers and just very fatigued and I became housebound and bedbound with it. , I thought, well, there's all this sort of discourse and awareness of, of holistic wellbeing,  which is wonderful.

But in my sort of crisis  point, I was like, I don't know actually what's gonna help me. I can't, go on a mini break and go to a spa, or I can't. Do an ice bath or you know what actually helps? So I researched it for myself, not thinking it would be a book. And then for me, as I came across, I started calling them my treasures because there's a phrase, I think  it's in some, I think it's in a psalm, in the Bible it says The  Treasures of Darkness.

And I really hooked onto that 'cause I thought. It is in our darknesses and in our worst moments that often we learn exactly what we need to do. Not that I wish suffering on anyone, so I really hooked onto the word treasures and I thought, yeah, that's what they feel like. And so in my research, I just found these 10 treasures that each day I just  needed to use to kind of keep me going.

And, and they  helped to get physically better as well. Not that I'm fully out of it, , so then I thought, well, I can't keep these treasures to myself. I'm gonna have to blooming, write a book. I did, and I'm just very, very glad that it's resonated with people.

And I  spend a lot of time when I'm writing with both the dedication and with the acknowledgements. And I read that you also read the acknowledgements. I've dedicated my books usually to my husband because I've living with him. So you might be ified didn't. So that's that my sisters, 'cause I love them who haven't read my books, I would suspect and my son.

Who probably might have listened to some, but not if I've read them. 'cause he doesn't want to listen to his mother   so my dedication sort of fall and  then the acknowledgements at the end. I just have some fun with I also read that you also read acknowledgements and the lovely part of your acknowledgements was about your 50th birthday party when you asked your friends. To describe you that the best one, which I loved was I think you said that one person described you as windy, which I thought was just.

 it was my sister's idea I think, and she was like, let's just get a word each and describe why we think that's her. Initially I was really embarrassed 'cause weirdly, I don't like being the center of attention in that way. , But I just thought, just relax into it.

I don't think I'm ever gonna feel this loved, potentially, you know, so, so beautiful. So everyone was doing really nice things and quite earnest things.  someone went, well, my  word is flatulent. so great. And then about an hour later I went, by the way, that was the best gift I've ever had.

Thank you to all my friends. But I said, can I say that what a single person said I was funny. They were like, take him for granted. Taking us red. Taking us red. I was like, still not a single one. So just, you know, dealing with that. But yes, flatulent,

windy and breezy is sort of words within my sisters have lots of bad words to describe me. I think. So I don't, might have asked them four words to describe me, they'd be far too honest. But I think you're right out of dark moments, you actually do find. Strengths, but nevertheless, right?

It must have been so difficult sometimes to  going when people don't believe you I think that's  one of the hardest things, isn't it? When people don't believe you and just sort of tell you to get on and don't want to help you find out how to get better. And it must have been probably a huge relief when you began to find your path. the Garden of Darkness, if you like. that probably took years, didn't it?

it was really hard. And I think they call it chronic invisible illness now for a reason because so many conditions, I mean, I think a pain particularly , but Emmy, chronic fatigue, long covid,  long whatever, viral infection, which is essentially  what is , if you keep saying, I'm tired all the time, everyone's tired.

So they don't have a reference for actually what fatigue is. And fatigue is more, I can't pick up the glass of water in front of me, type level of fatigue,  but it is hidden because you do find the way  to pick it up and. You can still look quite well. So the loneliness of that is, is very real I think for many people.

And there are millions suffering with chronic problems. Some cancers of course, you know, are invisible too, aren't they? If people are living with it.

mm 

 it is  really hard. And then you feel like I had to really undo the British pattern of acute calm and carry on and stop moaning and you know, 'cause I ended up sort of.

Isolating myself. 'cause I felt like I couldn't just go, oh, I'm feeling terrible again. Or, sorry, I can't calm. It was better to sort of disappear. But now one of the greatest treasures for me from the darkness was being able  to be how I am and how I feel,  but still with people or still going to do a small job or whatever.

It's, but being able to say, oh, by the way, I'm, I just need five minutes, or. You know, I need a nap or I'm just gonna be quiet for a bit, or meeting my needs. In that way, it felt very vulnerable to start with. And now. And now it feels second nature, which is great. So I can live with the condition much better.

I'm sure  you've helped many other people as a result.

 hope so. I don't know. I think I. I think there are some universals to chronic health conditions, but at the same time, everybody's experience is different. Everything in the book came from research. So it's not just nice ideas that I came up with whilst  in my bed. I hated that, that, that I would not  have published.

That would've just been laugher to fart. Or something. Stroke a dog continuously, , both of which I adhere to. But , they were science, evidence based.

I've realized  somebody asked me some questions

did the process of writing change how you feel about yourself? Which I thought was quite an interesting question. , 

Or is it too um

No, that's a

very good question. And I would say yes, actually collating all the material and the research and writing it sort of in my voice and then writing , my story within it. I sort of, had a lot of grief when I did it 'cause  I suddenly realized what I'd been through.

So I was able to acknowledge it.  And then I talk a lot about identity and how being ill for so long stripped me of all the main measurements of identity that we normally have, like your job or relationships or friendships or, I lost my house at one point, so I was being ill for so long. I really had  to think about who I was beyond all that . That really came out in the writing I just sorted out what the meaning of life was, basically , for everybody. You're welcome. No, but I, I had to really sit with who I was beyond being famous or beyond being an  actress or beyond having a job or beyond  being social, whatever it was.

And, so was a really interesting process and really helped me, and I feel like I've come out the other end knowing who I am in a way that I. I didn't realize I didn't know myself as well and didn't realize I needed, 

I'm one of six girls as I mentioned, and our father died very young. My number six sister was 12 and everything went pear shaped in our life from being quite lucky and privileged and fortunate to be. I. Completely in a maelstrom of everything. And there was a very good line from Houseman about I a stranger and afraid in a world I never made. And it was that black helplessness of King  Lear, which I used to sort of turn in my  head and then find it very hard to figure out how to climb out of. I think sometimes reading about other people and it's the same We're all trying to climb out sometimes of a bit of despair. it?

It does sort of help But I do remember that search for anything really, which is, also not something that was talked about. 'cause this was some time ago now, Miranda, and it's just, you are kind of lost in the 

 Yeah.

pit  But just finally, there was a question here, which I think we've answered many of them but it was As public figures do you think you have a duty to be honest about some of your personal life? 'cause that's an interesting boundary, isn't it? About where you step forward and how much you share.

 it's really interesting and, one of the things I learned over the last 10 years, one of my treasures of discovery about myself was that I was actually an introvert. And so I can be loud and silly and, and be the center of attention to party occasionally, but  actually ultimately to and recover.

I need a lot of time on my own and silence and stillness as a natural introvert   instinct is, is of keep, you private and I don't actually like being that gly word celebrity or anything like that.

But at the same time, I happened to have become famous. I didn't choose it. I wasn't expecting my show to do what it did. So yes, you've then got to go, okay, what, is there a reason for that? Or is there greater purpose and greater meaning beyond that? And maybe I analyze that too much and think about it too much.

But to that extent, I do think there's a bit  of a duty to it. So I keep my private life as  private as I can and just share what I want to. But I did feel a real duty with this book actually to. Share what I'd learned. I just thought I got, I often think, what would I do on my deathbed? Would I regret not sharing this?

And the answer was always yes. So that was that. But the real, in many ways, I would've rather not shared. I don't know. No, that's not true. Actually, that's not true. I'm glad I did. But it it did feel like a duty, 

what are

to next? What, what would you excited? What would give you that joy that you talked about that you sometimes lacked? Oh, puppies, of course,

 Sorry about the, the doc. The dogs, Pat's, Pat's off Pat. Shush uh, ruin, don't ruin our very important uh, podcast, please. ., I do find joy now  in every day. That was the biggest treasure of darkness is,  is finding my joy, true joy, you know, not happiness based on circumstances, but just looking at a tree, , covering the dog, et cetera.

And what I'm really looking forward to is finding a house with my husband. 'cause we've yet to find our married home together.

    we're renting at the moment and. I'm really looking forward to that, putting down roots with him and kind of starting my life proper with him and, and having a place where people can come and rest and play and get away from the world and yeah, that's my, that's my big project.

The game.

 Miranda. If you were coming to a summer garden party here with strawberries and champagne and Labrador dogs and a little white pony to gallop with, who would you like to bring as your guest?

 would I like to, what a lovely notion, by the way. Can dead or alive? Type question.

like  to ring to be a friend of high clear?

I would like to bring Eric Morum

 me, my  comedy hero. Wouldn't it be so fun to have him at heart Clear and all that he'd do with a put with his pipe in his mouth as he wanders around making us all laugh.

 would Yes,  please, Eric. Welcome.

 Thank you so much.  Oh, I was brought up with a, more and wise, the two Ronnies. Oh golly. What fun.

the two Ron is as well. Yeah.

Oh four  candles.

 Brilliant.

people  for jobs here, I tend to say, have you seen four candles? Because it sort of shows me the sort of person they are.

 I can't thank you enough for joining me despite being in separate places and not feeling the best of health. So thank you so much for taking the time out.

 Pleasure. Well. maybe it was lucky we weren't in the same room, considering I'm flat, empty, windy,

   it's all worked out for the best,

You are  amazing. Oh dear I think all my sisters were always, I'm afraid, always talking about who's far and who's burps. So we are completely uncooked really. We just have this front which looks more dier as lady ransom or not.

I think most of us love talking about fasting and burping, don't we really? I've got a few friends who find it abhorrent and say they don't fault, which I don't believe, but I think people secretly love it.

 all six of us were together for my number five Sister's 50th birthday. 10 days ago, and basically the conversation within a second turns to farting and burping, but I think that's very important. And we used to gallop around the garden on hobby horses, so we're outside and perfectly stupid.

The bizarre thing is my sister Penny's children girls and they also like galloping around the garden and jumping over jumps. So it's just quite scary how it's genetic that.

 Oh, I love it. We're we're firm friends clearly.

at all  Miranda, thank you so much for joining me and you are really kind to do this when you are not feeling great. So I really appreciate it. Thank you.

  pleasure. Absolute pleasure. Thank you 

come and gallop  here. We can do a book club about your book when you feel a bit better. And I think it'd be lovely.

I've got a little white pony who can walk beside us and we can get it. I think it would be a winner. Your book would go viral.

  be just wonderful. Please, let's do that. I'm going to

a  date 

 be as calm and to get better for that.

Thank  you,

 Yeah,  Bye.