Synopsis: An experimental exploration of womanhood, through satirical comedy and music.
What happens when a comedian and an opera singer collide with glitter, gender stereotypes, speculums and a general lack of respect for polite society? You get a black comedy from the sketch group Next to Normal.
Profs. Liz and Clare take you through their findings on the most complex of organisms "woman" accompanied by a mysterious pianist. Their veneer of respectability begins to crumble as the professional becomes personal: could... they be women?
Whether it be Liz skulling a Fosters whilst singing 'O Mio Babbino Caro' or Clare getting personal with the audience, these women don't form your typical sketch group. With clowning, new music, opera, improvisation and audience participation, you're set to see a very different kind of show.
Written and performed by Elizabeth Shearer and Clare Taffurelli, AM I NOT PRETTY ENOUGH??!?!?!?! came from their frustration with labels imposed on them: the female comedian, the uptight opera singer, depressive, slut, crazy, bitch, unintelligent, arrogant. So they decided to express their experiences in a way that is genuinely exhilarating to watch and to perform, leaving the audience with the message that they have the freedom to express their own experiences through the arts.
Elizabeth is classically trained singer with a BA in Music from the Queensland Conservatorium, and Clare graduated from KCL with a BA in History. Clare has been gigging on the London circuit since 2010 - with an improv troupe, as a character and stand-up comedian - while Liz recently moved from Australia to pursue her singing career. The duo were likened at a recent gig to French and Saunders.
Next to Normal made their debut in November 2014, performing sketches on the London comedy circuit. The Camden Fringe proves the premiere of their first full-length show. They plan to tour the show following their Fringe run.