Camdenist

Farrah Alice Black is a Rambunctious Scallywag at Camden Fringe

Turning a run of extremely bad luck into a source of great comedy
Camden Fringe previews 2023

She claims to have lived a thousand lives, but is also deep in the process of a ‘quarter life crisis’ in her mid-20s, so who exactly is Farrah Alice Black? And why is she determined to make us laugh at her various misfortunes?

 

You draw on a broad range of life experiences for your material – which have proved your most rich sources of comedy?
I’m a firm believer in the idea that some of the best comedy is tragedy plus time, and when it’s about my personal life I only need five minutes. A lot of the show features a domino effect of events that happened to me, predominantly in the second half of last year. The thing that got me through it was finding how utterly insane my bad luck had gotten fantastically funny. There wasn’t really one specific moment that inspired the show, more that sometimes, when it rains it pours molten rocks of shit because god is a bitch with a sense of humour.
 
 
How did the show get its name?
 
Honestly it was already my Instagram username and I figured it fit well with the idea I already had for the show. I think the original Insta name came from a chat I had with a friend whilst drinking Co-Op wine on Brighton beach, about being conflicted in our mid-20s with wanting to grow up and take better care of ourselves and not get up to mischief… But not feeling ready to let go of the rambunctious scallywagery of our teens/early 20s.
 
 
What do you hope people gain from seeing the performance – other than plenty of laughs of course?
 
Plenty of laughs! If one day I make someone in the audience laugh so hard they pee I’ll know I’ve made it. I hope they come away with an emboldened desire to get up to shenanigans and find silliness in their life, be able to laugh at themselves even when life really sucks.
 
 
If Rambunctious Scallywag was an animal, which would it be and why?
 
I’ve thought about this way too much but I reckon she’s a bright pink glittery cockroach; Fun, colourful, weird as hell and impossible to kill.
 
 
Tell us in 5 words why we really must come and see this show.
1. Please
2. Come
3. Or
4. I’ll 
5. Cry
 
 
Anything else we need to know?
 
Only that if you’re reading this you need to come to my show, but if you really can’t, I’m happy for you to send a friend (or three) in your place.

Camden Fringe 2023 //  See Rambunctious Scallywag at 2Northdown, Sat 12th & Sun 13th August.  Tickets and info here.

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