It all started at the Canal Café and, well, haven’t most of us cut our comedy teeth there at some time or other? Georgina Strawson was faintly amused by Laura Evelyn’s Anne Robinson in NewsRevue and Laura found immediate respect for Georgina’s ‘drunken’ monologue for Canal’s Festive Frolics. One coincidental audition later and scripts were being emailed and ideas shared. Fast forward a year and Laura and Georgina are pleased to present Joan & May: First Day – three short sketches devised, written, performed and directed by women.
The characters were originally borne out of scenes and sketches which chronicled a female temp jobbing her way, rather aimlessly, through soulless corporations behind glass fronted, skyscraper buildings. The PA’s are always female and their demigod bosses an overweight and masculine omnipotence.
The more time Georgina and Laura spent workshopping these characters, however, the more they recognized that Joan and May’s relationship is a far more interesting and complex thing to witness grow and develop – against the cold, corporate backdrop that has and continues to supplement Laura’s income. She’s grateful, really she is.
Have you watched the episodes yet? They’re a bit surreal, aren’t they? Temping sometimes is and yet neither Joan nor May seem to belong to this world; they’re a little bit other. Joan and May’s creators aim, through devising and improvisation, to keep the characters rooted in truth and with the help of their director, Deirdre Mullins, to strike a nerve as well as a funny bone.
And with this ethos will Georgina, Laura and Deirdre continue in their adventures with Joan and May, along with other characters that inspire or backdrops that provoke. Watch this space.
Laura Evelyn and Georgina Strawson – you can follow Laura on Twitter @lauraevelyn1 and Georgina on @g_strawson
Pictured: Georgina Strawson as Joan and Laura Evelyn as May
