This year the Funny Women Awards Grand Final was back at the Bloomsbury Theatre where Lorna Rose Treen made history winning BOTH the Stage Award and Comedy Shorts Award. We caught up with Lorna to talk about her comedy career and how it feels to win!
Funny Women: How does it feel to win the Funny Women Stage Award AND the Comedy Shorts Award?
Lorna Rose Treen: Bloody amazing! Bit ridiculous, innit!
FW: How did you get into comedy?
LRT: It was the year of our Lord 2013. Britain was still part of Scotland, there was only one TV channel (ITV 2+1), and the Prime Ministers were Daniel Camera and Niche Egg.
I was studying Philosophy at Edinburgh Uni and I started going along to these open improvised comedy workshops run by the Improverts, Edinburgh’s longest running troupe. It was really intimidating because they were mostly all men and Fleabag hadn’t happened yet so I wasn’t sure if women COULD be funny.
So I ran away and then came back a few years later when there were slightly more women on Mock the Week and in the Improverts. Eventually, I bit the comedy bullet (made of banana!), went regularly to workshops, and got asked to join the group.
The training was THE BEST. Rigorous, scary and really fun, and they were all my best friends (some still are! The others went to live on a farm!) We performed every night of the Fringe festival. It was basically a safe playground for us to risk and fail, fall off the climbing frame, brush the tarmac granules off of our knees, and get back on the springy horse. I cannot recommend short-form improv enough.
I started doing stand-up character comedy after the pandemic, with help from the legend Alison Thea-Skot on the Soho Theatre Plus Lab. I also absolutely recommend their labs.
FW: Can you describe your comedy style to us?
LRT: No, I really struggle to do this!!!
FW: Where do you get your inspiration for your characters?
LRT: Everywhere and anywhere. I’m a little comedy Womble. I normally find something small that makes me laugh and then build out, like a funny voice or a weird way of holding my body. Also daytime TV is a great source of character. I mostly come up with jokes when I’m out and about and over stimulated. (Just girls wanna be overstimulated!)
FW: Any advice for people thinking about entering the Awards next year?
LRT: Trust yourself! Take risks, have fun, be creative! Practice in front of friends you think are funny, try to make them laugh.
FW: Who are your favourite Funny Women?
LRT: Ooooo lots – Natasia Demetriou, Julia Davis, Morgana Robinson, Amy Poehler, Alice Lowe, Sally Phillips, Michaela Coel, Georgia Pritchett – her autobiography ‘My mess is a bit of a life’ is hilarious and beautiful – Lolly Adefope, Natasha Hodgson, Patti Harrison, Diane Morgan.
Also, Emma Chambers, Miranda Richardson, and Michelle Gomez are some of my fave character comedy actors of all time.
FW: What’s next?
LRT: I think I’ll run to be the next King.
You can keep up to date with Lorna’s comedy on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and her website www.lornarosetreen.co.uk.
