Hometown: Surrey, BC, Canada
Education: The "high" in "high school"
Favorite Credits: Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Montreal Fringe Festival, Vancouver Int'l Burlesque Festival
Why theater?: Theatre provides a space to be multi-disciplinary. I can combine elements of music, comedy and improv to create the exact kind of show that I want. Also, people tend not to yell at you when you're performing in a theatre, so it makes it a lot more enjoyable when compared to playing bars/clubs/backrooms of questionable restaurants.
Tell us about Shirley Gnome: Real Mature: The show is my newest collection of songs. Some will be older, others from my new album that I'm releasing on February 8th (The Lady of the Night). All of the material revolves around the embarrassing, titillating, and profound truths that are the undercurrent of sex and relationships. It is all told from the perspective of one woman who isn't even aware that pointing any of this out would make other people feel embarrassed, ashamed, or shocked - but they do.
What inspired you to write Shirley Gnome: Real Mature?: I have no idea. I just seem to observe the strangeness and hilarity of sex and can't help but turn it into country music. Something about that moralistic storytelling format really brings out the humour.
What kind of theater speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: I love storytellers. I will flock to those shows. I love watching them switch from comedy to tragedy in a beat, taking the audience on an emotional journey through the story.
If you could work with anyone you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?: Tim Minchin. He's the best musical comedian out there.
What show have you recommended to your friends?: She Was Probably Not A Robot by Stuart Bowden. Best show I've seen in years. Totally inspirational.
Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: Kate McKinnon maybe? I love her work. Probably it would have a stupid title like "No Regerts" or "Holesome Girl"
If you could go back in time and see any play or musical you missed, what would it be?: I don't know. I don't like to think about things that aren't possible.
What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?: That I don't feel guilty about anything I love?
If you weren’t working in theater, you would be _____?: singing music in my living room to make my friends laugh.
What’s up next?: The new album drops February 8th, then the FRIGID New York Festival, then I'll begin touring North America, then probably I'll have a snack, then I'll get tired and have a nap, hopefully there's some sex involved and maybe some fine whiskey.
