Latest news with #TamarBroadbent
Scotsman
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Eight Fringe shows to book soon!
It's preview week of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and there are, as ever, a bewildering number of comedy shows on offer. We hope we can make the task of choosing between them that little bit easier by picking out some of the best acts up this year! Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Musical comedians: It's not just Oasis who will be making noise in the capital the year, there are loads of excellent musical comedians with some catchy anthems of their own! Holly Spillar Eights comedians to book soon! From left to right: Tamar Broadbent, Candace Bryan, Alex Kitson, Holly Spillar, Alfie Packham, Amelia Hamilton, Liz Guterbock, Aaron Wood A finalist of this year's Musical Comedy Awards, Holly Spillar has been described as 'Tim Minchin bumping into Kate Bush' and 'the love child of Kate Bush and Bo Burnham.' Her debut show, HOLE, was one of the official Best Reviewed Comedy Shows of the 2023 Fringe. Her follow-up, Tall Child, sees her armed with nothing but a little red loop pedal and her ever growing rage at the inequalities in the world and looking for the catharsis only art (made by low income people, working crap jobs on minimum wage) can provide. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Holly Spillar: Tall Child' is at Underbelly Bristo Square (Dexter) 30 July – 25 August (not 13) @ 5.45pm Tickets via: Amelia Hamilton Amelia Hamilton is the only female stand-up rapper in the UK (that we know of)! Set to an original soundtrack of live beats, her debut show 'Forget Me Not' is "an anthem for anyone who wants to be everything; a lover and a fighter, a girl boss and also wear ASOS, a rapper and a woman in STEM, to be famous but also to be forgotten.'. A featured artist on BBC iPlayer and BBC Radio, Amelia was a finalist in the Musical Comedy Awards 2023, a Komedia Comedy Awards runner-up in 2024, and a BBC New Comedy Awards Nominee 2024. 'Amelia Hamilton: Forget Me Not' is at Pleasance Courtyard, Attic @ 9.45pm between 30th July – 24th August (not 11th) Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Tickets via: Tamar Broadbent Tamar Broadbent is an award-winning musical comedian and the only British woman to have ever been a main stage cast member at renowned US improv theatre Boom Chicago (whose alumni include Seth Meyers, Jordan Peele and Jason Sudeikis). Her new show Plus One is about pregnancy and new motherhood, featuring songs like 'Alcohol, I'll Never Take You For Granted Again' and 'I Tried Hard to Breastfeed, But It Sucked! 'Tamar Broadbent: Plus One' is at Counting House – Ballroom between August 7th -24th @ 1pm Tickets: Newcomers: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad As well as Amelia Hamilton (above), we have picked out two other acts making their Fringe debut this year. Aaron Wood Tour support for Luke Kidgell, Fin Taylor, Connor Burns, and with over 100 million views online, high energy newcomer Aaron Wood debuts with More to Life, hilariously describing exactly what it's like growing up in a Northern, working class household. Diagnosed with Autism and ADHD at a young age, Aaron always found school tricky and moved around many times, attending NINETEEN different schools! 'Aaron Wood: More To Life' is at Hoots Apex @ 4.50pm between 1-25th August Tickets: Candace Bryan Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Shortlisted for Funny Women Best Comedian, a 2Northdown New Act Semi-Finalist and one of Chortle's Hotshot finalists, the sassy Candace Bryan's debuts with 'MILF – Mom I'd Like To Find', a show about growing up with a single dad in Memphis, Tennessee, her mommy issues and her international dating hijinks, and how these things may or may not be related. 'Candace Bryan: MILF – Mom I'd Like To Find' is at Just The Sub-Atomic Room at Just the Tonic Nucleus between 31 July – 24th August at 3.10pm Tickets: Coming back for more! Once bitten by the Fringe bug, you're hooked! Among the acts making a return after their acclaimed debut shows are: Alfie Packham Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Max Turner Prize winner, BBC New Comedy Award nominee, journalist and stand-up, Alfie Packham's new hour, My Compliments to the Chef, is about belonging, artists, nerds, retail workers, fruit farmers, friends, family and enemies. It's not about chefs. 'Alfie Packham: My Apologies to the Chef' runs at Underbelly Bristo Square between 30th July and 24th August at 7.15pm Tickets: Alex Kitson After his smash hit debut, Alex returns to the Fringe with This is Water, a show about perception, life's unspoken truths and connecting in a disconnected world. Alex Kitson's many accolades include ISH Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer nominee for his 2024 Edinburgh Fringe show, Top 3 Dave's Joke of the Fringe 2024 and Best of Brighton Fringe nominee. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Alex Kitson: This is Water' runs at Hoots @ Potterow between 1-25th August at 9pm Tickets: Liz Guterbock American-born Brit comedian Liz Guterbock has been a Funny Women finalist and was placed in The Guardian's 10 Best Jokes of Edinburgh Fringe and a Dave's Joke of the Fringe runner-up. In her sophomore show, NICE, Liz tries to keep her cool despite the world increasingly being run by bullies. Mentioning no names! 'Liz Guterbock: NICE' is at Southsider (PBH Free Fringe) 2-24th August at 7pm Tickets: We hope this selection of exciting comedy acts will help you plan a happy Fringe adventure this year!
Geek Girl Authority
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Tamar Broadbent Debunks Parenting Myths and Celebrates Motherhood With PLUS ONE
Motherhood is complicated. It's messy, terrifying and wonderful. Really, it's all the things. This serves as the template for award-winning British musical comedian Tamar Broadbent's boldest and most personal show yet, which will make its Toronto Fringe Festival debut this year. Plus One not only debunks parenting myths, but it also uplifts mothers as the unsung heroes they are and transforms relatable fears into hope. Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Tamar about creating Plus One , what audiences can expect, how her show is universal and more. RELATED: David John Phillips on Writing Oh! I Miss the War and Its Hopeful Message for the Queer Community This interview is condensed for length and clarity. Tamar Broadbent Pictured: Tamar Broadbent. Photo credit: Steve Ullathorne. Melody McCune: We at GGA love a good origin story. How did you get into comedy? Tamar Broadbent: I went to drama school for a year. After drama school, I was basically just another short blonde woman. I didn't even know where to start in terms of what made me stand out amongst all the other young blonde women going for the same roles as me. I've always been a songwriter. At uni, I had written a musical. Then, I learned about musical comedy — it hadn't really been on TV in England before that. I thought, 'Oh, maybe I could give that a go.' I saw a post on Twitter that said, 'There's a gig tonight. There's a spot going down in Brighton,' which is a couple of hours from my house. I'd never done comedy before. I spent about six hours writing a 10-minute comedy set. That first one was amazing. They laughed in all the right places. I just kept on doing it. I went to the Edinburgh Festival and did a full show straight away. Everything I've done has snowballed from there. RELATED: Revival 's Romy Weltman on Becoming Em and Working With Melanie Scrofano Plus One MM: Let's talk about Plus One . Can you tell me what it's about? What was the impetus behind writing it? TB: It's a musical comedy show about becoming a mother. It's based on my personal journey of going from never wanting to be a mother to that all completely changing. Why that changed, how it changed, how it wasn't necessarily easy. How I examine all the parts I think are quite unfair about what we have to go through and what you have to give up. Even if you are in a team, which I am with my husband, there are things you will always go through that they never will. Also, I had a bit of a crap dad, let's put it that way, so [I didn't want] to repeat patterns. Looking at generations and how things have changed through the generations. There are heartfelt bits as well. It explores themes of identity. It's a musical storytelling show where I weave songs into the journey. Leaving on a High MM: What can audiences expect when they watch your show? TB: They can expect to come on a journey with me. They will laugh. It's a lot of fun, but I also want them to feel something. They can see me play a bunch of different characters. Like birth guru characters who tell you that you should feel all the pain to its fullest because really, you're not a mom if you haven't suffered. Also, a tiny cameo from George Clooney as well. RELATED: Agape Mngomezulu Talks Bryon and Bracia's Relationship in Ginny & Georgia Season 3 There's also an improvised club song, which is where I get a suggestion from the audience, and I sing. I'm an improviser as well as a musical comedian. I did a couple of years at an American Improv Theatre. So, I'm going to serenade them with my silly story songs, and I hope they will leave feeling validated about those fears or stresses or the chaos of it. If you never want to be a parent, [you also have] a little window into what that journey is for a person, going from one state to another. It's going through any change that is as mad as that. I hope they'll be able to connect with it and leave feeling joyful because it is a joyful, uplifting show. I like to send my audiences out feeling hopeful and on a bit of a high. MM: Describe Plus One using three words. TB: Musical. Uplifting. Ridiculous. The Music MM: Ridiculous, I love that. Is there anything else you can tease about the songs in your show? TB: I can tell you what a few of them are about. I have a song about wanting to have a baby, but I don't want to be a mum. I want to have a baby, but I don't want to have all the stuff that's scary or embarrassing about being a mum. This idea that mums have to disappear and do all the work and wear mum jeans and stuff. RELATED: Cecilia Lee on the Wild Ride That Is Fear Street: Prom Queen I have a song called 'I Tried Hard to Breastfeed, But It Sucked,' a comedic song about the journey of trying to live up to the expectations of what you think you're supposed to do. Then, I've got my improvised club song. I also got 'An Ode to Alcohol.' Alcohol, I'll never take you for granted again — having to give it up for nine months because wine is my favorite thing in the universe. I also have a ballad called 'Skin to Skin,' which I'm quite proud of. There's one touching song in the show. I always allow myself one. 'Here's to All the Embarrassing Mothers' is a song about all the stuff like going to bed so early and being really lame. I actually love being lame these days, being in bed by 9:00 — being really proud of the idea that I'm always going to wear pink hot pants no matter how old I am. Universal Themes MM: Your show tackles motherhood and skewers different parenting myths. What makes it universal? How can someone who's not a mom relate to it? TB: Looking down the barrel of being a parent, you have to make a choice. You're going to get somewhere, and there's no way back. It's that idea that sometimes you have to make a choice in life you're unsure about, and it's not necessarily going to be great all the way through. For example, if you've ever had to move from one state to another, or you're frightened of leaving behind something that was really amazing to get something better, but you don't know what's going to happen. The other angle of it is being a woman, and the stuff expected of you that is hidden under the surface. RELATED: Olivia Morris Shares How The Librarians: The Next Chapter Hooked Her From Page One Even outside of motherhood, you are expected to do certain things. The details are often hidden, and you don't realize it. There was so much I had never even heard of before having a baby. I was like, 'Why doesn't everyone know about this?' People don't care about women, really. They don't care about moms that much, so it's not discussed. It should be talked about. I would hope that even if someone doesn't want to be a mom, a human journey is interesting in the way I find stories interesting, that I will never go through and never relate to. Another idea I really try to articulate is what it means to become invisible when you become a mother and why. I've spoken to my mom friends about that. No one can really put their finger on it. You know it's there, this idea that you disappear from society or relevance, but you can't quite blame it on anyone. You can't explain what it is. RELATED: Max Parker Gets Musical as Benvolio in Juliet & Romeo Dig Deep Pictured: Tamar Broadbent. Design credit: Laura Whitehouse. MM: What have you taken away from this experience, from creating this show and getting it on its feet? TB: I've written about six musical comedy shows. I love doing it because I love vibrant, variety comedy. I'm most proud of this show because I think it's the most honest one I've done. I've really enjoyed storytelling comedians over the last few years. Also, everyone's really into authenticity right now. If you're not telling the truth, what's the point? I really tried to dig deep with this show and be honest about it because I think the more specific, the more universal, the more people relate to it. It's like the writer of The Golden Girls said: find what's awkward and uncomfortable for you and trust that it will be funny if you write about it. I found what's a bit painful and uncomfortable, and I've written about it. I've done a couple of previews of the show, but really, the first time I get it on its feet will be in Canada. It's a completely new audience for me. I've performed in America, but I've never performed in Canada. RELATED: Comedian Farideh Dishes on Her Debut Musical Comedy Album, The Motherload I'm sure stuff will change as I go along. You get to a certain point with a show, and then I think it needs to be in front of people. That's the last living, breathing part of it. It's what really makes it a show. Comedic Influences MM: What are your comedic influences? Who inspires you? TB: Back to the start, probably my mom. She's very funny. She always found humor in difficult times. Again, I had an absent father figure. There was always a lot of confusion, difficulty and pain around that. I also have large influences from improvisers like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. I got really into improv when I came to London, [and it] was only about 10 years ago when Chicago-style improv made it there. Then, I auditioned for Boom Chicago and worked with Americans. I was like, 'God, I love this. No one does it like this.' That style of humor, that kind of naturalistic improv, which was very different from short form. Bridesmaids is one of my earliest favorite comedy films I can think of. I was just like, 'This is just everything to me.' Also, this is why you have to let women write films because it's so great. RELATED: Charlot Daysh on Starring in Finding Odera and Its Powerful Themes MM: Amen to that. TB: Yes, let them do it. My influences probably came more from sitcoms and films than from stand-up. Stand-up was something I only discovered in my 20s when I saw it live. On the Horizon MM: Last question. What is on the horizon for you? TB: After Toronto Fringe, I go back to Edinburgh Fringe. It's going to be a big, long summer of festivals, which is great. I hope the show will have a future life as well. I'd love to take it onward to theaters or other festivals. I will continue writing musical comedy and musical theater. I write musical theater songs as well, [I'm] still doing improv and I've got a couple of show ideas in development. Plus One will run through July 12, 2025, at the Alumnae Theatre as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival. You can follow Tamar Broadbent on Instagram (@tamarbroadbent) and check out her site to stay up to date. Anesti Danelis on THIS SHOW WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE and Unsolicited Advice Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
Geek Girl Authority
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Tamar Broadbent Archives
Categories Select Category Games GGA Columns Movies Stuff We Like The Daily Bugle TV & Streaming Events Interviews Music Stuff We Like We had the privilege of chatting with musical comedian Tamar Broadbent about debuting her musical comedy, Plus One, at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Read on for our interview.
