Persistent and Nasty

In today’s episode Elaine chats to Scots actress Alexandra Laurence. Alex trained at The Central School for speech and Drama in London. Gaining a degree in Musical Theatre. In this episode we discuss body image and the pressures put on actors by the industry and themselves. We also talk about the mental health of our performers an what we can do to support and make changes to the way deal with men...

After a little bit of podcast hiatus we welcome back our super busy co-founder Louise Oliver. This week Louise sits down with the hilarious and very lovely Karen Bartke. Karen Bartke is a Scottish actor from Glasgow. Appearing on stage from an early age, Karen first found her feet as a member of Glasgow Schools Youth Theatre, before studying for a degree in archaeology. The lure of the stage was s...

This week Misha talks to Sarah Schlesinger, a professional actor, fight choreographer, and VO artist from New York City. Her eclectic career has spanned across America, Scotland, and South Korea; but even more impressive than her resume is her dedication to intersectional feminism. Listen in as she talks about her decision to be surgically sterilized at age 23, the hurdles she had to overcome to d...

In todays Episode Elaine chats with Co-Artistic Director Jo Rush of Braw Fox. Jo was in London for her recent production with Coreth Arts Ivory Wings at Drayton Arms Theatre. Jo is co-artistic director of new writing company Braw Fox Theatre. As a director she has premiered new work at the Edinburgh Fringe including Mary the Last Farewell (Cutting Edge Theatre), The Society of Ethical Cat Burglars...

In this episode Elaine sat down with the wonderful Kahleen Crawford of Kahleen Crawford casting. This episode is honest, funny and genuine. With Kahleen giving great tips for actors when it comes to castings. Once again, we at P&N are bowled over by the incredible women we continue to talk to. Kahleen is an inspiration. Enjoy episode 34 and as always Stay Nasty! KCC casts for a broad range of film...

Today’s episode we are joined by the incredible female that is Polly Kemp. Actress, Co-founder of the wonderful ERA50:50 campaign and amazing human. ERA (Equal Representation for Actresses) is a movement of actresses in the UK set up in 2015 by actresses Lizzie Berrington and Polly Kemp. It was set up in response to the Geena Davis Institute publication ‘Gender Bias Without Borders’ report on gend...

Well this is it. The final #WomenOfFringe Nasty Pod of Fringe 2019 and it is a firecracker. Misha talks all things pussy power - from the art of female gaze pornography to using comedy and performance to process trauma with the enchanting Crystal Tassels and electric Liliana Velásquez. And as an extra special Fringe Finale treat we've included their smash hit song, featured in their show A Pussy P...

In today’s episode we chat to the lovely Kaleigh Wilkie-Smith of Pinwheel Productions. Kaleigh discusses being a female director at the beginning of her career. What she hopes to achieve in the industry and the work she wants to create. Kaleigh has a wonderful, infectious energy and wisdom beyond her years she is a force to be reckoned with. A director to definitely watch. Australia Director, perf...

This week we’re talking about women of horror, creating low budget theatre and the challenges that come with fake blood on stage. Ahead of their London Horror Fest debut, with their smash hit show Serial Killer Cabaret, the spooks of Nevermore Theatre are sharing an insight into their horror theatre making process in a growing horror community whilst eating biscuits and digressing only briefly to...

ABOUT THE SHOW PINK HOUSE Peri is fifteen when her adopted mother dies. In losing a parent, she also loses her carefree way of life when her adoptive grandmother moves in. The two have never met before but now share a tiny, cluttered house. They share meals. They share Jewish holidays. To Peri, Shira seems relentless and cruel. To Shira, Peri seems unhinged and uneducated, much like her daughter w...

ABOUT THE SHOW WATCHING GLORY DIE Judith Thompson’s riveting and exquisite portrayal of three women trapped in a broken prison system will leave you dumbfounded. The play is inspired by the shocking and true story of teenager, Ashley Smith, who – after five years of being misdiagnosed, and mistreated, hallucinating away in ‘therapeutic quiet’ – died by suicide in her prison cell because the guards...

In this episode we chat to the amazing and inspiring Jenny Foulds. Jenny began her career as an actress at 16 working in film, tv and theatre. Jenny moved to London from Edinburgh in her early 20's. A change in career happened in her late 20's when she became a PA in the city. However, the creative part of her was always there and Jenny started to collate Happy Graffiti which became a book in 2013...

In this episode we talk to the awe inspiring Paula McFetridge, Artistic Director of Kabosh Theatre Company. Paula has so many words of wisdom we were so grateful to spend an hour with this incredible woman. Paula a freelance actor and director. A founding member of the Belfast Community Circus in ’85 and Tinderbox in ’88. As a performer Paula has worked with a lot of theatre companies from the Abb...

This special episode of our podcast was recorded live on 15 August 2019 at inSpace at Fringe Central during the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We are grateful to the support of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society for making it happen. Featuring... Hannah Lavery Hannah Lavery is a writer and performer experienced in delivering creative writing and poetry workshops. The Drift, her spoken word the...

Erin McGee is a playwright, dramaturg and Company Administrator for Scotland's leading theatre company for work by and about women, Stellar Quines. Her recent play, Mooning, is part of the Traverse Theatre's Breakfast Plays series at the Edinburgh Fringe. At the heart of the Traverse is a past and present full of daring, forward-facing artists. This year’s Breakfast Plays give a glimpse of the now...

ABOUT THE FULL MOON CABARET The Full Moon Cabaret is an immersive art party with vintage style on the full moon of every month. Mixing high art and low humour, the Full Moon Cabaret is a sexy and subversive evening hosted by Viva Lamore. Each show creatively explores a theme derived from the Native American name for the full moon that month. Full Moon Cabaret was founded by Victoria Linchong (aka...

ABOUT THE SHOWS MARA MARA is an original, multidisciplinary piece, celebrating women through time by means of sound manipulation and electro-acoustic music, performed live by The New Victorians. An ensemble-driven piece starring an all-female Maltese company. From inventors and scientists, to artists and activists. From musicians and politicians, to writers, to fighters, to mothers. MARA is an aud...

Strap in, lads. This one is truly a cracker. Team Nasty sit down for an utterly class chat with playwright, actress and bringer of all round good craic, Meghan Tyler. We discuss her insanely brilliant new play Crocodile Fever, witchcraft, finding your coven, and the strength of female friendship. ABOUT THE SHOW Northern Ireland, 1989. Rebellious Fianna Devlin crashes back into the life of her piou...

What a super chat Louise and Misha have with New York based comedian and actress, Molly Brenner. We talk about her latest show "I'm Coming" and her journey to finally having orgasm. Expect a pretty fascinating and funny chat about female sexual pleasure, consent and more. ABOUT THE SHOW Molly finally had an orgasm. What’s her secret? The answers may surprise you! I’m Coming chronicles comedian Mol...

Louise and Misha sat down to talk to the extremely cool and talented Caitlin Skinner and Mel Jordon about their latest show, "A Brief History of the Fragile Male Ego". They are both very lovely people. Well, Caitlin is lovely. Mel is secretly awful, but it's so secret no one ever sees it! ABOUT THE SHOW The multi award-winning Jordan & Skinner present a riotous new solo show that cuts to the bone...

We could have chatted with the Mary's for hours. Their show Girl Bully celebrates feminist bitches everywhere and explodes the patriarchy this Edinburgh Fringe, confronting the mixed messaging imposed on young girls and women. ABOUT THE SHOW New York City-based Rock Rising Inc. presents Girl Bully, a new play by comedic duo Mary Clohan and Mary McDonnell that explores and explodes our use of the w...

We chat with ThickSkin producer Steph Connell, Associate Producer Carla Marina Almeida, Lighting Designer Zoe Spurr and Composer & Sound Designer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite about their work on the incredible How Not To Drown. ABOUT THE SHOW A painful yet uplifting true story of a child asylum-seeker arriving in the UK. At 11 years old, Dritan is sent on the notoriously perilous journey across the...

Another fabulous afternoon was spent chatting with team behind Bobby and Amy. Bobby and Amy is a new dark comedy about foot-and-mouth disease by Fringe First winning Emily Jenkins. ABOUT THE SHOW It's the late nineties, Take That, Tamagotchis, Dip Dabs, and Pog Swaps. When 13 year old Bobby and Amy meet, hundreds of cows dot across the fields and the sun always shines. But when the cows begin to b...

We had an absolute ball chatting with Rachael Abbey, Jess Morley and Sarah Penney - the Roaring Girls and hilarious cast of Beach Body Ready. ABOUT BEACH BODY READY t's the season of cutting carbs, hitting it hard at the gym, and shaving everything from the chin down. Summer has rocked up and the media has us thinking about how our bodies aren't up to scratch and there are companies ready to capit...

Team Nasty sit down with director Madeleine Skipsey and lead actress Antonia to talk about their work on a new play - She Sells Sea Shells - by Helen Eastman. ABOUT THE SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS 'It ain't a fossil. It's fossilised dung. But if he wants to pop it in a cabinet I don't want to spoil his day'. In 1811, the daughter of a Lyme Regis carpenter discovered the world's first Ichthyosaur. She was...