"Once upon a time, in a rainy northern city, a group of women joined together with a common purpose." Ahead of their anniversary bash on Sunday, the brilliant all-female sketch troupe tell us some of the highs and lows of their three years in comedy so far...
Once upon a time, in a rainy northern city, a group of women joined together with a common purpose...
We didn't want a well paid job or a secure future with pensions and stuff. We wanted to laugh and be laughed at forever and ever amen. We called ourselves Lady Garden, which seemed a pretty good way to start.
Armed with virus-ridden laptops, a clutch of questionable sketches and the last £40 of our student loans, we headed to Scotland and felt the sweet love of a paying audience (most of whom it later transpired had got 2 for 1 tickets in the half price hut). Despite the vomit-inducing nerves, we soon developed an insatiable addiction to the adrenaline highs of live comedy and made our way to London, the big smoke, 'where everybody knows your name'...oh no wait, that's the bar in Cheers.
With this on our minds, laden with countless bags and props, we waddled into the first pub we came across. Here, we met a kindly-looking bald landlord and pleaded for shelter. He looked us up and down and grunted, "This is a lot of fuss for a bit of sketch. You can't stay here forever, you dicks." "Please Mister, what about just once a month?" cried Camille, in a voice not dissimilar to Oliver Twist.
And so it was that Lady Garden managed to wangle a comedy residency. Once a month we provide perfectly cooked cakes and occasionally slightly undercooked sketches. We bring friends, some of whom perform, some of whom (pay to) come and watch and some of whom just come for the baked goods. We stop at nothing to provide a belting show.
One month, we needed some scenery so we borrowed some from Sadler's Wells Theatre and Hannah and Eleanor carried it down the road in the pouring rain (soz people at Sadler's Wells Theatre). One month, we ran out of flour for the cakes so Beattie robbed a bakery at gunpoint (soz bakery). One month, we forgot to write any new sketches or book some friends, so Rose just got up and improvised for three solid hours (soz everyone in the audience).
We became an unlikely family, touring the country in our Lady Wagon (Ford Sharan) from Glastonbury to the Hackney Empire. We crammed into one bed in a posh hotel in Leicester and spread out in an 18-bed dorm with strangers in Brighton. We had lobster in Ludgershall (once they got the right Ludgershall... yeah there are two... no we didn't know either... yes they are PRETTY far away from one another) and Nobby's nuts in Nuneaton services. We played with plastic swords in pub toilets (billed as dressing rooms), we jostled in cupboards filled with mini jam jars (billed as dressing rooms) and we quaffed curry in various fine establishments (also billed as dressing rooms...which was really odd now we come to think about it).
And so now Lady Garden invite you to join in celebrating a mad and wonderful three years in the aptly named Victory pub in Dalston this Sunday. We are joined by friends: Pappy's, Joe Lycett, Jess Gunning and Cardinal Burns. There will be birthday cake, candles and....curious happenings.
Lady Garden and Friends Big Birthday Bash
SUNDAY 27TH MARCH 2011
The Victory Pub, 281 Kingsland Road, Dalston.
Doors: 6pm, Show: 7pm
Tickets £6 on the door.
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