The first woman to win the Funniest Joke at the Edinburgh Fringe in 15 years, a hit radio show, a prime slot at the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival and awards galore… please put your hands together for our very own improv queen, Lorna Rose Treen
Photography by William Hearle
Character comedian Lorna Rose Treen might not be a name you recognise yet, but with a second series of Radio Four’s, Time of the Week in the offing, a long run at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, a bulging awards cabinet and a gig at the Rik Mayall Comedy Festival in Droitwich, she’s one to watch
Droitwich might not be as well-known as Edinburgh for its ability to pull in top comedy names, but this month, the big-hitters will descend on the town for the inaugural Rik Mayall Comedy Festival. When Redditch’s own Lorna was approached to take part, she jumped at the chance, not least because she’s a huge Rik Mayall fan. She says: “He’s a massive inspiration. Growing up, I watched what mum and dad watched and that was the Young Ones. I was far too young, but I loved it!”
Also inspired by French and Saunders, Ruby Wax, Catherine Tate and Victoria Wood among others, Lorna’s brand of funny is daft in the best possible sense. It’s no surprise that Ab Fab featured heavily in Lorna’s TV viewing growing up. The big character comedy energy comes through in her shows and TikTok videos which are very funny and silly.
BBC PARODY
Casting Sian Clifford of Fleabag fame in the Radio Four show, Time of the Week which Lorna writes with Jonathan Oldfield, was genius. Sian’s deadpan delivery squeezes every second of funny out of the script. The show lampoons Women’s Hour, a show which Lorna worked on for five years. She had been working on her Edinburgh show when she pitched the idea to a production company. One of the producers persuaded Lorna to take it to the BBC where commissioning editor, Julia Mackenzie commissioned it immediately. Sian Clifford came on board pretty quickly too. Lorna says she just got it straight away. It’s wonderfully bonkers, very British and perfectly sums up the randomness of Women’s Hour.
It feels like there’s more parity with men and women in comedy these days, but Lorna says while it’s improving, it’s still poor. She says: “Social media is amazing in the sense that so many women are doing comedy, but the live circuit is still predominantly men. There’s way more diversity online but more opportunities for men generally. There’s a rule at Mock the Week that you’re only allowed one woman. It started as you had to have a woman on each show and became you can only have one woman! There’s a way to go.”
LOW FILTER
As well as her CV, Lorna’s trophy cabinet is filling up. In Edinburgh in 2023 she won Funniest Joke at The Fringe – the first woman in 15 years to do so. She says: “It wasn’t even the funniest joke in my show, but industry wise, awards make a difference. After winning Funny Women, I got an agent, so that mattered, and competitions are useful if you do well. It’s also a bit odd though. It’s like saying, oh, you’re so good at being stupid!”
Lorna began performing at youth theatre at the Palace in Redditch. She remembers it was all quite serious, but she found her niche during an improv session. She explains: “My filter is quite low, I’m quite quick and because it didn’t have to be right, I slayed.” As a student at Edinburgh University, Lorna joined an improv group which sounds nightmarish to many people, us included. Lorna says: “Fear is the same as excitement. It’s terrifying but that’s a fun feeling. It’s like exposure therapy.” We’ll stick to writing.
WHOOPEE CUSHION
After graduation Lorna got a ‘proper job’ in journalism. The journalism part of job was ‘stimulating and curiosity led’ but the other half was office stuff such as admin which didn’t excite Lorna. She says she missed being out of her comfort zone and left the job to go to clown school. Lorna recalls: “My parents were incredulous. They couldn’t believe I was giving up my actual job to go to clown school. I was so poor. I spent my savings and worked everyday teaching English to French children.” It was essentially a theatre school with a clown master in his eighties. Lorna says: “It teaches actors to be more vulnerable on stage. There’s a playfulness, an innocence. When we did Shakespeare and Chekov, we did it through a playful lens. Then there was some pure clown stuff too like a pie in the face, whoopee cushion type stuff. It was life giving and joyful.” Alumni include Toby Jones, Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter.
I wonder whether writing or performing is Lorna’s jam. She says: “I love the blend. Writing jokes for other people is fun but I get a special kick from being an idiot in front of an audience. My absolute dream is writing sitcoms.”
As festival season approaches, Lorna says, ‘it’s in her bones’ and she loves the local festivals as well as the obvious Edinburgh Fringe. The gig in Droitwich with Jonathan Oldfield is titled Midlands Child Syndrome and will be a ‘battle royale to the death’ in deciding which is best – East or West Midlands*. There are still tickets available at the time of writing but get in there quick.
*It’s West. Obviously!