Rosie and Nicola Dempsey, a sisterly musical comedy duo whose stage name is a tribute to the matriarchs of their family, play Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre – in Nicola’s case, a return to the city’s student badlands, as she informs Carl Marsh.
You’re both sisters in real life, but it is quite a rarity for two to be performing together in a musical comedy act duo. So whose idea was it?
Nicola Dempsey: We were both living in Toronto, and we’d moved out separately but were living together. We were involved in a school out there called The Second City, kind of improv comedy, standup and sketch, all that kind of stuff. We’d both gone out there separately to do that, and we were both independently trying those things – but we were living together, and we’d always liked musical comedy like Victoria Wood, Tim Minchin and people like that.
So while we were out there, we thought, “let’s just try it – if we’re not any good, we don’t know anyone out here so it won’t matter…” We can go back to England and no one would know the difference. It was a case of having nothing to lose, and as we lived together, it was easy to write with someone you know. Luckily, the first show we did wasn’t a total disaster. So we did another one. And then a few years down the line, and here we are.
Rosie: Fortunately, we’re both terrible at improv sketch and the other things at the school [laughter]. The only thing that really stuck was musical comedy!
When you were growing up as young children, were you always acting the clown and doing comedy skits for your family and friends – a case of following your passion into comedy, or did this come later in life?
Rosie: Definitely a later in life thing. I find it interesting because I have a really bad recall of what we were like as kids. I feel like we spent a lot of time bonding over making fun of our mum, and then that was kind of it… and then fighting. [Laughs] They are the only things that I can remember.
I think it wasn’t until we went away to separate universities we realised that we had a lot in common, in terms of the things that we like and our tastes in entertainment. But, unfortunately, we’ve got quite a niche interest in entertainment and it’s quite hard to find those people in a random uni…
And what random universities did you attend?
Rosie: I went to Queen Mary in London. And studied English.
Nicola: Cardiff University. I was there from 2009 to 2012 – I graduated in music. I know we are playing at the Sherman Theatre, and the last time I went there I saw a really, really terrible amateur opera. So I’m hoping that I enjoy being there more than I did the last time as an audience member.
Small world!
Nicola: Yeah, I mean it’s been a few years. But I’m hoping that it will be slightly more enjoyable this time for me personally. I love Cardiff, but the production I saw – probably written by someone now an incredibly famous composer – was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.
Rosie: I hope it will help us sell more tickets knowing that Nicola went to university in Cardiff!
Flo & Joan: Sweet Release, Sherman Theatre, Cardiff, Wed 16 Feb. Tickets: £17.50. Info: here
words CARL MARSH
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