One Woman Show lands her a breakthrough nod

Liz Kingsman has been nominated for the South Bank Show’s breakthrough award thanks to her acclaimed One Woman Show.

The performer’s spoof of the trope of the chaotic, self-destructive millennial woman, as epitomised by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, won a slew of five-star reviews when it played Soho Theatre in London last autumn.

Kingsman, who is also one third of the sketch group Massive Dad, was signed up by major Hollywood agency CAA on the back of that success. She also stars in the  French political comedy series Parlement, set in Brussels just after the Brexit referendum.

Now she has secured her place in the South Bank Show’s breakthrough shortlist, which comprises one performer from each of the genres represented by the awards.

Nominees for the main comedy award – which tends to favour TV over live performance – are Nida Manzoor’s Channel 4 show We Are Lady Parts, Rose Matafeo’s BBC romcom Starstruck and Sophie Willan’s semi-autobiographical Alma’s Not Normal.

The BBC One adaptation of comedian Adam Kay’s NHS diaries, This Is Going To Hurt, has also been shortlisted for the TV drama award alongside Channel 4’s It’s A Sin and  BBC prison drama Time, starring Sean Bean and Stephen Graham.

Winners will be announced at a ceremony hosted  by Melvyn Bragg and held at The Savoy Hotel. It will air on Sky Arts on Wednesday July 13 at 10pm.

Other nominees in the breakthrough category, which is sponsored by The Times, are Gabrielle Creevy (TV drama), Catriona Ward (literature), Nardus Williams (opera), Dani Howard (classical), Rachel Jones (visual art), Emily Suzuki dance), Samuel Creasey theatre), Emilia Jones (film) and Wet Leg (pop).

» Read Chortle’s 4.5-star review of Liz Kingsman’s One Woman Show, which will be making its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe this year at the Traverse Theatre from August 14.

Published: 30 Jun 2022