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Francesca Martinez has cerebral palsy and calls herself a "wobbly girl". Her show, What the **** Is Normal? poses the idea that there is no normal, as normal is different for every person. Her venue, The Upstairs Lounge@Hairy Little Sista feels like a conference room since black curtains hang over the windows and there's a tiny, hard-to-see stage. It's an awkward space and not ideal for intimate comedy and story telling. Never-the-less Martinez manages to share personal stories and some good yarns including how she got cast in Ricky Gervis's Extras, experiences at the Adelaide Fringe, childhood and early love affairs.

Some of her material is more endearing than laugh out loud funny but it's all engaging. She calls herself "neurologically inconsistent" and talks freely about the disappointments surrounding disability, high school alienation and awkward encounters with the opposite sex. Through it all, Martinez is honest, upbeat and gently self-mocking.

In a comedy festival filled with male points of view, it's refreshing to hear from this very unique woman, who for all her perceived differences, is not dissimilar in hopes, politics and day to day trials than anyone else. Which begs the thought that either we're all normal or nobody's normal. That debate could run ad infinitum. In the meantime, the sassy Martinez is breaking down barriers and stereotypes and having a lot of fun in the process.


2011 Melbourne International Comedy Festival
What the **** Is Normal?
Francesca Martinez

Venue: The Upstairs Lounge @ Hairy Little Sista |240 Little Collins St, Melbourne
Dates: 12 – 24 April, 2011
Times: Tue-Sun 7.45pm
Duration: 50 minutes
Tickets: $26 – $18
Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 660 013