She’s already picked up critical acclaim for her theatrical solo performances, but this year award-winning Melbourne comedian Lana Schwarcz is not just raising the roof with laughs, but also awareness. A breast cancer survivor, Schwarcz is using her Fringe run to put the spotlight on an illness affecting 60,000 women a year in the UK.
The show, Lovely Lady Lump, combines comedy, no-holds-barred personal stories, puppetry and a wee bit of ballet in an all-round story of good luck – Schwarcz’s early diagnosis and swift treatment meant she survived to tell the tale, after someone she happened to meet while out walking the dog told her she should go and get checked.
“I love the way women in Scotland, and all across the UK, find so many ways to face breast cancer head on – whether it’s through directly supporting friends and loved ones or working with charities like Breast Cancer Care,” says Schwarcz.
“The more we do now to raise awareness, and money, the greater the chance that our daughters and granddaughters won’t have to fear this devastating illness alone. And if we can all have fun and laugh as part of the fundraising, so much the better.”
Lovely Lady Lump, Gilded Balloon (Turret), until 29th August