Emma Crowley-Bennett is a theatre maker, writer, and drag perfomer from Newcastle who was crowned winner of drag competition Top of the Slops Season 3 as her alter ego Fanny Bleach. Fanny prides herself on creating subversive, comical, and grotesque work with the aim to intrigue and disgust an audience. She also writes and performs for the Newcastle-based, all-female comedy sketch group ‘Your Aunt Fanny,’ who are currently working on their first sitcom and a radio play for BBC Radio 4. We spoke to Emma about Fanny’s solo Fringe debut, ‘The Nearly Naked Show’, her hopes for August, and where Emma ends and Fanny begins.

Can you tell us about ‘The Nearly Naked Show’?

‘The Nearly Naked Show’ is a reclamation of my naked body in all it’s gory glory, told through alternative comedy, cabaret, and drag. It’s like Goosebumps for grownups, it’s weird and silly and confusing and full of reveals and larger than life characters who are all part of the freak show of Fanny Bleach’s mind.

Born from a place of defiance and protest, I wanted to make a show that was entirely mine. I call the shots and I choose how much or little of myself I give to the audience. Saying that… I definitely give them my all, in fact at one point I literally tear out my heart and hand it to them.

For those who might be unfamiliar with you, how would you describe your comedy and your approach to performance?

Most likely a result of an inferiority complex and crippling imposter syndrome I tend to throw as much at the audience as I possibly can without dying. My background in sketch comedy means I have about a million characters up my sleeve, and my drag persona means I have the costumes to match. I always want people to have a good time, I want them to enter a new world, a disgusting, grotesque but magical world where you can escape the mundanity of life for a bit.

The show is presented as the ‘characters that inhabit the creepiest crevices of [Fanny’s] mind’. Where does Emma Crowley-Bennett end and Fanny Bleach begin?

I wish Emma and Fanny were more merged. Fanny is fearless and strong and sexy. She’s kind of everything I want to be. I care too much, Fanny Bleach doesn’t care at all. Fanny Bleach is probably me when I’m pissed, ready to fight anyone, but also do a funny dance at the same time. I would say that both of us love making people laugh though, and also covering ourselves in stuff most people hate, like cake or beans or mayo. We have that in common for sure.

From where do you draw your inspiration for your characters?

I draw inspiration from everyday people, just exaggerated. I also think I’m drawing a lot of inspiration from playing imaginary games as a kid, who can I be next that will make everyone laugh and want to hang out with me more. LAME.

Some characters have come to me in dreams eg. when my fanny sang ‘I did it my way’ which was the original finale of the show. And others are just a stupid play on words physicalised (One Tit Wonder). I LOVED the Mighty Boosh growing up, and I think that reads in my work. It’s very silly and DIY and a bit punk. I also love League Of Gentleman, and I love everything that Julia Davis creates. I also find music really inspiring, I’m a huge Peaches fan and her shows give me so much inspiration and energy.

You won Season 3 of cult drag show Top of the Slops. Can you tell us about that show and how you came to win it?

Top of The Slops is one of the reasons I realised that I could make my own long form show. I have made 5-10 minute skits for years, from sketch to drag to grotesque burlesque and TOTS taught me that if I can create two new acts every week for months on end then I must be able to make something more substantial.

I auditioned with a piece I made to Peaches’ ‘Fuck The Pain Away’. I was my 1 Tit Wonder character in a costume made of my friends’ bras with loads of hidden boobs and nipples all over me. It was very sloppy, so it was very Top Of The Slops. I won a few weeks which bumps you up to the final four, and then I competed against the incomparable Sofa King Filthy and eventually the iconic King Herod.

The last act I prepared in case I made it to the final was to Cascada’s ‘Every Time We Touch’ and I was a fisherman with crabs. There were crab sticks and buckets of water involved and it smelled awful. Winning was pretty mental, my flatmate stormed the stage and crowd surfed me, my tits still out and I was absolutely bewildered. I think TOTS is one of the hardest things I’ve done, I’m actually not a confident or relaxed performer. I am hellish to be around before I go on stage, I’m so anxious and I constantly think I’ve made a terrible mistake even though I’m literally just dressing up as a prawn and covering myself in mayo. Can’t wait for a month of the Fringe, lol. But I did it and I won so I must be doing something right.

What are your hopes for ‘The Nearly Naked Show’? What would constitute a successful Fringe for you?

I would love to tour ‘The Nearly Naked Show’ at some lovely venues around the UK, and of course everyone wants a SOHO transfer. A successful Fringe for me would be actually enjoying myself, meeting new artists, and seeing loads of really cool stuff. I don’t want to say that it’s great 5 star reviews and a new agent and a deal with the BBC because I need to manage my expectations. I just want to do it and to say that I have.

Sophie Willan said in a podcast that one of her regrets was not enjoying the Fringe more, that she was really concerned about reviews and actually she should have just been chuffed to be there and have a laugh. I want that and I want to feel proud of myself for getting on stage every night on my own at 9.50pm to potentially no people.

What are you looking forward to, and perhaps dreading, about the Fringe?

Comparison is the thief of joy and I constantly compare myself to my mates, even though I’m so happy when they do well I always relate it to myself and my own situation. I’m dreading only talking about our shows for an entire month, there’s no escape! I actually love having breaks in performing (again LOL) I love getting pissed and talking about shagging, and going out for tea and swimming in the sea and dancing and watching TV with my partner. So it’s going to feel strange being so consumed with the show for a while.

I won’t lie, I think it’s going to be intense and I know I will take things personally, when sometimes all I want to do is eat pasta and watch a horrible true crime documentary about another woman being killed but instead I need to take my kit off on stage to strangers. BUT I can’t wait to live with my pal Til for a month and see her perform, and go to the pub and have a really good bitch. And I can’t wait to live in Edinburgh, it’s one of my favourite cities ever. And I can’t wait to eat at Mosque Kitchen every day and I can’t wait to see load of
amazing shows and meet new performers to hang with.

Besides ‘The Nearly Naked Show’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August; guest spots, compilation shows, etc?

As of yet I don’t have anything planned, however I am in a show called What Adult Am I?! Performing at LIVE Theatre Newcastle on July 11th and they’re hoping to do a day at the Fringe so that would be cool. Last time I did the Fringe with my theatre company ‘Your Aunt Fanny’ I did some life modelling for Body Love Sketch Club at the Wunderbus, that was lush and really nice to do something still naked, yet much more still and calm.

Are there any other shows/ performers at the Fringe that you would recommend?

My mate Til[ly Fletcher], who I’m living with during the Fringe is doing her one woman show ‘Television‘. It’s brilliant, I love watching her perform, she’s so chill and absolutely made to be on stage. Other than that, I’m pretty selfishly wrapped up in my own show at the minute and can’t even begin to think of anyone else’s, but once I’ve got the magazine in front of me, me and that sharpie are going to town.

Fanny Bleach: ‘The Nearly Naked Show’ is at Downstairs at Assembly Roxy from Wed 5 to Sun 30 Aug 2026