Priya Hall is a comedian and writer. As well as performing around the country, she’s also written and starred in a BBC2 Wales sitcom pilot called Beena and Amrit, which co-starred Meera Syal, and also wrote and starred in a radio version. We spoke to Priya about her debut Fringe hour ‘Grandmother’s Daughter’, her experiences with IVF as part of a gay couple, and her expectations for the Fringe.
Can you tell us about ‘Grandmother’s Daughter?
‘Grandmother’s Daughter’ is my debut hour and it’s largely about motherhood and how I want to replicate my Nana’s chaotic style of parenting one day (wherein she basically just took me to protests and told me about how much things were better in the ’60s when you could get the good stuff on prescription). I wanted to do a show that was joyful and celebratory of ‘alternative’ family structures (whatever that means). It’s also a PSA on how ridiculous the process of trying to conceive a baby while queer can be (no one wants to use the words ‘turkey baster’ as often as I do in this show).
The show focuses heavily on family in its many forms. How have your family responded to the show?
I talk about my family a lot on stage and I’m lucky in that the family members I talk about are raging extroverts so they love it. The introvert family members stay out of my set and always will. None of them have seen the show in it’s entirety yet (they listen to enough of my nonsense on the daily – they don’t want an hour of it), so I don’t know what they’d think of the show. It’s definitely celebratory of all of them so I imagine they’ll be okay with it, and if not, well it’s too late now.
‘Grandmother’s Daughter’ also details your attempts to get IVF treatment as part of a queer couple, and the lack of help from the NHS. Do you think that’s largely financial or ideological on their part?
Oh, that’s a big question. I don’t know enough about policy making to answer definitively but my sense is that there’s just been a lack of understanding and attention paid towards the LGBTQ+ community in healthcare until very recently. We see it in inequality in access to fertility treatment but also in the shocking lack of access to gender affirming healthcare for our trans siblings. I hope that we are at a turning point. In 2022 the government announced a strategy that will widen access to IVF on the NHS to sapphic couples (but it looks like it will take around a decade to roll out). I hope, wish, and pray that this willingness to address inequality also extends to the rest of the community because as it stands it leaves us all open to exploitation from private companies looking to make crazy money off our need for healthcare. Big answer to a big question.
This is your debut Fringe show. What are your hopes and expectations for August?
My big hope is that audiences enjoy and connect with the show. I’m expecting a summer-camp vibe with other comics with goofiness, shenanigans, and rampant gossip – if it doesn’t live up to expectations I will be bringing all three of those things to the table myself.
Beside ‘Grandmother’s Daughter’, can we expect to see you performing elsewhere during August?
All over the place! I’m addicted to stand up and literally can’t get enough of it! Look on my socials and I promise I’ll do my best to post where I’m gonna be and when.
Apart from your show, what else are you looking forward to (or even perhaps dreading) about the Fringe?
I’m looking forward to seeing SO MUCH comedy. I’m looking forward to hanging out with my pals everyday for a month. I’m looking forward to insisting to my girlfriend we eat trash food everyday even though I know I’ll feel rough as ten bears by Week 2. I’m dreading reviews (good, bad, or other). I’m dreading waking up all of the hills.
Are there any other acts at the Fringe that you would recommend audiences see? So many!
I’ve watched Leila Navabi’s show ‘Composition’ from very early work in progresses to it’s final iteration and it’s fantastic. I’m obsessed with Lorna Rose Treen and her show ‘Skin Pigeon’ is going to be magic. Jodie Mitchell is brilliant and I saw an early WIP of their show Becoming John Travulva where half the audience were on mushrooms, and the show was simply so good that it transcended their bad trip and they loved it (as did I). There’s so many more but if I wrote out every show I’m excited for I’d be here for literal hours!
‘Grandmother’s Daughter’ runs from Tue 1 to Sun 27 Aug 2023 (except Fri 11) at Monkey Barrel 2 at 16:20