August 2023
Promising an hour of stand-up featuring songs and niche observational humour, “Comedian pals and cheerful Leicester gals” Nayonica Ghosh and Melina Fiol are bringing their show “Leicester Foxes” to the Camden Fringe this month. Melina sold out her first split bill at last year’s Women in Comedy Festival and was handpicked by Leicester Comedy Festival to take part in Circuit Breakers – their showcase of emerging talent. Nayonica is a comedian and filmmaker who has been featured on BBC iPlayer, Time Out and Gal-Dem. She most recently made it to the final 10 of the Sky Comedy Rep 2022 scheme. Teaming up for “Leicester Foxes” which will play at 2Northdown on the 21st of August, Melina and Nayonica have plenty to say about the show, what brought them together, and what (well, who) cracks them up…
So what brought about this show, Leicester Foxes?
N: This is a fun story. Our mutual friend Adna (a hilarious person and talented screenwriter by the way) who I went to university with and Melina went to sixth form decided it was imperative that we meet as we both do comedy and are from Leicester. We ended up having loads in common and about a week later we were planning our split bill together.
M: We bonded over our love of Michael McIntyre!
What’s the most important thing you want people to know about this show and its intentions?
M: I think a key thing is to provide a relatable voice. We want people to come away from our show feeling seen and uplifted.
And how would you describe your show?
N: This is your classic split bill stand up comedy show Melina and I are splitting half an hour each. There will be some songs in my half.
Who are you hoping will see Leicester Foxes and what are you hoping they’ll take away with them?
N: There’s something for everyone! There’s observational stuff and I would also say we both have some relatable coming of age anecdotes. If you’re a 19 year old girl who is trapped in a textual intercourse loop with a boy who plays acoustic guitar and doesn’t have a bed frame, you might find some useful mantras I wish I had at that age to take away with you.
How does this show relate to your previous work – is this new territory or more of a natural progression?
N: This show is extremely exciting for us. It’s both of our first time doing 30 minutes but it’s also definitely a natural progression from our usual sets I guess the key difference is you now have more time to spend in the worlds we build up in our shorter sets with us!
M: A big difference is that we’re used to being on showcase-style lineups. The joy of a split bill like this means it will be a crowd who have come to see us specifically – whether that’s from seeing our posters, blogs like this or people who have heard of us through the grapevine! We’re expecting a supportive crowd, which is a real treat.
A few quick-fire questions now. As you’re promising audiences laughs with this show, tell me: who makes you laugh most?
N: Melina and I actually bonded over our love of Michael Mcintyre because it’s weirdly taboo amongst comics to like Michael Mcintyre so I’m gonna say Michael Mcintyre!
M: My mates! I don’t think anyone laughs more than when they’re being stupid with their mates. I’m hoping our show has the same energy. And Michael McIntyre, of course. I’ve been told I look like him and I am taking this opportunity to confirm that we are not related in any way.
A performance or backstage highlight, “the show must go on”-style?
M: I recently had to do material in front of the person it was about. I didn’t have much of a chance to let them know before so I took them aside and blurted it out. They didn’t have any time to recover before I was on stage! I did well – but there’s something very painful about celebrating a “win” and have people congratulate you in front of them. I can neither confirm nor deny whether they were happy about this. But it is always bizarre when your personal life and comedy life come together like that.
Yeah, that does sound like a pretty nail-biting situation! And the best show you’ve seen this year?
N: Sorry to keep going on about Michael McIntyre but I went to a work in progress show he did in the same venue we’re doing our show and he sang me happy birthday I don’t think anything will ever top that.
Ah, well, the devoted McIntyre appreciation is totally understandable then!
M: Paul Campbell is a brilliant North West Comedian – he’s doing an hour about the supermarket chain Somerfield. I haven’t seen it yet, but I already know it’ll have the top spot for me.
The one thing you’d like the power to improve in the industry?
N: Safety? I think I would begin with safety. It’s unfortunately very common for people who run gigs to behave inappropriately which can make the industry inaccessible at the entry level.
M: Unfortunately I agree. Get Off Live Comedy are doing brilliant work. It would be great to see more focus or funding towards safeguarding the comedy industry because it often feels like a free-for-all.
And in one line or less, why should audiences come along to see Leicester Foxes this August?
N: To see my collection of images featuring Nadine Dorries staring at Boris Johnson.
M: It’s going to be a good time!
So there you have it! You can catch Nayonica Ghosh and Melina Fiol’s “Leicester Foxes” at 2Northdown on the 21st of August as part of the Camden Fringe. More information and tickets can be found here.
Always Time For Theatre 
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