Sallyann Fellowes on BIRDY
After the success of our 2025 Camden Fringe Interview series, we thought it only right to attempt a repeat for 2026. So throughout July we’ll be publishing new interviews each day to give a taste of what to expect from London’s best fringe theatre festival. The festival starts Monday 3 August this year, so we may give ourselves a couple of days off inbetween the end of the interviews and the first shows… then again, we might not.
You can find out more about Camden Fringe, along with details of every show playing this August here. You can also find all of this year’s interviews as they are published here.
What do you get when you mix real-life CID investigations with a family tree tied to Britain’s most notorious gangster? You get BIRDY, the deeply personal, brutally honest, and laugh-out-loud stand-up storytelling show from comedian Sallyann Fellowes. Performing across both the Camden Comedy Club and the Hen & Chickens Theatre for Camden Fringe, Sallyann takes audiences on a wild ride where a strange twist of fate turned her into a police detective.
We caught up with Sallyann to chat about her legendary relative Ronnie Biggs, why crowd interaction changes the game every night, and what it’s like to perform a show that has been bubbling in her head for years.
If you had to describe the vibe of your show in just one sentence, what would it be and how does it manifest on stage?
The vibe of the show is a blend of storytelling and stand-up comedy. It balances real-life CID investigations and a notorious family history. It’s honest, and deeply personal, taking the audience into a unique world where justice and absurdity collide with laugh out loud moments.
Why is 2026 the perfect time for this show to be seen?
This show has been bubbling around in my head for several years and it’s come to the point I just need to do it.
How important is audience interaction to you?
Interaction is everything for me. I’m very much there with them in the moment and go with whatever the audience brings to the show.
What does “success” look like for you this August, beyond just selling tickets?
Success is bringing an hour of words, comedy, and stories previously unheard…
If your show had a soundtrack, what songs would definitely be on it, and why?
- Nelly Furtado – I’m Like a Bird 🐦
- KRS-One – Sound of da Police (Whoop-whoop!) 🚨
- My walk-on music track: A siren sounding, which then blends directly into birdsong.
If you could perform this show anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Wandsworth Prison, because that’s the prison Ronnie Biggs (my relative) escaped from, and it features right in the show!
Is there a question missing that you feel we should be asking you?
Yes! “Firstly, do you like laughing? And secondly, are you interested in the story of an ex-police detective whose route to that career was just a strange turn of fate?”
It’s definitely not what you’d expect from someone whose uncle is the most famous gangster in Britain.
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run; for you or the show?
My plan is to take it to other venues and fringes.
Many thanks to Sallyamm for her time to chat. BIRDY plays at Camden Comedy Club on Saturday 8 (6pm) & Sunday 9 Aug (9pm), followed by dates at Hen & Chickens Theatre on Sunday 23 (9pm) & Monday 24 Aug (9pm)
