Ozzy Algar’s 2025 debut Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Speed Queen,’ followed Pet, the proprietor of the last laundrette on the Isle of Wight, as she described her life and the community around her. Blending clowning, comedy and folk horror, it received rave reviews. Having just returned from performing at the Adelaide Fringe, Ozzy is taking Speed Queen on tour, with upcoming dates at Machynlleth Comedy Festival on the 3rd of May, and Hyde Book Club in Leeds on the 13th.
Hi Ozzy! Congratulations on winning Best Show at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Adelaide Fringe! What was it like performing there?
Thank you! The Courtyard is such a gorgeous venue with just the most brilliant people and shows, it was a real pleasure to be there.
You had huge success with the show at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe. Were you surprised by the reception?
I’m really happy with the show we made and I am thrilled people responded well!
What surprised you most about the reaction/feedback you got from audiences?
That the darker stuff lands amongst the jokes! Some people have had very emotional reactions, which is great (he he).
You’ve spoken before about the concept of the show being inspired by the goodbye letter left by the lady doing the service washes at a laundrette on North Street in Bristol. How did it develop from there, and how did you go about developing it?
This happened in 2019 so I sat on these ideas for a few years before I started going back through them to make Speed Queen. I worked with Tanika from the beginning, and we built it in a scrappy way at first. Doing Sketch Off at the Leicester Square Theatre really helped cement the character as something people wanted to watch. She grew and grew and we brought in the other elements, the stories, the songs, the mysteries. I always wanted to merge this story with Isle of Wight stories. At one point it became very sci-fi. We scaled that back lol.
Music plays a significant role in the show. What stage did music become a part of it and how did you go about including it, and what was it like working with composer Tom Penn?
It was there from the beginning, I knew I wanted to make a show where I sang and my partner encouraged me to write a song rather than use someone else’s, so Tom and I wrote Quel Dommage. Tom is an incredibly talented and generous and hilarious person and I am very lucky to have worked with him.
How did your interest in folk horror and background in clowning and cabaret influence the show?
Come and see the show!
Speed Queen director, Tanika Lay-Meachen, recently did a guest post for Lmaonaise where she talked about comedy directors not always getting the recognition they deserve. Did you always know you wanted a director and how did her role shape the show?
Speed Queen would not be the show it is without Tanika’s input. Reviewers do often overlook directors’ input in comedy shows, but a solo show is not a solo endeavour, no live performance is.
What would you like the legacy of the show to be?
More people visit the Isle of Wight.
Is this tour the end of the line for Pet? Or do you see yourself performing the show more in the future?
Pet will still be around. I’m not just going to bin the show. It’s sad that solo shows seem to have a one year lifespan, so I’ll keep it in my back pocket.
Final question – what performers are you excited about that you think more people should be aware of?
Lady Bolognese, Tanika is not just a phenomenal director, she is also an award-winning performer set for an absolute sweep in Edinburgh this year with their double act (with Matt Smith (not that Matt Smith) and Jen Zheng, who is a beam of light and hilariousness.
Okay, one more question – since you used to live near North Street, what are your favourite places in Bristol?
Cafe Kino, The Cube Microplex, the farms, the Bristol to Bath cycle path, the view from my old flat at the top of the block on Redcliffe Hill, and the harbourside when it’s really hot and everyone is acting feral.