9:53am Friday 8th September 2006
By Nancy Groves
Once upon a time, two young women shared the same voice coach. One was a princess, married to her Prince Not- so-Charming; the other, an actress with dreams of fame and fortune.
Who could have known that 15 years on, Diana would be dead and the actress, Abi Roberts, about to go on tour to discuss her private parts with a room full of strangers?
Making her debut in The Vagina Monologues at Epsom Playhouse next Wednesday, alongside Jan Shepherd and Anne McLaughlin, Roberts knows how to sound her vowels but, defending the show from its critics, her turn of phrase is far from royal.
"We've had Puppetry of the Penis, and if men can turn their c**ks into hamburgers, why can't women discuss their vaginas?" she demands.
"I'm all for equal opportunities. There's no difference between the sexes, apart from the fact women wouldn't turn up drunk to a party and get their bits out."
Hardly an opinion Diana would have aired. But Roberts admits to being a big fan of the Queen of Hearts. In fact, she often features the late princess in her comedy routines.
Roberts originally trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre alongside Monologues director Tim Sheader.
In 2001, she began songwriting and recorded two albums, before a singing appearance on Living TV's Loose Lips brought her to the attention of Gimme Gimme Gimme writer Jonathan Harvey.
Harvey promptly wrote her a one-woman show for the 2004 Edinburgh Fringe and, two years later, Roberts has finally graduated as a stand-up, after her first five-minute slot at The Comedy Store last week.
"It was like in Gladiator when the gates goes up and they release the lions," she says.
"The doors open and you're on stage immediately. There was a huge audience in - 300 plus - and I was a bit nervy to start with, but it went well and I had some good banter with a heckler in the audience."
The experience should stand her in good stead for the Monologues. For those who don't know Eve Ensler's ground-breaking show, it's a barnstorming night of parti- cipatory theatre, based on 200 vagina' interviews conducted with women across the globe.
Abi will be performing the loud and proud monologues Hair, Angry and Reclaiming C***, as well as Birth, Ensler's first-hand account of the birth of her granddaughter.
Roberts, 36, reflects: "I have always been someone who didn't like sticking to a script. Anyone who does comedy has a habit of saying things differently and, in this piece, there are lots of places where you can put your own spin on it.
"Before my audition, I phoned Shazia Mirza for advice. She got all serious for a while and said: All I can say, Abi, is that you have to be true to your own vagina.' I have to admit, I wet myself laughing. What kind of weird conversations do we have nowadays?"
The Vagina Monologues, Epsom Playhouse, Ashley Avenue, Epsom, Wednesday, September 13, 8pm, £18.50, call 01372 742555, visit epsomplayhouse.co.uk
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