Brand new show from Sophie Willan at Contact

Sophie Willan returns to Contact with her highly anticipated second show. Branded is the follow up to last year’s critically acclaimed debut On Record for which she garnered a Chortle Best Newcomer nomination. The show went on to complete a hugely successful nationwide tour with sell out shows.

Sophie has had a lifetime of being branded by others. Branded by her unusual childhood with a heroin addict mother who still can’t even boil an egg “How do you know if it’s cooked Sophie, it looks the f**king same?!”. branded by her working class background, by her gender, her fearless ambition, even branded by her unapologetic 'Northerness’.

In this new hour, Sophie explains why she feels like a well-travelled alien – fitting in with no particular class or culture but still constantly being put into boxes by others. She explains the misunderstandings she’s experienced in different environments. Sophie analyses and dissects her life throughout the show, making astute and funny commentary on wider narratives such as welfare shaming on daytime TV, Feminism and who it’s really for, minimum-wage jobs and what it means to be reluctantly part of George Osborne's Northern Powerhouse.

Sophie shares with us that she is from an aspirational working class family, who may have had their fair share of mental health problems but have certainly reaped the benefits of the controversial Blair years; her Grandmother went to University on a bursary scheme, her Grandad bought property and like most children of her generation, Sophie was told she could be a star.

As “Bolton’s next Marilyn Monroe”, (according to her Gran!), Sophie has gone to extreme limits to make it as a performer, her twenties have been full of weird and wild adventures. In her hour she’ll share outrageous tales from her time on the Queer cabaret circuit and how she took on a controversial new job role, which went on to fund her very own feminist theatre collective. Expect a raucous show like no other from this bold and unapologetic young powerhouse.

Branded takes place at Contact from 28 Jun – 1 July at 8pm. Tickets are on sale now priced £13/ £7 concessions from the box office in person, by phone on 0161 274 0600 and securely online via the link below

Published: 11-May-2017: (4277)