Pamela R Haynes interviews Author Angie Le Mar

Born in Lewisham, London, of Jamaican parentage, she grew up with four older brothers. She attended Lewisham Bridge School, Lewisham Girls School, Blackheath Bluecoat School and Vauxhall College. Her experience at school was difficult, and it was not until she completed her education that she was diagnosed as dyslexic. At the age of ten, Le Mar appeared in a school play called In on the Island at the Albany Empire and then attended the Lewisham Drama Club, inspired by her primary school teacher Mr Woodgate. She then Joined Second Wave Women's Drama group, where she performed Net Full of Holes, also at the Albany Empire.Le Mar attended the Barbara Speake Stage School, and Afro Sax drama club run by Larrington Walker, Ellen Thomas and Treva Etienne. With two fellow actresses Le Mar set up her own theatre company, called the Bemarrow Sisters, which ran for seven years. Productions included A Slice of Life directed by Decima Francis, Gloria directed by Trevor Laird and This Way Up written by Peggy Bennette-Hume. She was the first Black British performer to appear at Harlem's Apollo Theatre and had the first ever sell-out show by a female black comedian in London's West End.[1] Her TV appearances include the BBC's The Real McCoy and Channel 4's Get Up, Stand Up, and presented The Saturday Morning Show on Choice FM. She was also a commentator on Grumpy Old Women in 2005.From 1985 Le Mar cut her teeth on the comedy circuit, by initially doing open spots and warm-ups at events such as fashion shows and parties within the black community. She later rose to prominence on the emerging black comedy circuit in the 1990s, sharing the stage with established comedians such as Felix Dexter, Curtis Walker, Ishmael Thomas and Leo Chester all members of the BBC comedy series The Real McCoy. Her popularity earned her the title "The Queen of Black Comedy". Her reputation took her to the mainstream circuit where she became a regular act at established comedy clubs including Up The Creek, Jongleurs and The Comedy Store, culminating in