From coaching the Clintons in clowning to a celebrated Off-Broadway run attended by Hollywood A-listers, Natalie Palamides has cemented her status as one of comedy's most daring and virtuosic performers. Now, the LA-based artist is preparing to bring her critically acclaimed solo show, Weer, back to UK audiences at London's Soho Theatre Walthamstow this January.
The Exhausting Virtuosity of a Two-Hander for One
Premiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2024, Weer is a gender-bending romantic comedy where Palamides plays both halves of a couple simultaneously. Using a split-stage persona, one side of her face and body becomes Mark (complete with plaid shirt and facial hair), while the other transforms into Christina (in a fluffy pink top). The show is a rollercoaster flashback from a car accident, charting the three-year span of their intensely toxic relationship.
The physical and vocal endurance required is staggering. Palamides recently completed a three-month run at New York's historic Cherry Lane Theatre, recently relaunched by studio A24, which left her physically drained. "I thought a month would be the longest I'd ever do it," she admitted, citing the gruelling nightly transformation that takes hours of makeup and costume work. To cope, she relied on biotherapy and red light therapy to maintain the stamina needed for the performance.
Her dedication paid off. The New York run became a celebrity hotspot, with attendees including Drew Barrymore, Kevin Bacon, Dua Lipa, and Neil Patrick Harris. This mainstream recognition marks a significant journey for a performer whose earlier work involved laying eggs on stage and workshopping themes of consent through provocative clowning.
Deconstructing the Romcom and Clowning's New Wave
While Weer delivers outrageous entertainment and big laughs, it is also a sharp critique of the romantic comedy genre. Palamides set out to explore why audiences often root for couples in films despite clearly toxic dynamics. Her show amplifies this toxicity to see if the audience's desire for the couple to stay together persists.
"I was determined that all those feelings you feel watching those movies would be there in my show," she explained, referencing a disappointment with a stage adaptation of The Notebook that failed to capture cinematic tension. Her mission extends beyond homage, burrowing under the skin of gender assumptions and romantic conventions.
This inquiry has placed her at the forefront of a contemporary clown boom alongside mentor Phil 'Dr Brown' Burgers. Her influence is expanding: she directed Bill O'Neill's slapstick hit The Amazing Banana Brothers, is developing a Las Vegas cabaret called Lady Magic, and voiced a role in The Powerpuff Girls. She is also plotting a screen adaptation of Weer.
Confronting Fear and Taboo in a Terrifying New Project
Despite craving a break, Palamides is already forging ahead with a new solo project set to premiere at the Netflix Is a Joke festival in May. True to form, it is not designed for palatability. The new show is based on a character who claims to be pregnant with the second coming, births a raw steak, beats it until it stops 'crying', and then eats it.
"I'm fearful to do this, because I was raised Catholic," Palamides confessed. "I was super-scared of Satan and demons when I was growing up. It feels so taboo to delve into this area." Yet, confronting taboos is the currency of her art—a clown who trades less in red noses and more in red flags.
Weer runs at Soho Theatre Walthamstow in London from 14 to 24 January, offering another chance to witness the physically astonishing and emotionally charged performance that captivated New York. Whether through the distorted romance of Weer or the sacrilegious carnival to come, Natalie Palamides remains an unmissable, boundary-pushing force in modern performance.
