THE RIVER MAGAZINE | Summer 2017 19 | c u l t u r e | A timeless piece At the southwArk plAyhouse thAt showcAses the rAnge of Josie lAwrence And compAny osie Lawrence is principally known to most of us as a comedy performer but it’s surprising to see just how many serious roles she has behind her, dating all the way back to the mid 80s in both TV and theatre. Born in the midlands she first joined the Barlow Players in Oldbury when she was just 16 years old. Ten years later, while performing at the Donmar Warehouse in Songs for Stray Cats, she crossed paths with Jim Sweeney and discovered her significant talent for improvisation. One night during an after show & Her CHildren motHer stay-behind, the audience were invited to throw ideas at the performers and Lawrence proved to be as naturally quick and inventive as the best. Soon after she joined The Comedy Store Players and appeared regularly on the new Channel 4 show Who’s Line Is It Anyway? Innovating and reacting to the shifting sands of her environment was easy for Lawrence, always entertaining and winning the support of the crowd around her.‘Canteen Anna’, A.K.A. Mother Courage, the complex creation of Bertolt Brecht, is also a woman surviving by her wits in a turbulent war-torn world,