Lucy Porter explores family life via songs, sketches and stand-up

‘One of the most talented comics on the circuit’ Time Out

Lucy Porter is well known for her cheery, feelgood comedy. She has toured both nationally and internationally with her one-woman shows, and her many TV and radio appearances include Live at the Apollo, QI, The Now Show and The News Quiz. In this quartet of stand-up specials, she examines domestic life from the dramatic to the dreary, aided by comedian and impressionist Luke Kempner.

Lucy Porter in the Family Way sees her probing what family life means to her, as a mum and a middle-aged orphan. Beginning with her childhood in Croydon, she chats about leaving the nest, motherhood and her parenting style (benign neglect). She also offers helpful tips on swearing, sleepovers and the importance of always having a pound coin handy; addresses the pros and cons of siblings; and discusses what it’s like to parent your own parents. With a lot of laughs and a dollop of poignancy, this warm, witty show charts the life cycle of a typical nuclear family – from soft play centres to garden centres and Morrisons café.

Lucy Porter In The Family Way… Again finds Lucy pondering the concept of legacy. Contemplating the bric-a-brac her parents left behind them, she muses on the other things they’ve passed on to her – weak ankles, terrible teeth and a small third nipple – and the weird quirks and foibles she’s inherited. But it’s her parents’ values, like kindness and charity, that she wants to pass on to her own kids. Funny and moving, In The Family Way… Again is a love letter from Lucy to her mum, and a tender reflection on the things our parents do that drive us mad – things we’ll inevitably end up doing ourselves.

In Lucy Porter: Back in the Family Way, recorded at Lucy’s local village hall with a socially distanced audience of her family, friends and neighbours, she reflects on how the pandemic affected our relationships with our loved ones. She looks back on the months spent locked down with her husband, children and cats – and on the challenges of home schooling, Zoom meetings and online weddings and funerals. And, from ‘next slide please’ to sourdough bread and clapping for carers, she considers all the things that brought us together – even while we were kept apart.

Finally, in Lucy Porter’s Lucky Dip Lucy is back with a delightful celebration of midlife madness. Ably assisted by her young apprentice Luke Kempner, Lucy tackles bank holiday bin collection schedules, video doorbell footage, and being a member of the ‘sandwich generation’. Apparently, human happiness peaks at 18, dips to its lowest point between the ages of 49 and 54, then picks up again - by the age of about 65 you’re as happy again as you were at 18. So this show will be a comfort to those in the dip, a warning to younger listeners, and will make the older generation feel incredibly smug.

This collection also includes exclusive behind the scenes interviews with Lucy Porter and Luke Kempner.

Production credits
Written by Lucy Porter
Starring Lucy Porter and Luke Kempner
Additional material by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch and Mike Shepherd
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling
Studio Engineer and Editor: Jerry Peal
Production Runners: Abbigayle Bircham, Sahara Dennis, Kareem Elshehawy and Sakshi Gupta
Produced and directed by Marilyn Imrie and Gordon Kennedy
Lucy Porter: Back in the Family Way would not have been possible without Marilyn Imrie
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 April 2018 (Lucy Porter in the Family Way), 28 April 2019 (Lucy Porter In The Family Way… Again), 4 July 2021 (Lucy Porter: Back in the Family Way) and 15 March 2023 (Lucy Porter’s Lucky Dip)