According to Penny Tangey, the title Kathy Smith Goes to Maths Camp is ‘a pretty accurate description’ of her show. In it, Penny plays Kathy Smith, a 15-year-old science and maths enthusiast. ‘A lot of the kids at Kathy’s school don’t like maths and science,’ explains Penny. ‘Being at maths camp is the first time that she has been in the majority.’ The show is about being a teenager, about the excitement of ‘first times’ and the burden of ‘insecurities’. ‘At camp, Kathy is excited to find some kids who are as interested in maths as she is,’ says Penny. ‘The excitement builds up to a big finale: the camp party, where romance is second only to maths.’

Like Penny when she was a teenager, ‘Kathy worries about if she is stupid and criticises others for being stupid. The very exaggerated nerdiness of the character isn’t a reflection of all 15-year-olds, more of how I feel and how I see other people act.’

The way Kathy looks isn’t necessarily a reflection of 15-year-olds either. ‘I don’t naturally look like one. I’ve changed the way I dress, but I doubt anyone would mistake me for a 15-year-old. Although,’ Penny laughs, ‘after one show, I did hear a woman ask if I was actually from maths camp.’

Penny claims that at 15 she wasn’t particularly funny. ‘I was morbid’obsessed with death and watching The Dead Poets Society.’ But Penny does admit that she was ‘ok at maths’.

Nowadays, at least, Penny is more than ok at both maths and comedy. She has a double Arts/Science degree, majoring in Chemistry with a minor in Maths, and maths and science references can be found throughout Kathy Smith Goes to Maths Camp. Some that Penny expects ‘only two people a night will understand.’

‘But maths is really only a vehicle for the story,’ says Penny who understands that ‘some people find maths a little scary.’ She admits that when she makes maths and science references on stage, she is ‘often afraid someone in the audience will say ‘You can’t do that!’ or ‘It’s wrong!”

This year Penny Tangey won a Moosehead Award, which she explains is ‘more of a grant than an award. They are presented for an idea and make it easier to put on your show.’ For Penny, ‘it’s reassuring to know that someone thinks you’ve got a good idea and a show worth doing.’