Pomme is french for apple. It’s also the name of a comedy sketch group created by Liza Paul and Bahia Weston. “Pomme” is also a homonym for “pum,” which refers to a lady’s lady parts in West Indian Culture. This is key information when attending a pomme is french for apple show (trust us). We chatted with Liza and Bahia about performing in last week’s JFL 42, their inspiration and, well, pum.
What was it like performing at JFL 42?
Bahia: It was lovely. It’s always a bit of an adventure adapting to new spaces, keeps us on our toes, I suppose. [It’s an] awesome festival to be a part of. [It] makes us feel all fresh and fancy.
Liza: [It was] so exciting to be on the same bill as Reggie Watts and Louis C.K.
Tell us how you first met and how your troupe was formed?
B: Liza and I met at an storytelling residency, caught a vibe and rode it.
Did you always know you were funny?
B: I had my suspicions.
L: I’m funny…?
What’s the story behind your troupe's name?
L: It was born of late-night, alcohol-fuelled debauchery that yielded an unexpected discovery. For further clarification, please see the show.
For someone who’s never been to your show, what can they expect?
B: They can expect us to reach out and tickle their fancy. So far they seem to get off on it.
L: Pum pum and more pum. Sore cheeks (the ones on their faces). A solid abdominal workout.
What’s the most outrageous sketch you've ever performed?
B: I don't know if we can answer that ourselves. Nothing actually feels outrageous to us. The audience blushes from time to time, and we’re like… “what? you've never seen a two pums catch a reasoning before? Ooookay.”
L: I think most of it is outrageous to the audience, but from where I stand it’s all par for the course: my Auntie Sharon and my girl cousins are always talking about people’s pums so a lot of what’s in the show just feels like a night with my family. Wow. That sounds kind of strange.
Your sketches involve a lot of sexy talk, including discussions of the female genitalia. So… are there men in your audience?
B: Plenty man dem inna di place. Gay, straight, all the spirit dem love pomme. We all came from pum, so on some level or another, we all can relate.
L: Men love the show. They laugh just as hard as the girls do. It’s interesting that people always ask us if men come to the show. It’s about pum pum — why wouldn’t they? Some guys even get inspired. Two guys took it really seriously — they felt that they needed to really step up their game after they took it all in. Another crew talked about how they really just wanted to treat a woman right by eating it right. And one dude said, “I am a gay, white man. I had no idea I related so much to pum!”
Who would be a dream guest performer?
B: Mmm… I would love to hear what Margaret Cho’s pum sounds like.
L: Really? I didn’t know you loved the Cho like that. I’d love to have Kim Wayans on the show. She played so many timeless roles on In Living Color and her physicality always cracks me up. She’s a G.
What inspires you?
B: That sparkly feeling. Stories. Deliciousness. Rule breaking. Love, love and more love.
L: Life. That and the deep and abiding folly that surrounds people trying to get laid.
What or who makes you laugh the most?
B: My ladies are always good for a deep belly laugh.
L: Oui, oui. The ladies in the crew and my family. Jokes all day.
If you could describe each other in one word, what would it be?
B: I think Liza can only be described by the sound of her own laugh. Which in a word… is unforgettable.
L: Bahia…? Rubberfaced.
What’s next on the horizon?
B: More pomme. More people. More mischief.
Do you like apples?
L: Doesn’t everyone?
When's your next show?
B: Soon. Come.