Franchesca S-Mart-inez

Paula Xiberras

The meaning of the name Francesca is ‘free’ and the Martinez name is derived from ‘Martinus’ which in turn derives from ’Mars’ the god of war, even though Francesca is very much a peace lover, she fights for values she believes in, such as freedom to find fulfilment outside of societies expectations. I was delighted to be given the opportunity to recently talk with this wonderful and talented young woman from her home in Britain. A freedom from fulfilling societal expectations is very much a trademark of the beautiful Francesca Martinez, stand-up comedian, author and actor.

Although she is English born, Francesca is very multicultural. Francesca’s paternal grandparents are from Spain and there are Swedish links on her mum’s side, ironically, her mum also speaks fluent Spanish! Francesca also has links to Australia and, more importantly to Tasmania, in that her uncle formerly living in Perth has retired to the natural scenery of Hobart with ‘a home’, as Francesca so poetically puts it ‘licking the sea’.

Francesca is indeed no stranger to Australia herself, having completed 3 successive visits in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Francesca tells me she may tour again next year.

A self-confessed sun junky, when I spoke to Francesca she was just back from a sunny, hot two months in Gibraltar to have a ‘lovely’ escape from the British winter.

Francesca’s autobiography ‘what the **** is normal? ‘Discusses being born with Cerebral Palsy and her favoured name for it, ‘wobbly’ and how she is working on a world ‘wobbly revolution’.

Francesca’s is a beautiful autobiography that talks lovingly of family, the food prepared by her grandmother and her love of Spain, a place she hopes to eventually (many years in the future) retire to. Indeed, Francesca says one of the best things for her about the book is celebrating very publically her grandparents to the extent they have become well known like’ movie stars’ and ‘mythic figures’. She is happy to have had the chance to immortalise these very special people in literature.

Francesca’s main job may be comedy but she is also an experienced actor, starting her career in the children’s program Grange Hill. Francesca has never given up acting but ‘doesn’t wait by the phone’. She has on her wish list, a sitcom while she continues her career in stand-up. She says of stand-up although its daunting for some (everyone has talents they are naturally good at) and being a comedian, true to her name meaning ‘gives her a sense of ‘freedom’ she appreciates having no boss and not a’ 9 to 5 job in an office where you are staring at a lap top all day’.

Her parents supported her in pursuing her passion and following her dream, instead of encouraging her to find fulfilment in a job that provided money and security such as becoming a lawyer, which might cause one to ‘burn out in a few years’.

And this is all part of Francesca’s ‘wobbly revolution’, to do away with what society and culture perpetuates as who we should be and what we should want and aspire to. A young man called Dylan helped Francesca realise being confident and feeling beautiful comes from doing positive things and being happy with what you have rather than pine for what you haven’t got.

Francesca says to’ encourage passion’ and appreciate what we have, rather than have an ‘obsession’ over what we perceive we lack. Francesca gets angry about wasting any day with negative thoughts and would’ rather shift the perception’ in ‘gratitude for what we do have’.

Francesca’s book ‘what the **** is normal?’ is out now published by Random House.