Natalya Grabavoy is an improviser, standup and comedy writer

Originally from Chicago, she now writes and performs comedy in Sydney, Australia where she uses words like “arvo” and is constantly asked about deep-dish pizza.

She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory, and has performed at Second City Chicago as one of 8 cast members selected for the House Company ensemble, Twisty. Here, she improvised each Saturday night to squealing crowds of bachelorette parties and awkward Hinge dates, and ultimately wrote the original ensemble sketch comedy show, Dark Side of the Buffoon. She also trained and performed at iO Theatre, The Annoyance Theatre and CIC, and performed in numerous comedy festivals across the US.

To understand Natalya’s sketch comedy duo, you’ll want to imagine Broad City, but with more fake blood and a live audience. This was Dolls, formed by Natalya with Analisha Santini in 2015. They quickly became Chicago’s resident experiential comedy duo, earning a spot in the Chicago Reader’s “6 Comedy Shows to See This Week.” They splashed paint, pulled audience members onstage, shotgunned beers, and wrote iconic feminist sketches at the dawn of the Me Too-era. Second City even asked them to return for a second run of their sold-out show Table Manners, (albeit this time with a protective tarp onstage, and some added legal paperwork about drinking with audience members).

Natalya’s satirical writing can be seen in publications such as Reductress and babe (The Tab), and aside from performing live, her acting can be seen in the award-winning short Uncertainship, part of the anthology series The Edge of Her Mind. It can be viewed on Amazon, Apple, Tubi, and more.