UK Women In Comedy Festival begins
Pictured: Zoe Lyons is one of several high-profile stand-ups supporting the first UK Women in Comedy Festival.
The first ever UK Women in Comedy Festival launches today, with over 100 shows scheduled to take place across Greater Manchester.
The month-long festival is a cross-collaboration between female comedy producers, performers and supporters, fronted by Hazel O’Keefe, founder of Laughing Cows Comedy.
Shows will take place at The Comedy Store, The Contact Theatre, The Dancehouse Theatre, The Frog and Bucket and The Lowry amongst others from 1-27 October.
And O’Keefe hopes the festival will reflect “what women in comedy want to showcase and discuss”, and give female comics an opportunity to get feedback from industry, insiders and professionals.
She said: “The festival will be an opportunity for female comics across the UK to meet, perform, debate, discuss and get feedback from industry, insiders and professionals, all aiming to put an end to circular conversations and blow certain myths out of the water whilst to promoting the best of female comedy.
“Originally we were planning a week of events but the demand had led us to expand the festival across the whole month and we currently have over one hundred shows.”
A number of comedians have pledged their support for the festival, including Zoe Lyons, Lucy Porter, Luisa Omielan, Joanne Neary, Ava Vidal and Janice Connolly, better known as comedy character Barbara Nice.
Speaking to Giggle Beats, Connolly says that the festival represents a growing wealth of female talent within the UK comedy circuit.
She said: ‘It’s really wonderful that the festival is happening in Manchester…
“The line up represents the wealth of female comedic talent that is sweeping the nation.”
Another act taking part, Susan Murray, believes the festival will further undermine the ‘are women funny?’ debate in comedy.
Murray said: “I’m so incredibly bored of that debate, if it even really exists.
“I think it only exists in the minds of moronic men who hang out with moronic women who aren’t funny, and that, quite frankly, is their tough shit.
“All my female friends are funny, otherwise I wouldn’t be friends with them. What would be the point?”
The festival opens at The Frog and Bucket, Manchester, tonight with a show from Janey Godley, Allyson Smith, Annette Fagon and Kerry Leigh.
Tickets are £8, and the show starts at 8pm.
The UK Women in Comedy Festival takes place 1-27 October at venues across Greater Manchester. For tickets and further information, see: womenincomedy.co.uk
