Funny Women Around The World

Pack your bags (well, turn on your computers) – we’re going travelling!

Over the past year, despite lockdown, we’ve strengthened our virtual communications and widened our chapters’ reach. Our funny tentacles now stretch to London, Bristol, Medway, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin, Amsterdam, Boston, Singapore and Melbourne. That’s a big group of fabulously international comedy-makers!

To celebrate our international comrades, we’re running the inaugural Funny Women Around The World event, showcasing comedy and entertainment from every corner of the globe. And we’re going to do it over twelve hours—because why not!

We’ve already locked in some thigh-slapping performances from the USA, Australia, Singapore, Ireland, the Netherlands, and a wide range of regions across the UK. Our producers will be bringing you fresh comedy streamed for free via Twitch. Get ready to see new regional talent, some familiar Funny Women faces and formats that will keep you engaged no matter when you tune in.

Expect panel discussions, backstage insight, performance tips, digital content, and of course, “live” performances. Whether you’re a Funny Women enthusiast or a newbie humour-hunter, all are welcome to join, and drop in anytime.

Funny Women Around the World is proud to act as a promotional partner for Plan International UK’s ‘Because I’m a Girl’ campaign. Plan International UK works with young people and youth activists to understand the solutions they need to see in their communities and to lobby those in power. Previous successes have included raising the age of marriage to 18 in Guatemala and Malawi, as well as getting the UK Government to recognise street harassment as a form of gender-based violence.

Our Programme at a Glance: 

10.00 Welcome with Sooz Kempner

10.15 Is Laughter The Best Medicine? (Melbourne) – Justine Sless is unusually competitive when it comes to comedy debates, three times team captain for the winning time in the Jewish/Muslim Comedy Debate, no big deal. Come on down and join the Funny Women Down Under crew to find out if laughter really is the best medicine once and for all. 

11.15 Delicious Monster (Singapore) – In this solo stand up and storytelling show, follow the strange and strangely hilarious adventures that Stephanie’s obsession with nature has taken her. Animal puns included.

12.05 Funny Tinge (Global) – In 2019 the MP Angela Smith described people from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds as having a “funny tinge”. Hear from some of the funniest: Sikisa (Funny Women Awards Semi-Finalist), Alex Bertulis-Fernandes (2Northdown New Act Semi-Finalist), Sharlin Jahan (Get Up Stand Up Semi-Finalist) and Suchandrika Chakrabarti (Funny Women Awards Semi-Finalist). Hosted by the incomparable Stella Graham (Best Newcomer nominee at the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards).

12.35 Funny Women TikTok Extravaganza (Global) – Millicent Binks, a self-confessed TikTok wormhole victim, will showcase the best female comedy on TikTok for a whole half an hour! A scrolling marathon!

13.05 Salford Student Showcase (Salford) – Meet a new generation of funny women.

13.35 A Funny Kind of Education (Kent) – Mo and Martha are friends, but more importantly than that, they are mothers, trying to survive in the world of online learning, whilst running a business. On the flip side, Mo is also an art teacher. Join her as she shows how you can get creative with an item you can guarantee every home has!! What you will need – A Bowl, A plastic Bag, A dish of water with a sponge/cloth and a roll of toilet paper – A large Glass of Wine (optional)

14.05 Sedusa Medusa: Gorgon Clown (Exeter) – Myth busting seductive clown Sedusa Medusa, created by Dr Maggie Irving – the first woman to investigate and attain a PhD on becoming a female clown – invites you to participate in some sassy, silly and savvy clowning to re-vision this art form for broader political use.

14.35 Humour as a Second Language (Global) – Are you ready to do English comedy in a country where English isn’t the main language spoken? Are you ready to do comedy in another language? Talk about the intersection of language and humor with Erin Crouch (USA/Germany), Amanda Urban (Germany), Soness Stevens (USA/Japan) and Mariana Feijó (Portugal/UK)

15.20 Eyre-Leigh Doors (Bristol & London) – Louise Leigh and Pauline Eyre push open the doors to other dimensions and let their guest, Funny Women Semi-Finalist Jessie Nixon peer at alternative lives she could be living. But which door will Jessie choose to walk through? 

15.50 Funny Women Behind the Scenes with Ivy Paige LIVE! – To celebrate International Women’s Day Ivy Paige interviews West End Burlesque Star Miss Polly Rae to talk about her project Wiggle for Wellness!  A brand new project designed to get women feeling confident and feeling fabulous! So tune in and prepare for plenty of fun, giggles and wiggles! Plus all the usual Behind the scenes chat  from the world of showbiz!!

16.50 The Dam Panel (Amsterdam) – A panel show about body positivity, getting comfortable with yourself and anything else that pops up!

17.20 Craic N Notions (Dublin) – Four Irish and one American take you through the ABCD of Irish culture.

17.50 Hurt, Hate, Help or Heal? Reflecting on the Power of Humor (USA) – Founder of Boston Comedy Chicks and Executive Communication Coach, Robin Golinski will facilitate this deep dive panel discussion with 4 US comics on how comedy/humor can influence and persuade and how female and non-binary comics feel about being intentional regarding whether that humor opens minds or reinforces stereotypes/tropes. Is Funny all that matters in the current World or should we be doing more with this powerful communication?

18.30 EVERYBODYYY DANCE (Toronto) – Everybodyyy Dance is an all levels virtual dance class for babes of all ages, sizes, genders and corners of the world. Artists and facilitators, Rubyyy Jones and Prinx Lydia, present this joyful online space for moving, challenging and celebrating our radiant selves!

19.00 Being a Difficult Woman (Bristol) – Do you catch yourself apologising all the time? Are you scared to speak up at gigs, in meetings or social situations? Are you scared of being called, or have you ever been called a ‘difficult woman’? Join Imogen Palmer (The Delightful Collective, The Bristol Improv Theatre) for a 30 min interactive workshop to help empower you using improvisation skills.

19.30 Let’s Be Nosey in the USA (USA) – OMG What is she/they doing right now? Robin Golinski will pop in for 3 minutes on 8 different US comics to see what kind of trouble they are up to at that moment. This live, impromptu, unpredictable check in on our funniest women is sure to be hilarious!

20.00 In Conversation with Noam Shuster (Jerusalem) – Noam Shuster is a freelance comedian, performer, peace builder and activist. She grew up in Neve Shalom Wahat Al Salam, the only intentional Jewish and Arab village in Israel. She performs in three languages (four including her cutting cynicism and humour). She was also the first Jewish Performer in the Palestine Comedy Festival, and spent 2019 on scholarship at the Harvard Divinity School developing her one woman show. New Jewish Comedian of the Year (2018). Noam will be joined by Rachel Creeger, a multi award winning stand up comedian, writer and director, a regular guest on BBC radio and the only practising orthodox Jewish woman on the mainstream UK comedy circuit. 

20.30 Funny Women Awards Showcase (Global) – Join our host Sooz Kempner for an evening of fabulous female comedy talent from Funny Women Awards alumni Katie Green, Eryn Tett, Mary O’Connell and headliner Sarah Keyworth.

21.30 Doon For a Laugh (Glasgow) – Cabaret beaming in from bonnie Scotland. Five acts. Each with Five minutes.  Featuring stand-up from A.B. Silvera, sketches from Ambush, character comedy from Rach Leonard, and music from Pauline Vallance. The Daft Duo, resident hosts of Alternative Interviews, will be up first with some daft antics to introduce the event!

This event is supported by the Arts Council Cultural Recovery Fund