Funny Women celebrated in style at the first of its regional 10th Anniversary events, a reception and showcase during Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival earlier this week.
Festivals provide audiences with a multiplicity of choice so it’s very important for us to ensure that women’s voices are heard amongst the cacophony of male-ness that still pervades many of these regional events.
During a radio interview on BBC Radio Leicester ahead of the show, founder Lynne Parker was challenged on why women feel disadvantaged on the circuit. "A lot of women still find the circuit a hostile and intimidating environment," explains Lynne. "Although there is a ‘breakthrough’ point when gender ceases to matter. While we continue to promote and develop female talent at our shows and workshops we are also ensuring that some sort of ‘quota’ is presented to promoters and producers. In an ideal equal world, there should never again be a reason for anybody to say that women aren’t funny."
The proof is always in the pudding of course and we can wax lyrical about how wonderful we are and what we’ve achieved over the last 10 years, but nobody says it better than a customer. So hear it from the front line:
“I just wanted to say thank you so much for the workshop at Leicester, we really enjoyed it and found it truly inspirational. For me it gave me the confidence to pursue a character that has been lurking in the back of my mind for some time, hence I do believe xxx has been born. Once again thank you.”
Debbie Baisden, workshop attendee.
“It was so good to meet you last night and I really enjoyed Suzy & Lara, such funny women! I thought it was so brilliant how Lara took the very serious subject of Alzheimer’s and so beautifully given which in turn gave us permission to laugh… very clever!”
Elaine Pantling, Laurielorry.
