The tension was palpable amongst the Challengers as the audience arrived at the elegant Cannizaro House Hotel, in Wimbledon, on the night of the Funny Women Charity Challenge, in aid of The Victoria Foundation. Conversation flowed and canapes circulated during the pre-show reception, as friends of the Challengers gave them some last minute encouragement and wished them well.
The fantastic Mrs Barbara Nice hosted the evening at 'Downton Abbey' as she dubbed her surrounding, with her trademark northern banter, warming the audience up and settling them in for an evening of raucous comedy. She even managed to get the mostly business-like crowd up dancing with her at one point, as she demonstrated how her good friend 'Mrs Khan' engenders a feeling of wellbeing!
Vicky Pierson, who took part last year as a challenger, introduced the event, and let the audience know how nerve-wracking it can be for people more used to presenting facts and figures than punchlines. But if the Challengers were nervous, you certainly couldn't tell once they were up there performing. Having their fantastic mentors, Janet Bettesworth, Teresa Jennings, Courtney Cornfield, Elizabeth Mee and head mentor (and Funny Women founder!) Lynne Parker on hand for moral support didn't hurt either.
Anita Feron Clark acted as if comedy was in her blood as she told us stories of her childhood, being the darkest child in her family, and her sister finding it hilarious when she joined…the Brownies.
If you thought that you couldn't do a whole five minutes of stand-up on the antics of a West Highland terrier, you'd be wrong, as Carrie Cantor aptly proved with her deadpan delivery and excellent comic timing. (Pictured middle)
Charlotte Hogg reported back from the front-lines of dating to great comedic effect in her set which, while others had memorised scripts, she had only jotted down a few bullet points!
Zoe Charles had the audience in stitches with her punchy delivery and hilarious material about her American born hippy mother; going through a womanhood ceremony and being bequeathed a series of 'vagina slides' was only the beginning!
Late entry, Linda Duberley, reenacted conversations between her and her children. Her material focused on how to navigate relationships, the differences between men and women, and all with the 'help' of her ex-husband who proves to be more a a hindrance than a help in the art of child rearing.
The evening was rounded off with a brilliant guest appearance by 2012 Funny Women Awards winner, Gabby Best. As 'Marijana' her Croatian fitness instructor, she had the audience literally weeping with laughter!
Lorna Votier of The Victoria Foundation, the charity benefiting from proceeds of the night, said: “It was so amazing to see these wonderful, successful women push their personal boundaries and perform stand-up in order to help us raise money for life-enhancing medical assistance. A fantastic time was had by all, and we're already planning for next year!”
The night was such a success that the charity is able to purchase a Proxtalker, which enables non-verbal children to communicate through pictures, effectively giving them a new lease of life. They will even be using the machine in their Christmas panto, enabling the children to act for the first time!
You can see more photos of the night at our Facebook HERE.
And, if you haven't done so already, you can still sponsor our Challengers, and donate to The Victoria Foundation HERE.
Pictured: Top – reception at Cannizaro House; middle- Challengers from lef to right: Anita Feron Clark, Carrie Cantor, Charlotte Hogg, Funny Women founder Lynne Parker, Zoe Charles, Linda Duberley; bottom.Carrie Cantorshows off her 'doggy' fashion sense!
