My face hurts.
I spent last night at the finals for this year’s Funny Women Awards, and my poor face is still aching from all that giggling. And I wasn’t alone, as from the sound of it the rest of the audience had just as great a time.
The comedy just kept on going, with 10 women contesting the Stage award, three shortlisted shorts, a special performance from previous winners Twisted Loaf and host (and other former winner, sheesh) Katherine Ryan. When I say it kept on going, I really mean it – true to form, the show overran just a tad. I even had one man fall awkwardly into my lap in his rush to catch a train, which might have been welcome at a different time but I was still watching people perform.
At the end of the night we saw Aine Gallagher and Lauren Pattison take two of the well-deserved top three places in the Stage category, and the main prize went to the incredible Jayde Adams. I know nobody else with such a healthy set of lungs.
Of course, I have to be a little schmaltzy and say that the real winner on the night was the charity Refuge. The total amount raised has yet to be counted, but thanks so much to everyone who donated for such a good cause.
Getting to sit in the audience and watch so many hilarious women take to the stage was a real privilege. But maybe I should give it a go myself next year. How about you?
Pictured – the winners!
