Comedian Bethany Black, whose credits include Doctor Who and Channel 4’s Cucumber, has revealed an email explaining that she wasn’t booked because: “Bethany, you sound fab but can you believe ‘too many women on the bills’ this time. But will definitely book you for the future.”
Jen Collier caused a stir in 2014 when she too revealed a booker had told her they couldn’t have more than one woman on the bill and, it seems in 2016 this is still a problem.
Bethany has chosen not to share the name of the venue or promoter but instead chose to publicise the email and her response which said: “I’ve not replied until now because I’ve been trying to find the right words.
“No, I do not believe too many women on the bills as an excuse, because it’s not 1964 and this isn’t an episode of Mad Men. Women isn’t a type of comedy, and this type of misogyny is what’s leading to the homogeneity that’s destroying our circuit.
“I’m disgusted that you would say something like this, even if you were “just passing it on from a venue” which just makes you a facilitator if that’s the case.
“I’m shocked and appalled that anyone would even think that this is an appropriate excuse to use in 2016, let alone email someone to tell them this. There are no other women comedians whose material crosses over with mine.
“If this is genuinely something you believe is acceptable then I would rather not work for you.”
It might be rare but it still occurs, with many woman comedians responding to Bethany to say they had received this treatment from bookers too. Bethany commented that “I’ve not had one of these emails for years, it seemed almost retro.”
