Stop me before I get ahead of myself but is that spring on the far horizon? Yes, I may be freezing my fingers off in an *extremely* well-ventilated café battered by the wind, but it’s not pitch darkness at precisely 4:30pm anymore.
Welcome to February, comedy fans. While January was accompanied by some devastating news in the cancellation of VAULT Festival, this month is heavy with things to see including loads of lovely venues coming to the rescue of artists who lost out on those opportunities. It’s also an exciting festival month with Leicester Comedy Festival taking to the stages and airwaves so check below for a bunch of recommendations on that.
Very much worth remembering that February is a smashing month not only for live comedy but also sweet, sweet telly shows. Lazy Susan, aka Celeste Dring and Freya Parker, bring back BBC Three with a four-part sketch series, answering the prayers of all of us who still quote their 2019 pilot on a new-daily basis (“drama makes me want to kick off actually”). I’m not one to brag – I am though – but I’ve been seeing Lazy Susan since 2014 and we’re very happy together.
The second show I’m excited about this month is obviously Rose Matafeo’s Starstruck, season two. No spoilers if you haven’t seen the first series but every second of watching this show was the most lovely fun I ever had; it’s hilarious, it’s charming, it’s aspirational (who wouldn’t want Emma Sidi as a housemate?). It starts on 7th February, so catch up on series one if you need to.
Anyway, let’s get on with it! Enjoy your life this month! Give comedy some love! Tell us what you’re excited about! Another exclamation mark!
Stefania Licari: Medico
1st-5th, 8th, 12th, 15th, 26th February, Hope Theatre and Museum of Comedy
An Italian NHS intensive care doctor and a comedian, Dr Stefania Licari certainly won’t be short of stories. Her alter-ego Dr Anna LaRosa will take us through an exploration of the medical world, immigration and becoming British. Combine a fully-trained clown and a fully-trained frontline medic and what you’ll get is a very mixed range of emotions. But we know from her online series My Doctor’s Advice that it will most definitely be funny (but you might also cry…). For more information and tickets, click here and here!
LCF Online
Wednesday 2nd — Tuesday 22nd February, NextUp Comedy
One of the fantastic things about Leicester Comedy Festival is the sheer volume of shows it puts up online for those of us who are nowhere near Leicester to enjoy. That’s nearly three full weeks of live-streamed good shit from the likes of Jessica Fostekew, Jen Brister, Jen Ives, Cerys Bradley, Esyllt Sears, Wendy Wason, Juliette Burton and more. For more information and tickets, click here!
Cheekykita: It Is What it Isn’t
Friday 4th February, The Guildhall – Mayor Parlour, Leicester Comedy Festival
OK, first up on the Leicester Comedy Festival roster of recommendations is Cheekykita — a true fave here at Funny Women towers — who brings surreal nuttiness to the stage in the form of…literally anything, there’s no way of knowing right now. What we do know is that props will be involved and you’ll end up somewhere you didn’t expect. Don’t think it’s chaos though, Cheekykita knows where we’re supposed to go, she’ll just make the journey as silly as possible. Such is the power of the clown! For more information and tickets, click here!
White Chicks 2
Wednesday 9th February, Soho Theatre
What about a double whammy? Alex Bertulis-Fernandes and Sharlin Jahan bring a brand new hour of comedy to Soho Rising (Soho Theatre’s celebration of artists straight out of their writers, comedy and cabaret labs). Individually, they’re wonderful stand-ups so combined it’s almost too powerful? Do not expect any relation to White Chicks the movie, though, and stop asking them about it. Check out more from Soho Rising including Thick and Fast, Sikisa and recent Funny Women finalist Am Stubberfield, with their new work-in-progress show The Unrealities of Love. For more information and tickets, click here!
Tessa Coates: Campfire
Monday 14th February, Pleasance Theatre
Your Valentine’s Day plans are sorted. No need for candlelit dinners, just sit by the campfire and listen to Tessa Coates spinning tales about where we’ve been and where we’re going, with some anecdotes and a bit of chat about evolution. And if you feel you want more of Tessa, you should definitely listen to her podcast with Stevie Martin, Nobody Panic, AND their book of the same name. For more information and tickets, click here!
Lulu Popplewell: Goblin
Wednesday 16th February, Peter Pizzeria – Violin Room, Leicester Comedy Festival
Here’s a work-in-progress show from Lulu Popplewell, who I most recently saw give an Oscar-worthy performance of mop-obsessed character in Weirdos Comedy’s latest show, so you know she’s got range. There have already been many rave reviews for this WIP from “London’s only goblin-lobster-comedian-escort”, so get yourself in there early. For more information and tickets, click here!
Esther Manito: #NotAllMen
17th February, 2Northdown
Last year, Esther Manito picked up the Leicester Comedy Festival best show award for #NotAllMen, so here’s a great chance to see the stand-out show live in the room. Her biographical show weaves 90s memories of lad mags and landlines with gender issues and media stereotypes of Middle Eastern men — it’s a masterclass in comedy storytelling. (You can also see it online at NextUp). For more information and tickets, click here!
Sophie Duker
Friday 18th February, Firebug, Leicester Comedy Festival
It’s actually bananas that there are any tickets left at all for this, given Sophie Duker’s current impact on the comedy world. She’s been on everything on the telly so I will duly take this opportunity to once again brag that I’ve been on about Sophie for ages actually. Get your tickets to her new work-in-progress show before the next series of Taskmaster takes her super-global. For more information and tickets, click here!
Party: John Travolta’s Birthday
Friday 18th February, Cube Cinema, Bristol
It’s quite embarrassing actually that we as a culture don’t celebrate John Travolta’s birthday with the due deference the man deserves. Thankfully this month’s Party, hosted by Imogen Trusselle and Pravanya Pillay, will pay tribute to the wickedly talented one and only Glom Gazingo (google it), with a line-up including Michelle Meredith, Jasmine Morton, Mary O’Connell and 2021 Funny Women finalist Sharon Wanjohi. For more information and tickets, click here!
Helen Duff is The Tits
February 18th, Attenborough Arts Centre – Main Hall, Leicester Comedy FestivalOh, what to say about the lovely Helen Duff? From dressing as a sperm onstage to channelling any number of absurd sketch characters, she’s a radiator of constant fun vibes. This new show brings a bit of music, a bit of soul-stroking and maybe some mention of the new bouncing beautiful bébé. And if you’ve got some walking to catch up on, I suggest you pair it with listening to her podcast Come As You Are, where she talks to other women and non-binary comedians about orgasms. It’s a fantastic listen. For more information and tickets, click here!
