MEET 2025 STAGE AWARD FINALIST: SHALAKA KURUP
Shalaka Kurup is an Indian stand up comedian and writer. Her observational humour has been described as deadpan joy. A doctor by education and a comedian by choice Shalaka has shot onto the UK circuit receiving numerous awards, winning West End New Act of the Year, runner up Brighton Komedia New Act of the year and a finalist Channel 4 Sean Lock Award. Performances include opening for Eshaan Akbar, Grace Campbell, Ria Lina, and was selected for Leicester Comedy Festival Circuit Breakers and Pleasance Reserve in 2023. She has starred on Comedy Central Live Season 3, Jokes Only A…Can Tell (Channel 4 Digital) Asian Network Comedy (BBC) Arts Hour Comedy Special (BBC) and Sunday Morning Live (BBC1).
MEET 2025 STAGE AWARD FINALIST: SAMANTHA DAY
Samantha’s comedy career kicked off about six years ago, after three decades as an accountant and single mum. Now she’s been freed from the city, she’s really hit her stride, as a truly original act who’s winning awards and progressing fast on the circuit.
The Biggest Challenge: Standing Up at the Fringe
Last week at the Edinburgh Fringe, we showcased nine amazing business women in The Glitter Challenge. They performed five minutes of live stand-up comedy for the first time in their lives at the world’s largest arts festival.
Q&A : Florence Lace-Evans, Yes, We’re Related.
I’m Florence Lace-Evans, an actor, writer and producer. I trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and was part of Soho Theatre Labs 2024. My dark comedy ‘Yes, We’re Related’ was awarded the Keep It Fringe Fund 2024, and listed in the Top 100 Trending Shows of the Edinburgh Fringe (Fringe Biscuit). We transferred to The Other Palace Theatre London, and will be published by CNC Books later this year.
Welcome to The 11% Club at Edinburgh Fringe
Women write 11% of UK sitcoms. That’s too much. Woke nonsense. Make them stop! Welcome to The 11% Club: an hour of riotously funny sketches by women who do comedy, about why women shouldn’t do comedy.
SHOWING UP
I am good at showing up. People often comment on how busy I appear to be but surely that’s all part of the job?
