YouTube video by Funny Parts

We've rounded up some tasty tour shows, wicked work in progresses, and vivacious variety shows for you to catch this month. You're very welcome!

YouTube video by Funny Parts

The 2025 Funny Women Awards Grand Final, sponsored by BBC Studios’ Funny Parts, lit up the Bloomsbury Theatre with bold voices, fresh perspectives, and knockout comedy.

Our Mentoring Meetups and Open Mic events are a part of  The Glitter Project supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Join us for some informal networking, fun and games, plus first-hand advice from visiting experts who’ve all ‘been there, done that’ in some capacity. We all know how challenging it can be to embark on a new interest and potential career, so these events are designed to take out the overwhelm and connect you with other likeminded female and non-binary comedy performers, writers and creators.

The Live Comedy Association (LCA) has launched a major new fund aimed to support the grassroots UK live comedy sector.  'Stand Up And Give' is an umbrella campaign to raise money to feed back into the UK sector.

Now in its 14th year, the Women In Comedy Festival has kicked off another year with an excellent array of events featuring outstanding talent from the world of comedy and bringing it to beautiful Manchester. The organisers of The Women In Comedy Festival know its importance, it is vital, "as undiscovered talent has had limited outlets and exposure for nearly 4 years now, and the lack of many festivals recently. Our Industry also needs healing, to come together again and socialise, network, showcase, learn, teach and reconnect."

How to get ahead in Live Comedy: Industry Q & A  Funny Women is supporting the Women in Comedy Festival and the Live Comedy Association to bring you this informative and sociable Saturday afternoon. A panel of comedy industry insiders and experts are ready to answer your questions about live comedy. After the Q&A you’re invited to stick around for a relaxed little mixer. The Live Comedy Association (LCA) represents and connects people working across the UK Live Comedy sector.  Members work as comedians, promoters, producers, agents, festival directors, managers and in all areas of the sector. 

After months of fierce competition across 16 heats and four semi-finals spanning the UK, Ireland, and Europe, the Funny Women Awards 2025 Grand Final delivered an unforgettable night of comedy brilliance. Hosted by the infectiously energetic Amy Gledhill, the evening was a joyous celebration of rising stars, sharp writing, and the unstoppable power of women in comedy.

Kay Nicholson tells us what she loves about stand up - "It’s all you. It’s the highest risk & the highest reward. You can’t hide behind anything, so when they laugh it’s all for you, but that means if they don’t laugh, again, it’s all on you. It’s a constant knife edge & I love it! Also, providing people with a laugh when the world is the way it is something I am very passionate about. Everyone needs the word to be a bit brighter right now."

By complete chance! I grew up watching Comedy Central with my dad but only ever saw male comedians so never considered it as a career opportunity. When I got to acting school in London I was presented with the opportunity to write my own show- with the option to make it stand-up. That same year I had started to build a small online following on Tik Tok. When I posted a clip of her stand-up set followers asked for a live show and I have been a full time comedian ever since!

I was a regular old punter at a local comedy club called The Grinning Idiot ran by John Smith, back in 2008. I had (and still have) got a really loud laugh so he used to give me free tickets to up the laughter-meter in the room. I just loved it! And one day John let me get on stage to tell a joke (he literally held my hand) I haven’t looked back.

Maple Zuo is a Chinese-Mongolian stand-up comedian. As seen on BBC cultural frontline,  She’s been performing since 2017 across Asia and the UK, known for her witty takes on cross-cultural life, identity, and relationships. Maple has won King Gong at The Comedy Store, Blackout at Up the Creek, and was a finalist in the Leicester Square Theatre New Act of the Year 2023. In 2024, she placed 2nd in the LGBT New Comedian of the Year. 

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).

Sophie Garrad is a stand-up comedian, writer, and content creator celebrated for her high-status humour with her delusional silliness. She first made her mark online with viral sketches that have amassed over 100 million views across Instagram and TikTok, before quickly establishing herself as one of the most exciting new voices in British comedy. Sophie is also a So You Think You’re Funny finalist and her debut hour Poor Little Rich Girl sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe and earned rave reviews, cementing her reputation as a rising star to watch.

Madeleine is a writer-turned-performer who has recently scooped a string of competition wins including the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny 2025. She’s been praised for her “distinctive worldview” (Chortle), “tight and gag-packed” writing (Bruce Dessau), and a “knack for blending offbeat observations with pacey, unexpected punchlines” (The List). She lives in London.

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.

Kate Hammer is an anemic Canadian comedian and writer living in Glasgow, and is a regular host and weekend performer at clubs in Scotland. She has performed on Just for Laughs, Latitude Festival, Kelburn Garden Party, Late N Live, PopMontreal, and is a finalist for the Funny Women competition 2025, as well as being a semi-finalist for the 2022LGBTQ and Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year competitions. She is the resident host and co-producer of the queer comedy show All Mouth and has opened for Sam Lake and Mark Nelson. Kate is high energy, wears high-waisted trousers, and always stays true to her goat farming heritage. 

The Funny Women Comedy Industry Award has been created to recognise the unsung heroines working tirelessly behind the scenes in the comedy industry.

Laugh loud, support women in comedy! Join Funny Women Brussels for a vibrant night of wit, talent, and community at Kamilou Café.   Join us for a hilarious evening at the FWB Open Mic Comedy Night! Get ready to flex those abs as our comedians take the stage to entertain you with their wit and humour. Funny Women Brussels is the first all-female comedy show created by a female comedian in Brussels. Since March 2024 at Kamilou Café, it’s been delighting audiences with a dynamic lineup featuring fresh new acts and seasoned performers from Belgium and beyond.

Join us at Volta for Funny Women Live in Amsterdam —an open mic night celebrating bold new voices and comedy without compromise. Since 2019, we've spotlighted women and underrepresented performers, building a stage where everyone’s welcome. Expect fresh talent, big laughs, and a warm, inclusive vibe. Follow @funnywomenamsterdam for updates and signup info, or visit funnywomenamsterdam.nl. Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/funnywomen. Let’s laugh together! :)

Hi there! We are looking for 10 amazing women to take on a very special Comedy Challenge to raise vital funds for The Glitter Project.  We are challenging you to perform a five-minute stand up comedy routine at Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival, in August. 

Alex Bertulis-Fernandes Briony Puddepha Florence Poppy Deary Ishbel McLachlan Jennifer Matthews Jo Somner Jodie Irvine Megan Thorne Rosalie Minnitt Rosie McKaig We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the 2025 Funny Women Comedy Shorts Award! With the help of our brilliant panel from across the comedy industry, we’ve carefully reviewed and scored every entry. After narrowing the longlist down to 20, we are delighted to reveal the final shortlist of 10. The standard of submissions was once again exceptionally high, showcasing a wide range of comedic voices, styles, and genres.

Ana Basu Bec Bartley Claire Sullivan Davina Bentley Katy Edelsten Leigh Douglas Maura Campbell Niloufar Lamakan Rachel Tookey Vanessa Hehir We are thrilled to announce the shortlist for the 2025 Funny Women Comedy Writing Award! This year we received over 490 scripts, and with the help of our brilliant panel of readers from across the comedy industry, we’ve carefully reviewed and scored every entry. After narrowing the longlist down to 20, we are delighted to reveal the final shortlist of 10. The standard of submissions was once again exceptionally high, showcasing a wide range of comedic voices, styles, and genres.

Become a Funny Women Patreon now at the 'Amusing' level or above and take part in this workshop for half-price!! It’s midwinter and the days are short, so ideal for a comedy ‘warm up’ and an opportunity to commune with your funny bones. Spend an action-packed day with us and unleash your inner stand up diva, explore ideas for an award-winning sitcom or simply enjoy the ride with some like-minded women. We’ve combined elements of our popular Stand Up to Stand Out workshop and the Comedy Crash Course to create a one-day event designed to take you on a comedy journey without it being scary!