INTRODUCING OUR WRITER'S CIRCLE. Writing comedy can feel as daunting as performing it. That's why we're launching a new series exclusively for our Patreon members: Writer's Circle. Building on the success of our monthly Open House series, we're testing out a new format to bring comedy creators of all kinds together to support each other.

Brighton Dome Comedy Festival and Komedia are joining forces from 16th - 25th October bringing a 10-day programme to two of the city’s best loved venues, and Funny Women is right at the heart of it. On Saturday 24th October, the iconic Funny Women Live in Brighton showcase returns to Komedia with a powerhouse line-up of female and non-binary performers. The expanded 10-day extravaganza bridges grassroots comedy with major theatre stages. Most importantly for us, this year’s programme is packed with incredible female and non-binary acts, award-winners, and Funny Women…

Anita Albrecht is a NZ-born actress/writer/producer that has tackled a few different careers off screen too from being a PT/nutritional therapist, a skincare and makeup saleswoman, a pizza maker, a choreographer for fellow bodybuilding competitors and now she acts, writes and produces full time. Thanks to her plethora of incredibly mixed careers it has given her a catalogue of characters that she has not only banked but uses the inspiration from, to create stories for the screen! Saffron Jarrett is a bold comedic performer and writer known for creating dynamic, character-driven comedy rooted in truth.

Their relationship's over. Their tenancy isn't. Channel 4's 'Break Clause' follows ‘Ben’ (Samuel Bottomley) and ‘Lil’ (Lara Ricote) as they navigate their breakup whilst stuck in the same flat.

Those of us who were lucky enough to know Lady Val will miss her razor-sharp wit, her warmth, and the sheer audacity of her spirit.

This year, more than 250 judges from over 50 countries took part in the Gerety Awards, bringing together some of the most respected creative leaders from different fields of advertising, marketing, production, design, and media, who showed their powerful perspective by choosing the best creative work. Funny Women proudly partnered the Gerety Awards in the Humour Cut for the second year running, and Funny Women founder and CEO Lynne Parker joined the grand jury for the first time. No Project Without Drama The Count The KitKat Heist The jury agreed on having three outstanding campaigns rewarded with a Grand Prix this year: …

The Women in Comedy Festival returns to Manchester from 1–11 October 2026, with an especially strong line-up of award winners, comedians fresh from this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival and up-and-coming talent from across the comedy world. This year, 53 shows will play across six venues in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, with a seventh one-off show in Altrincham. The programme features a range of acts with varied backgrounds and life experiences, alongside stand-up, sketch, compilation shows and musical comedy. Festival Programmer Aimee Perry says: “Manchester is one of those special cities where people come out and support the arts, there is so much going on and the venues in the Northern Quarter embrace it all.

Melbourne-based comedian and writer Justine Sless is launching her new novel, Before I Sing You This Song in the UK on 3rd October, followed by a Melbourne launch on 9th November. Before I Sing You This Song is set in Sunderland in 1978, where the rules were that women could sing, but they couldn’t tell jokes, and women could go to Working Men’s Clubs but not be members. The novel is inspired by Sunderland comedian Bobby Thompson, who did the same two acts for nearly thirty years. A phenomenal feat. His material was about poverty, "

DOUG is a short comedy horror that follows Daisy Spade, a gardener, as she navigates her brother Doug's disappearance. Returning to work, she makes the unsettling discovery of Doug's body buried in a client's garden; the sweet and unassuming Nanna. Her ensuing journey includes singing flowers, a reanimating corpse and a thrilling face-off before culminating in a darkly comedic reflection on our disconnection from the natural world. Oh, and it's a sung through musical! DOUG offers a bold and playful take on the climate crisis as well as human connection. Inspired by British cult favourites like…

Since its launch in 1988, the So You Think You're Funny? alumni reads like a who's who of stand up. The competition has launched the careers of some of the scene's leading comedians, and the ten performers I saw at The Gilded Balloon all fully deserve their place in this elite group. What's interesting about So You Think You're Funny? is not so much who's won, as much as who got through to the last ten. Previous finalists include Rachel Porter, Sarah Millican, Jimmy Carr and Rob Beckett, which goes to show how hard it is to judge comedy.

Scottish comedy star Kim Blythe’s debut tour Cowboy played to sold-out crowds across the UK and Ireland last autumn and sold out her Edinburgh Fringe run with the same show. This year, she is back with her most ambitious show to date, reaching more of the country with brand new show Puzzle. This Autumn, Blythe takes Puzzle to 17 cities across the UK and Ireland, returning to the audiences who packed out Cowboy last year, and reaching new ones in Bristol, Brighton, Cambridge, Cork and the Scottish Borders for the first time.

What if five minutes on a comedy stage could change the way you show up everywhere else? You're already good at what you do. You lead. You present. You negotiate. You make decisions, manage teams and navigate difficult conversations. You may even be perfectly comfortable speaking in front of a room full of people. But what happens when the script disappears? When you have to stand up in front of strangers and make them laugh? That's the Challenge! The Funny Women Glitter Challenge is looking for a new cohort of up to 10 professional women to take on an extraordinary personal development experience spanning six months, culminating in a stand up performance at the world famous Comedy Store London in April 2027.

Join us for Funny Women Live in Taipei - Taiwan's only all-female and non-binary open mic comedy night! Featuring some of the best comics from Taipei and beyond, we celebrate bold new voices and comedy without compromise. We also save two walk-on spots for those who've always fancied giving stand up a shot - this could be your chance! Entry is FREE with a drink purchase, and donations are always welcome at the end of the show. 🎤 Funny Women Taipei Open Mic Our open mic is the perfect opportunity to experience the thrill of live comedy, discover emerging talents, and support a movement dedicated to equal representation on the comedy stage.

The Edinburgh Fringe may have wrapped up, but Rosalie Minnitt’s Clementine 2 was far too magnificent to leave uncelebrated.

Funny Women are excited to bring you this very special Brighton Dome Comedy Festival edition of our longest-standing and most successful comedy night; Funny Women Live in Brighton, takes place at Komedia Brighton on Saturday 24th October.

Launching on 10th September in London, The Twist is a brand new live storytelling night founded by Caroline McEvoy.

I had no desire to do stand up comedy. I enjoyed watching it but had never considered doing it, in fact the idea absolutely terrified me. I mean why would anybody want to do such a thing?

Join us for Funny Women Live in Taipei—Taiwan's only all-female and non-binary open mic comedy night! Featuring some of the best comics from Taipei and beyond, we celebrate bold new voices and comedy without compromise. We also save two walk-on spots for those who've always fancied giving standup a shot—this could be your chance! Entry is FREE with a drink purchase, and donations are always welcome at the end of the show. 🎤 Funny Women Taipei Open Mic Our open mic is the perfect opportunity to experience the thrill of live comedy, discover emerging talents, and support a movement dedicated to equal representation on the comedy stage.

Over the summer a group of amazing women took on a very special Comedy Challenge to raise vital funds for The Glitter Project and performed five-minutes of stand up comedy at Edinburgh Fringe, the world’s largest arts festival.  Read more about their experience here.  Join us for a very special showcase as the Funny Women Glitter Challenge transfers to the Comedy Store London for one night only.   Relive our Challengers’ Fringe debut hosted by Ivy Paige. Featuring our Glitter Challengers: Danni Woods, Betty Cherry, Cayley Rae, Carla Harris-Marsh, Donna Gray, Jane Renton and Agathe Thorseth.

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! :)

Hilarious comedy duo, Freya Bennett and Lucy Regent, are back with a brand-new mission; to explore their guests' weird and wonderful interests on their interview podcast, Big Little Interests!

"...if tricky second hours are the norm, Hamilton is most definitely the exception to the rule." - Katerina Partolina Schwartz

Stage fright, flyering the Royal Mile, and 80 cheering audience members - the 2026 Glitter Challengers just made their triumphant Edinburgh Fringe debut! Read about how these inspirational women transformed their confidence and raised vital funds for the Glitter Project.

"Nerine Skinner is a brilliant performer who is all too often self-deprecating. She should be very proud of the unique, creative and highly entertaining journey she took us on. Top pick, highly recommended." - Sofia Hart

"She’s a born entertainer, whether singing about the 90s or dissecting her own name, bursting with musicality and enthusiasm." - Polly Allen

"It’s unsurprising that she’s just been long-listed for Best Newcomer at The (ISH) Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2026; I’m confident we’re getting a glimpse of someone who’ll become a household name." - Polly Allen

"If this show doesn’t get a national tour post-Fringe it’ll be a travesty worthy of Liza Minnelli." - Danielle Woods

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE - COMEDY BRUNCH Part informal networking, part comedy masterclass, and part inspirational conversation, this is our third Glitter Edition Live Comedy Brunch at the Groucho Club London. Hosted by Lucy Ryan — award-winning international showgirl, director, mentor and lead coach for The Glitter Challenge — the event brings together performers, creatives and industry voices for a lively discussion on confidence, creativity and the power of humour. Lucy will be joined by a panel of exceptional creative voices, industry pioneers, and inspiring guest speakers. Stay tuned as we announce the incredible trailblazers taking the stage to share their stories and insights.

"Managing to look achingly cool in a jumpsuit as she grows a tiny human ... she easily wins over the audience with vivid tales of global hook-ups, friendships, politics, and vitally honest comedy industry revelations." - Polly Allen

"Hello 90’s nostalgia at its absolute finest! Saving Britney is dripping with sense memories stored in the deepest depths of your millennial psyche. It was heartbreaking, empowering, funny and full to the brim with energy." - Kelly Griffiths

"Well observed with a huge heart and, not to mention, very funny! Jade warmly welcomed us into the space and made us feel instantly at ease." - Kelly Griffiths

Edinburgh Fringe is now an ‘in and out’ affair for me and I really enjoyed my fast and furious few days last week at the festival.

It’s no surprise to us at Funny Women that Harriet’s show is selling out this Fringe but if you are fortunate/well organised enough to grab a ticket for Easily Distra… you are in for such a treat!

Lois-Amber Toole (writer and performer of SLAY) is a force on stage and instantly hooked us into Kit’s world of complex PTSD and let us in to the lens of London through the eyes of a young Geordie with gallows humour at its finest.

Amanda Knox is nearly 40, a mother, and finally allowing herself to be "bloody furious." In her new show, Cartwheel, Knox navigates the impossible friction of being wrongly imprisoned for a murder she did not commit.

Maia Tassalini's debut Fringe show is a mile-a-minute, pink and sparkle infested, joyous hour. Coquettishly self aware, Tassalini's stand up style mixes the high-speed energy of a chronically-online gen z, with the confident air of a glamorous older sister, an identity we are told was formed being raised at the kids table of gay weddings every weekend of her childhood.

In Diversity Shredder, Charlene Kaye's energy is palpable and unrelenting. She really does pack every minute of the show with material, with applaudable showmanship. The show follows Kaye on a journey of discovery to find her own musical identity, starting with a history of Asian American music - including the problematic depictions of asians in The Vapors' music - to K-pop hitting the mainstream and accomplishing world domination.

Fast-paced and cleverly written without missing a beat (especially when it comes to grammar), NYC based comic Jenny Gorelick's debut hour covers all the trials facing millennial straight women today; the 'ideal' 5-year-plan, the relationship labour imbalance for women, and whether serial killers would actually make more dedicated boyfriends.

Fast-paced and cleverly written without missing a beat (especially when it comes to grammar), NYC based comic Jenny Gorelick's debut hour covers all the trials facing millennial straight women today; the 'ideal' 5-year-plan, the relationship labour imbalance for women, and whether serial killers would actually make more dedicated boyfriends.

At Funny Women, we are immensely proud to host the exclusive premiere of Pig & Mix, the brilliantly dark new short film from Rogue Sisters. Watch the short here and read our exclusive Q&A with the creators!

Award-winning US actor and performer Sims Holland discusses bringing Learning to Human to the Edinburgh Fringe. She talks charting her journey from addiction to sobriety, blending clowning and dark comedy storytelling, and bringing her acclaimed solo show to Scotland.

Writer and performer Claudia Fielding discusses returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with her solo show A Costume Drama.

Launched by comedy grandee Helen Lederer and author Chris Manby, the seven-episode CWIP: Writing Funny podcast delivers a witty masterclass on writing novels, finding an agent, and getting published.

Gilded Balloon has announced the world premiere of SLAY, a bold new co-production with Gobby Girl Productions, running at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026.

Writers and directors Kyra Brown and Christan Leonard discuss bringing Puck Bunnies: A Heated Rivalry Drag Musical Parody to the Edinburgh Fringe

Actor, writer, and Thick ‘n’ Fast co-creator Georgina Thomas discusses bringing her debut solo show Hysterical Soprano to the Edinburgh Fringe.

Bestselling author and arena-selling comedian Serena Terry discusses debuting her first one-woman play, Factory Settings, at the Edinburgh Fringe.

From early-career memories to a packed house of TV comedy royalty: read Lynne Parker's review of the Roundhouse Comedy Festival.

Stand-up comedian, writer, and consumer finance expert Vix Leyton talks about her Edinburgh Fringe show Chief Petty Officer.

Brooklyn-based writer and actor Emma Louise Lerner discusses bringing her debut original play We’ve Got Time to the Edinburgh Fringe.