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California's Funniest Female - Quarter Finals

We've just heard from our colleagues over in California - they're now well into the Quarter Finals, with 2 down and 2 still to come. 8 comics have so far made it through to the Semi-Finals

The two remaining Quarter-Finals are happening this week, with the Semi-Finals next and then the Final itself on Saturday June 14th.

Congratulations to the 8 acts already through to the Semis - and good luck to everyone competiing in the compeition. More details can be found here at the Funniest Female website, and we recommend the Quarter, Semi and Overal Finals as a great night out.

Of course if you're based closer to the UK and in search of female comedy, Funny Women are in Manchester on the 14th of May and Bristol on the 25th, as well as London on the 22nd and 30th.

Funny Women's Musical Favourites

Funny Women had a great night in Farringdon on Friday, with 2 musical acts on our bill of 10 competition entrants hoping for a place in the semi-finals.

In honour of 1/5 of the bill being melodically inclined we thought we might have a rundown of some of your favourite musical acts - but we want to know who they are...

Click here to take our poll and let us know! (Don't click on the image - all it will take you to is another image, not the poll itself)

Funny Women return to Farringdon for penultimate London Showcase

Funny Women are crossing town tonight to hold our penultimate London Showcase before the Semi-Finals at the Annexo Bar (which is part of the old Turnmills Nightclub) in Farringdon.

The show kicks off at 8pm and we have a full line-up of female comics hoping to secure a place in our June Semi-Finals, all for just a fiver on the door.

Audience members with limited mobility should note that the only access to see this gig is unfortunately up a steep staircase. Funny Women apologise for this inconvinience - we try our best to ensure we book rooms with good disabled accesss but were unable to do so in this case.

Congratulations Shazia!

Shazia Mirza has won Columnist of the Year in the PPA Magazine Awards 2008 for editorial and publishing excellence for her column in the New Statesman.

Many congratulations to Shazia who beat such notable names as Sandi Toksvig and Danny Wallance to bring home the prize!

The Guardian have a great article about this - check it out here.

Funny Women Comedy Round Up - May 8th

Thursday - Jenny Eclair's at the the Millfield Theatre (N18) with her show "Because I forgot to get a pension"

Friday - Funny Women's second (and last) gig in Faringdom at Turnmills is on Friday - more details here on our site

Saturday - The 2007 Winner of the Funny Women Fringe Award, Bridgit Christie is sharing a bill with Stewart Lee at the Hen & Chickens Theatre in Highbury & Islington, N1. Show kicks off at 9.30pm

Sunday - The Hob in SE23 hosts An Evening with Chambers & Nettleton. If you missed them at our Newcastle Showcase last month you can make up for it now!

Monday - Shappi Korsandi is on stage with Bill Bailey raising money for orangutans at OrangAid at the Lyceum Theatre, WC2.

Tuesday - Isy Suttie is on the bill at Me, Him and Them at the Lowdown at the Albany in W1.

Wednesday - Funny Women are off to the Manchester heat at The Lowry in Salford Quays - more details here!

Do you have the guts for the 2 hour challenge?

We're now just over halfway through the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards Showcases and we're proud to say that 10 different women from all over the UK and Ireland have completed the Funny Women 2 hour challenge!

The 2 hour challenge is open to anyone who takes part in a Funny WomenWorkshop run during the 2008 awards. These workshops take place 2 hours before the evening showcases and anyone who completes the workshop has a reserved place in that night's heat.

So far 10 women have taken the huge (and scary) step up to the stage with less than 2 hours comedy experience and we've been impressed with all of them. Anybody who has the guts to get up on stage should be applauded, but to get up there only 2 hours after you first tried comedy - that's heroic!

Do you have the guts to do the Funny Women 2 hour challenge? We've got a few spots left in the last 4 workshops for the 2008 awards, so if you think you could do it, let us know!

Month #2 and Showcase #9 of the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards


We had a great April here at Funny Women - the first eight showcases of the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards went really well. We were on the radio, we were in the Irish Times, we even made it into the Sun. Not to mention all the great press coverage we received about our showcases.

Tonight is our first May gig, the ninth of the 15 showcases and our first in central London (Turnmills being Farringdon and the Stratford Circus being Stratford). We really can't wait to see what our Soho Theatre competitors have in store for us tonight!

As well as our dozen or so entrants, we also have the 2007 winner of the NIVEA Funny Women Awards Andi Osho on the bill and JoJo Smith, one of our finalists from the 2003 awards. We're sure it will be a a great night, so why not treat yourself to a pick me up for your first day back at work after the bank holiday and join us at the Soho Theatre in Dean Street tonight?

Peep Show returns to C4

Is everyone looking forward to the Bank Holiday Weekend? It might even be sunny tomorrow (if we all cross our fingers and hope) and Monday-where-you're-not-at-work is enough to make anyone smile.

But even if you're the type of person who won't raise a smile at a three day (hopefully) sunny weekend you should get a kick out of returning comedy Peep Show that's back on Channel 4 tonight. Following guilty pleasure Dirty Sexy Money and how does he do that Derren Brown at 10.30pm, it's a must for comedy fans, whatever your gender.

Funny Women Comedy Round Up - May 1st

Funny Women present our choice of comedy for the next seven days:

Thursday - Laughing Cows are in London at the Bathhouse! There's several Funny Women alumni on the bill - get further details at http://www.laughingcowscomedy.co.uk/

Friday - Behind the Mic monthly showcase of female talent (music, comedy, poetry and performance) is taking place at the Glass Bar in NW1. No website for this one - shame as it looks interesting...

Saturday - Deborah Frances-White's How to get almost anyone to sleep with you show is on at the Fairfield Halls in Croyden, CR9. Check out http://www.fairfield.co.uk/ for more details.

Sunday - For those unlucky souls who actually have to work tomorrow (Ha ha! Not me!) the mid-afternoon gig Laughing at Something Serious has a bill just drowning in female comedy talent. Go on down to the Comedy Pub in SW1 at 4pm for an afternoon of stand-up, sketch groups, and characters in aid of the Chicken Shed Theatre.

Monday - IGNORE TIME OUT - THE NIVEA FUNNY WOMEN AWARDS ARE ON TUESDAY AT THE SOHO THEATRE, NOT MONDAY. On Monday we recommend you instead end your three day weekend at Comedybox.live at the Albany, W1 where Lucy Porter is on the bill http://www.lowdownatthealbany.com/

Tuesday - Beat those back to work blues by joining Funny Women at the Soho Theatre for the third London heat of the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards. As ever more details can be found right here on the Funny Women website.

Funny Women are off to Dublin

Today (that's Wedneday 30th April for anyone tuning in late) Funny Women are off to Dublin Town - to drink Guinness, search for some decent Irish stew, and, of course, look for the best new female comedy talent that Ireland has to offer.

We're at the Draiocht Arts Centre in Dublin and the show kicks off at 8.15 this evening. Tickets are 7 euros (which I have been forced to write out as this keyboard has no euro sign, apologies to anyone on the continent - I think it's appalling too and will be buying a new keyboard forthwith!) and can be bought either in advance (though you'd better get on with that seeing as the show is tonight) or on the door.

The lovely Eleanor Tiernan (best known as the dizzy waitress on RTE2s "The Cafe") and the talented Sonia Kelly - a 2006 Funny Women Awards Finalist - will be doing their bit as the professional acts on the bill tonight, but as ever we can't wait to see what Dublin entrants have for us. It's sure to be a great night and we hope you'll join us down there, either as an entrant or an audience member.

Only 8 spots left in Cali's Funniest Female Quarter Finals...

Funny Women's friends in sunnier parts, California's Funniest Female are down to their last 2 preliminary rounds in the 2008 competition.

With only eight spots remaining in the 4 Quarter Finals, and the final two showcase rounds this weekend, the judges will have their work cut out for them - how to choose only 4 from each showcase? It's a struggle Funny Women sympathise with - if your 2008 entrants have been as impressive as ours have, we know you've had some tough choices on your hands.

But we're still quite a way from our final choices - we still have nine more showcases all over the country before we're announce our semi-finalists. So if you missed the deadline for California's Funniest Female and happen to be over this side of the pond, why not enter the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards...click here for more details.

Mrs Barbera Nice in The Sun


Check out Funny Women front page star Mrs Barbera Nice on The Sun Website.

Not only can you watch her video guides on how to do comedy, she's also given the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards a plug - thanks Mrs N!

Mrs Barbera Nice is our MC at the Manchester Semi-Final of the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards on the 10th of June - but there's still loads of showcases all over the country before then. Don't forget to check out where and when they all are out on our Awards Dates page - we may be coming to your town and you wouldn't want to miss us!

Funny Women are off to the South Coast

Saturday night is the Plymouth showcase of the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards. Taking place at the lovely Barbican theatre, west country acts will be taking to the stage to try for a place in our June Semi-Finals.

As well as our competitors we also have local lass and 2006 Funny Women Awards Winner Suzy Bennett up on stage. It's always great to play your home town, so why not come down and support local girl done good Suzy as well as the potential Suzys of the future!

The show kicks off at 8pm and tickets are a well spent fiver. As usual we'll be running a charity raffle for a NIVEA Pamper Pack, so don't forget to enter - it's a great prize!

There's also a few places left in the pre-show comedy workshop, so if you've always wanted to get up on stage but have never had the nerve why not learn the basics at our Funny Women comedy course - if you want to you can even enter the competition too!

Funny Women Comedy Round Up - April 24th

Thursday: What's going on tonight? Are there no Funny Women on stage anywhere? There must be - email us and let us know where!

Friday: There's a couple of choices for the London based comedy fan tonight - you could check out Funny Women alumni Holly Walsh at Banana Caberet at the Bedford in SW12 or you could catch last year's NIVEA Funny Women Winner Andi Osho down at the Laughing Horse in Wimbledon

Saturday: If you're in Plymouth you're in for a treat - it's the NIVEA Funny Women Awards Showcase at the Barbican Theatre - find out more here.

Sunday: It's the Manchester Laughing Cows night at the Frog and Bucket - click here to find out more. Alternatively, Londoners may want to check out Josie Lawrence in a Who's line is it anyway? impro role with the Comedy Store Players

Monday: Time Out calls her the "entirely lovable Lucy Porter" and she's on stage tonight at the Porthole Comedy Club at the Good Ship in NW6.

Tuesday: Sarah Millican and Jo Caulfield are both on stage at Comedy Camp at the Arts Theatre Club in W1.

Wednesday: Dublin based Funny Women fans, you're in for a treat, it's the NIVEA Funny Women Showcase at the Draiocht Arts Centre, details here. Though anyone in the Smoke could find themselves down at Hangover Square at The Hub in W1 where Funny Women Awards Finalist Helen Keen is on the bill.

Don't forget, if you've got a gig you'd like us to highlight, then drop us an email at info@funnywomen.com and let us know

Funny Women head even further North...

Tonight, Funny Women are in Glasgow at the Oran Mor, which translated to the "great melody of life" or "big song". Well we can't promise music tonight - though we have had several musical comediennes in the past, just check out our 2003 Funny Women Awards Winner Jade the Folk Singer - but we're sure it'll still be great evening!

Why not come down and see our dozen or so competitors in tonight's Showcase? Our 2005 Funny Women Awards Finalist Susan Calman will be handling hosting duties so you're bound to laugh!

Or is that isn't enough incentive for you, did you know that the Oran Mor has one of the widest selections of whiskey in Scotland? And they do food... tempted yet?

Funny Women are off to Toon - Haway the lads

Or, more accurately, lasses.

Funny Women are off up north today - heading to Newcastle for our first ever Newcastle Showcase as part of the NIVEA Funny Women Awards. Tonight we'll be at the Newcastle Arts Centre smack bang in the middle of Geordie-land.

As ever, if you're in the area please come on down it should be a great night. As well as our entrants we also have Chambers & Nettleton, the UK's only female double act on the stand up circuit. The show kicks off at 8pm and tickets are 5 pounds on the door. Be there or be someone not enjoying a night of comedy fun!

Brandi Borr memorial fundraising gig

Mark the date down in your diaries - 2nd June 2008 - the night of the Brandi Borr Comedy Bash for Breast Cancer Haven.

This memorial fundraising event has been organsied by friends of Brandi Borr, the Funny Women Awards 2003 Finalist who tragically passed away earlier this year due to Breast Cancer.

It's an all star line-up with Stephen Merchant (Extras and The Office), Funny Women favourite Jo Caulfield, BBC2's Labrats star Jo Enright, Last Comic Standing finalist Matt Kirshen and many more.

Brandi Borr (second from right) died in January at the age of 39, following a long battle with breast cancer. A huge favourite and much loved presence on the UK circuit and at the Edinburgh Fringe, comedy was Brandi's passion and life. Whilst in the UK Brandi was given great support and love by Breast Cancer Haven. In her name, all proceeds of this gig will go to this lovely charity that helped her and continue to help so many others.

To book tickets click here

Comedy quiz at the Groucho Club

On Monday 21st April the Groucho Club in London are holding a Comedy Quiz, hosted by Scottish stand-up comedienne Wendy Wason, a 2005 Finalist in the Funny Women Awards.

Kicking off at 6.30pm, teams of up to 6 can play for 15 quid each and as well as an evening of comedy quiz fun you also receive some lovely canapes (we at Funny Women have had the food there before - it's nice).

If you would like to book a table (only 5 left a time of writing) please contact Bernie Katz at the Groucho Club - www.thegrouchoclub.com.

Funny Women return to the smoke for 4th Showcase

The 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards return to London tonight for a gig at Turnmills in Farringdon.

As well as our dozen or so competitors we're joined tonight by the comedy talents of Andi Osha and Suzy Bennett, our 2007 and 2006 Winners of the NIVEA Funny Women Awards.

Tonight is officially recommended by Time Out so come on down to Clerkenwell Road for 8pm and enjoy a great night with both our past winners and our potential future ones.

Funny Women are off to Brighton

We do like to be beside the seaside here at Funny Women, and so it's luck indeed that our third showcase of 2008 is at Brighton - if the sunshine holds we may even dip our toes in the water before we kick off our search for the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards winners.

Tonight we're at Komedia, with Katy Schutte as our MC for the evening and 2003 Funny Women Awards Winner Sarah Adams as Jade the Folk Singer taking the role of headline act. The show starts at 8pm tonight and tickets are only £5.00 each so head down to Komedia and check out the funniest women in Brighton hoping to make it into the NIVEA Funny Women Awards Semi-Finals.

And don't forget, you still have time to enter - if you think the next NIVEA Funny Women Awards Winner could be you, then sign up here.

Funny Women Comedy Round Up - April 16th

We've scoured the listings to bring you details of the best of British female comedy. It was a long, hard, difficult work not unlike an epic quest from an old sword and sorcery novel (and in no way involved us going through the London Time Out Listings) and now we present our pick of the gigs for the next week:

Thursday: Why's its the NIVEA Funny Women Awards Brighton Showcase at Komedia - click here for more info

Friday: And don't forget the NIVEA Funny Women Awards Showcase at Turnmills in London - get all the details here

Saturday: See Funny Women Awards Winner Holly Walsh at the 99 Club Islington at the BRB in Islington or drop down to Gipsy Hill to see Isy Suttie who you may remember from our Funny Women Stand Up event for International Women's Day at the Gipsy Hill Comedy Club
Sunday: Check out Jenny Eclair at the Lyric Comedy Night in Hammersmith

Monday: Do you have a Monday gig you think we should include here? Let us know!

Tuesday: Straight-friendly gay club Comedy Camp at the Arts Theatre Club in W1D with Shazia Mirza and Jo Caulfield gets our nod! Or, if you're based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, why not check out the NIVEA Funny Women Awards Showcase at the Newcastle Arts Centre - more details here.

Wednesday: Gavin & Gavin at the Albany - two real life sisters preview their Edinburgh Show about growing up together and living apart for the first time in 30 years

Don't forget, if you've got a gig you'd like us to highlight, then drop us an email at info@funnywomen.com and let us know

California's Funniest Female announces 8 more Quarter Finalists!

It's a bit hectic over here at Funny Women - not only are we running two Showcases this week - one in Brighton on Thursday and Friday night at Turnmills in London - we're also receiving lots of lovely updates from the California's Funniest Female Contest!

It seems that our friends across the pond are now even further into judging process and have identified 8 new acts making it into the Quarter Finals - wow those places are filling up fast, and they still have 6 prelimineries to go! As ever, we heartily recommend a trip down to Khoury's Restuarent for any comedy fans who are either on holiday in or are lucky enough to live in California. Check http://www.funniestfemale.com/ for more details.

If however you've no chance of California sun and are stuck here in dear ol' Blighty, don't worry, you can still get your fill of female comedy right here at the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Awards - click here to find out when we're coming to a town near you.

NIVEA Funny Women Awards 2008 - Birmingham Showcase

The Birmingham showcase of the NIVEA Funny Women Awards 2008 certainly threw up its fair share of surprises. After a hugely successful afternoon with the Funny Women Workshop, our first entrants on the 'Funny Women Two-Hour Challenge' came forward. From having never done comedy, to standing on stage in front of warm appreciative Custard Factory Audiences, two brave women performed their first ever stand up set to great ovation.

And the rise of the Newbie Comedian didn't stop there, with two other entrants on their first gig - the tally was taken to an exceptional four acts, all with great sets and more stage presence than you could shake a giant comedy lipstick at. The evening was hosted and rounded off by the inexhaustible Mrs Barbara Nice, complete with her Eye of the Tiger CD and copy of Woman magazine - surely the most gracious women to ever tread the Funny Women boards armed only in Oxfam leopard skin and Louis Vuitton from 'off the market'.

Just a quick note to say...

Please note that the Northern Semi-Final date on printed material you may have seen is incorrect - it takes place on the 10th June 2008 at the Manchester Comedy Store, as stated here on the website.