What a way to spend a Monday evening. Yes, there may have been a Tube strike – calm down London, you do still have legs – but that didn’t stop the semi-finalists in this year’s Funny Women Awards knocking the collective socks off those happily ignoring TFL traumas in our little corner of Leicester Square. Lily Allen was there and everything. (Ok, so by ‘there’, we mean ‘in the same Square’, which may not actually constitute there but definitely still counts.)

Our hand-picked selection of Britain’s best, fresh comedy talent took to the Leicester Square Theatre stage in two back-to-back heats stuffed to the very brim with female funny. The evening had it all, from stand-up, to sketch, via song in a side-splitting comedy binge. Congratulations to each and every act who took part – all shone like the rising stars we’re confident we’ve found…

With such boundless talent on display, our judges faced a mammoth task in deciding who should qualify for the final. Hosts Suzy Bennett and Maureen Younger held the fort with as-ever hilarious aplomb as our panel were whisked off to their glamorous bespoke debating chamber – oh alright, a corridor backstage – to decide who should go forward. With just ten minutes at the end of each show to reach an agreement, this was X Factor – on amphetamines. Many thanks to our esteemed judges for their hard work, and collective cool heads under pressure. You put Cowell and Co to shame.

So, without further ado, the acts selected for the final showdown on September 20^th are: Jessica Fostekew, Sarah Hendrickx, Alison Thea-Skot as Tiff Mason the Vocal Coach, Helen Arney, Rachel Parris, Abigoliah Schamaun, Iona Dudley-Ward as Lynne the Confidence Coach, Liz Black and Freya Slipper as sketch duo Thankless Child, Gemma Whelan as Chastity Butterworth, and Julia Clark. Congratulations, you very, very funny women.

And it’s not over yet for those who didn’t quite make the cut. Next stop, it’s our one-off exclusive Laugh Chance Saloon at the Roundhouse, where we’re going back to basics in choosing our last two ‘wildcard’ finalists from the 8 acts who just missed out on guaranteed places. This time round, it’s not judges deciding who goes through, but comedy’s one true jury: the audience. Pitching out the punch lines in this final fight-to-the-funny will be Laura Lexx, Jojo Georgiou, Gemma Layton, Sunna Jarman, Hayley Ellis, Clare Lomas, Lindsay Sharman and Louisa Theobald. Good luck to all.

Click here for Katy’s indictment on Chortle’s ’survey’ that concluded men are funnier than women (by a liccle iccle margin).

Do you agree with her stance or has she overreacted to a chortley ‘bit of fun’?  

Or is everyone too bored by this ‘issue’ to respond?

Join us this Monday at Leicester Square Theatre

Deciding on who should make it through to the semi-finals has been both ”ha ha” hilarious and ”ha ha” hard. Never fear, the standard of the comics far exceeds the attempt at a feeble joke I’ve just made there. But bad puns aside, pouring over the heat tapes for the past three days, holed up on a sofa like daytime  TV presenters, has indeed been just that. You’ve made us cry with laughter all over again. And cry because we had some very difficult decisions to make. And cry because we’re nearing the end of the competition. And cry because The X Factor is starting up again. And cry because it’s September and all the house spiders are scuttling in (ok that’s just me) and cry because I really can’t write a funny gag into this already laborious sentence. (Help me girls!) So.. if you’re still there? I promise you the semi-final line-up is going to be an exceptionally funny night. And one that is mixing more stand-up and fantastic character acts than ever before. We can’t wait. Join us on Monday night at the Leicester Square Theatre.

Here are our semi-finalists:

Stand up

Abigoliah Schaumaun
Arhondia Rocca
Hayley Ellis
Jessica Fostekew
Jill Baxter
Jojo Georgiou
Julia Clark
Katrina Thompson
Kerry Herbert
Lindsay Sharman
Louisa Theobald
Sarah Hendrickx
Shaista Aziz
Sunna Jarman
Twayna Mayne 

Variety

Alison Thea-Skot
Claire Lomas
Gemma Layton
Gemma Whelan
Helen Arney
Iona Dudley-Ward
Kate Lucas
Rachel Parris
Thankless Child

Here are the

Funny Women have teamed up with top London venue the Roundhouse for a unique twist to this year’s Awards climax. As part of the iconic Camden theatre’s Turning Point festival, Funny Women will be inviting 8 featured semi-finalists to take part in a very special “Laugh Chance Saloon” event on September 18th. Two wildcard slots in the 2010 Funny Women Awards final are up for grabs – and it’ll be the audience on the night deciding who goes through.

Here’s how it works. On September 6th, the top 24 new acts we’ve seen throughout our funny-finding foray across the UK will battle it out in semi-finals at the Leicester Square Theatre. These acts will be good. Very good. (After 8 years at the helm of Britain’s premier female comedy competition, we know how to spot a giggle-worthy gal.) Our judging panel of industry movers and shakers will select 10 of the best to qualify automatically for the charity final – in support of Object – on September 20th. “BUT,” we hear you cry, “The Funny Women Awards final always features TWELVE of the UK’s best new female acts!”. Well remembered, comedy fans – here’s where the good folks at the Roundhouse come in.

Like us, they believe shiny new talent deserves a shiny new platform (check out their fantastic outreach programmes at www.roundhouse.org), and they’re offering those 8 semi-finalists who fall just short of qualifying another chance to reach this year’s final. Two chances, in fact, as it’s two wildcard entries at stake in this exclusive one-off show. Making the grade will be a true test of comedic mettle, as it’s the audience alone who’ll decide the lucky pair going forward. The fate of funny rests in your hands…

Excited? So are we. Check out www.funnywomen.com/www.roundhouse.org for more information, and to book tickets.

Once more unto the punchline, dear friends.

The past few days in the Funny Women office.. best summed up by an impressionist painting

No room for jokes here. This has been tough. Really tough. Particularly this year. With more than 350 entrants to see(plus a waiting list for the first time EVER!) we knew it would never be easy. Not least with the varying degrees in standard of travel taverns, dubious ‘hotel’ rooms, laboriously long car journeys and Cath Kidston paraphernalia we’ve subjected ourselves to in our quest to find this year’s funniest star.

It’s all been worth it though. From the Hay Festival, to Hull, to Latitude, Liverpool and Edinburgh, you have kept us rollicking  in the aisles with mirth and delight, revelling  in the increasingly high standard of acts we’ve witnessed. In particular, we have seen a far higher number of variety acts this year, which has prompted our inaugural Funny Women Variety Award. So we would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone! 

Of course – stern Tyra Banks face here – you can’t all be winners and we have had to employ some ruthlessness in deciding who should make it onto the shortlist, without the ferocity of Tyra’s eyebrows we hope.   However, we were compelled to compile a ONE TO WATCH list detailing acts that particularly impressed us and have a great deal of potential.

Whether you have or haven’t made it onto either list, do keep at it. There’s one thing that’s struck me throughout this competition and our recent trip to Edinburgh – there may be shortlists..  but also..  as many established comics will tell you, there are no shortcuts in this industry; dieing on stage is often an inevitable part of the process but comedy is a continual learning curve and one that is well worth the journey of self discovery.

Roisin was in the Funny Women Final in 2004

After a whirlwind week in Edinburgh, checking out new and exciting talent in our competition heats, we’re delighted that one of our finalists from the first ever Funny Women Awards (all the way back in 2004!) has won Foster’s Best Newcomer Award at the Fringe. Roisin has been delighting fans on the circuit for years but this was to be the year that she broke through with her hotly anticipated debut solo show at the Pleasance Dome -  ’Hero, Warrior, Fireman, Liar.’

Fantastic news and well done from the Funny Women crew.

I knew it would be a magical week up here. From the moment Richard (Lynne’s husband) unveiled the electronic boot of his car which opens up majestically like a drawbridge from days of old – great aesthetically but not so good when trying to flee all those Funny Women groupies that fling themselves at us – I knew there would be more ooohs and aaahs in store. Of course, there always are up in Edinburgh in this self-contained bubble of non-stop partying and entertainment, not least for the city’s breathtaking scenery – it’s taken me at least 3 days to stop dribbling with appreciation over every cobblestone, “cute” little alleyway, the pubs drenched in history and genuinely breathtaking, sweeping views that inevitably greet you at every corner.

No downpours here – just drenched in mirth

More importantly though, at least at this time of year, it is the place where fledgling comedy gems are dragged from back-cave obscurity and thrust into the spotlight, where new talent is plugged and PRd to dizzying effect and perhaps, some might cynically argue, destroyed the next year. It is a time where your head swims with stars, due not only from smacking your head into yet another Underbelly cave tanked up on Highland Fling ale but the overriding obsession with the undeniable currency of a four or five-star review. It goes with the territory though and eeks into the everyday, I for one feel a little like asking for my money back if my first morning cup of coffee is hovering around a mere three stars.

Colour on every street corner

As distracted as we are by them, stars were never woven into the ethos of the festival when it began back in the late forties, rather, it was an opportunity for new and experimental talent to well.. experiment.  And we still believe that is at the heart and ethos of what Funny Women does, yes, the Awards are a competition but they provide a platform for talent, that may otherwise have passed under the radar, to shine.

Our host Kate Smurthwaite

And shine the entrants flippin’ well have this week. We always knew it would be difficult to draw up the semi-final list from 350 applicants but the Edinburgh heats have pushed us to the limits yet again with the ludicrously strong array of talent on show. All heats have been wonderfully steered by the bouyance and warmth of three fabulous comperes – Anna Keirle, Kate Smurthwaite and Laughing Cows’ Maureen Younger, who rather amusingly was told she’d “go far” by one of our judges, who thought she was one of the acts!

"She'll go far!" Our host Maureen Younger

But we’ve still one more to go at Just The Fancy Room @ The Caves – hosted by Rosie Wilby – tomorrow at 11.30, so come on down and support us for our final, yes FINAL heat before our very exciting semi-final next month.

Funny Women Loves…

Make sure you catch Catherine Semark’s wonderfully warm and witty interpretation of her education– Catherine Semark’s Curriculum – it’s like listening to velvet, very funny velvet!  On at 1pm.

Catch this at Cabaret Voltaire on Blair Street – free but it shouldn't be!

Our Lynne’s been getting quite a bit of exposure on the airwaves recently and gaining a reputation as something of a commentator on all things comic. Please read her own account of her interview on The World Service, including her call to female comics to enter FHM’s Stand Up competition.

“No sooner had I finished off an on air spat during the World Service’s lunchtime news round up, Newshour, on Monday 16th August with the curiously named Piers Hernu, who boasts a background as a city trader, gold smuggler, commentator on ’laddism’ (whatever that is) and former editor of uber lads mag FHM, I then received a missive from FHM itself.  Could we encourage our Funny Women Awards entrants to enter their comedy competition, Stand Up Hero?

The blurb read:

“FHM Stand-Up Hero, is the widest, most accessible, most prestigious most entertaining competition in the UK, with the biggest comedy prize ever.

The competition, hosted by Australian comic Brendon Burns, will be made into a unique series of programmes co-created by Steve Coogan’s top TV comedy production company Baby Cow and Signal TV. It will be broadcast on ITV4 later this year.

The show follows a successful pilot broadcast by ITV4 in February hosted by Ed Byrne and starring Dara O’Briain, Jason Manford and John Bishop.

As well as performance highlights, the series will cover the best (and worst!) of the online entries and feature candid behind-the-scenes footage of the contestants.”

All very impressive and a fabulous prize but it’s an extension of the comedy boys club again! This is not in any way female friendly and why should women enter a competition run by a magazine that does its best to objectify women and dumb them down rather than celebrate their contribution to society and culture?

Well, of course you should all enter and show the laderati what comedy is all about– it would be great if a woman triumphed above all the inevitable blokey male comics who will be beating a path to Youtube with their knob and wank jokes.

What makes me really angry though is that a relatively new competition like this (and there are already many established and respected comedy competitions for box sexes) should get the support of the media when we’ve all been trying for years to get air time – it just perpetuates the myth that comedy is inherently a masculine domain and when it comes to the crunch, they will back a man rather than the hundreds of brilliant women we’ve seen over the last eight years.  I hope a woman wins.”

Please listen to the interview here

We’re rather overwhelmed but delighted to report that we’ve had to add two extra heats to the competition this year. The amount of entries this year has surpassed 350, an all-time high, up on last year’s record of 250. We’re delighted that the amount of women entering has increased to such a monumental number and see this as yet further confirmation that there is more female talent out there performing on the circuit than ever.

Funny Women will see even more female comic talent at Just the Tonic At The Caves next week.

Every rose has its thorn however.  This is also the first year that we’ve had to draw up a waiting list for acts who have applied in recent weeks. I know, sigh, waiting list, the very words conjure up images of bus stops, airports, finger-tapping with impatience on the infuriating, leather sofa of life in a.. er, waiting room. But with all this ever-emerging, blooming talent this year we had no other choice. However, it has always been one of Funny Women’s main priorities to discover as much new talent across the UK and we will endeavour to see as many acts as is feasibly possible in our last Edinburgh heats.

In the meantime, we are extremely excited about next week’s competition heats.We can hardly believe the end is nearly in sight either and look forward to what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting semi-finals we’ve had in years.

Please click below for tickets for heats at Assembly and Just The Tonic

http://www.assemblyfestival.com/webpages/whatson_moreinfobooknow.php?id=3:105&date=23&genre=Comedy&

http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/funny-women-awards-1

We’ve only gone and made it into the Guardian…

http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/aug/15/standup-comic

Thank you, Hannah Pool! Funny Women like you a lot.

But not in a weird way or anything.