As part of the 8^th March International Women’s Day Celebrations, a star studded film is to be released online directed by Sam Taylor Wood and featuring some top stars. The EQUALS campaign aims to raise awareness and promote equality between men and women. Exploring this will be ‘M’ and James Bond themselves!

EQUALS spokeswoman Esme Peach says: “We are thrilled that Sam Taylor-Wood, Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench and such a prestigious production team agreed to create this powerful short film for EQUALS. We feel it is crucial to involve men in the movement for women’s rights and EQUALS is about men and women working together for positive change. So who better to convey that message than the partnership of Bond and ‘M’, two iconic British characters with global appeal and influence – and who better to conceive and direct the film than Sam Taylor-Wood, an artist and film-maker whose work is questioning, often provocative and deeply moving?”
The film can be viewed at www.weareequals.org from midday Today.

VIEW THE FILM HERE

Funny Women are excited to be a part of the first ever WOW (Women of the World) festival at London’s Southbank Centre, a joyous celebration of the formidable strength and inventiveness of women – a pioneering, groundbreaking annual event which will present, recognise and celebrate women, and act as a conversation space for issues of all kinds.

Among the many wonderful performances on offer at the festival, Funny Women and PAWA (Pan Asian Women’s Association) have curated a brilliant showcase of all female Pan Asian comedy talent. The show, which takes place at the Royal Festival Hall between 4:30 and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday 12^th March, aims to challenge the traditional stereotype of submissive and silent Pan Asian Women and represent them in a way that reflects how their culture interacts with today’s life in modern Britain.

Hosting is Sajeela Kershi, who made a name for herself as an audience ‘plant’ in the subversive show, ‘So I suppose This Is Offensive Now’ by Aussie comedian Brendan Burns in 2007 and then went on to make her solo debut at the Fringe with her show, ‘Bitch Got Owned’ in 2009.

Headlining the show is Shazia Mirza, our favourite Muslim stand-up who took Asian stereotype to a new level with her controversial television documentary ‘F*** off,  I’m a Hairy Woman’ on BBC3 in March 2007. This award winning comic has featured on NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing and BBC’s Have I got News for You’.

The exceptional line-up also includes Chinese Canadian Joanne Lau, east meets west with this young talent who was runner up in our own Funny Women Awards in 2007.  Other featured artists are Tina Mehta, Gauri Dandecker, Shaista Aziz, Sadia Azmet and Nimmi Harasgama who were all discovered by the Funny Women producers in last year’s Pan Asian heat of the Funny Women Awards at Asia House.

So, if  you fancy yourself as a ‘funny woman’ we will be setting up ‘shop’ in the WOW market place from Friday 11^th to Sunday 13^th March where you can meet the team and a few of our wonderful acts.  The producers will also be on hand to talk to you about finding your female funny, and maybe sign up for the next Funny Women Awards…if you’re brave enough!

Buy a three-day WOW Festival Conference Pass for £30 (concessions £15, under-18s £10), which includes access to WOW daytime events. The three-day pass also entitles you to a 20% discount on one ticket for one ticketed evening event or for Life Cycle on Sunday 13 March at 1pm. Discount for WOW Festival Conference three-day Pass holders only available by phone  0844 847 9910 .

Funny Women is going all out this year to celebrate the centenary of International Women’s Day. We’re bridge walking, dancing, putting on shows and setting up challenges to show just how far women have come in the last 100 years.

Funny Women is a leading cultural partner of The EQUALS campaign Oxfam’s global ambassador and Barclays Woman of the Year, Annie Lennox OBE, has brought together a coalition of charities and cultural organisations to champion women’s rights and ensure that the centenary of International Women’s Day (IWD), on 8 March, is a catalyst for celebration and positive change.

Annie Lennox says: “A lot has changed since 1911, but there is still a long way to go. Gender inequality continues to permeate all sectors of society, from health and education to politics, employment and culture. The EQUALS partnership aims to step up the call for a more equal world and galvanise a new generation of men and women to work together to make gender parity a lived reality here in the UK and worldwide.”

Funny Women’s day will start with ‘Join me on the Bridge’, Women For Women’s series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day and honoring women survivors of war. We’ll be joining Annie Lennox in London. Meet us at Borough Market at 11.00am where the walk will be led by Annie and finishing at the Royal Festival Hall for speeches. See HERE for more information or email mybridge@womenforwomen.org.

Next stop is a really good old boogie! Funny Women will be joining hundreds of others for the EQUALS Soul Train also on March 8^th starting where we left off at Southbank Centre’s Jubilee Gardens from 3pm – 6pm. For those of you unlucky enough never to have experienced the wonder of the Soul Train, follow these instructions…

1. Form two lines, one of men and one of women.

2. Play that funky music!

3. Take it in turns to strut your stuff down the line with your equal. Whether you know them or not doesn’t matter! Simply have fun!

Anyone is welcome to this event, however if you are unable to make the mass Soul Train gathering, why not form your own at home, in your local area or even in your office. Get your family and friends to dance with you.

Visit:  http://www.weareequals.org/

If you need a bit of inspiration check out winner of the 2007 Funny Women Awards Andi Osho, who demonstrated her dancing skills on last weeks Let’s Dance on BBC1 as part of Comic Relief. CLICK HERE to watch Andi performing a scarily good Michael Jackson routine!

In honour of Miranda Hart’s celebrated, hit sitcom moving from BBC Two to BBC One, the channel has gone through the archives and picked out some of their female, comedy greats in this collection here.

I’m pleased to see the late, great, very talented Joyce Grenfell in the lineup; noted as one of the first female satirists in the business her comedy often had quite a twisted underlying message. Here’s a clip below of  her classic, comic take on nursery teachers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oom2EPuNPv8

I’m also pleased to see Patricia Routledge in the list with her unforgettable character Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet of course) whose fatal flaw (caring far too much what ‘respectable’ people thought of her) always led to her making a complete and utter  fool of herself, more often than not, hanging in some precarious ‘Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em’-style position.

It will be interesting to see what changes, if any, are brought to the Miranda series with her hop over to Numero Uno, and if her popularity will soar even further.

Our first Sunday showcase of the year featured a particularly impressive mix of relatively new performers, who are all no doubt headed for success on the comedy circuit. Our host, the effervescent Annabel Giles (and everyone’s favourite funny yummy mummy quite frankly) presided over a menu of top new talent, effortlessly charming the audience. Alas, with the majority of the audience coupled-up, she was unable to fully utilise her matchmaking skills although she did uncover some first-class theatrical talent in the first row, a young man who had enough admirable vocal confidence for a trained, professional actor to be envious of – and only 18 years of age!

Sarah Campbell: Pre, 'that haircut'

I’m not normally a fan of musical comedians who add different, and not always ‘funny’ lyrics to already-written songs but Sooz Kempner soon quashed my dislike of this with her very funny version of Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’ – a worthy diatribe on relationships between footballers and their WAGS, oft spoilt “when a hooker comes along”. She also has a stunning voice and provides natural, chatty banter inbetween songs regarding heady nights performing in Ayia Napa.

More musical talent was provided with the exceptionally talented impressionist Kate O’Sullivan performing as Billie Holiday under the guise of  Liam Gallagher. You could be forgiven for missing some of her gags as her rendition of Billie is  so mesmerising and astoundingly accurate but the jokes (quite a few quips involving Gallagher) are there and they’re funny.

Cara Cummings, our ex-assistant producer who’s recently taken to the circuit) told me after the show that she was nervous to perform back on home-turf, so to speak, but you certainly couldn’t tell, she looked very at home on stage and we all look forward to seeing how her natural, comic style develops. Presenter Eleanor Conway, also relatively new to comedy has a boundless energy, which was perfect for opening the proceedings.

I was particularly intrigued by sketch performers Christmas for Two, aka Sarah Campbell and Amy Hoggart, who lended a quirky and surreal comic daftness to the evening. Both use their expressions to great comic effect and are very enjoyable to watch, Campbell seems very at ease with audiences and even more at ease with her “my little lesbian pony” haircut, a quip which won her many opening guffaws.

Headliner Suzy Bennett never fails to woo an audience and she makes it all look so easy and effortless, we’re just all wondering here when she’s going to woo the universe- it surely is only a matter of time.

Other hot news!! Funny Women Winners ‘Thankless Child’ will be on Dick and Dom this Saturday at 9am on BBC Two!!

We’re not going to make any allusions to cheering yourself up this Valentine’s weekend if you so happen to find yourself love-bereft during the ensuing romance-fest that’s about to hit the nation. Whether you’re single, attached, indifferent, chastened, heartbroken or juggling enough partners to keep Quagmire panting with envy, we think you’ll enjoy the entertainment we’ve got lined up for you this weekend.

Tickets are nearly sold out for tomorrow’s gig at our fabulous Komedia venue in Brighton (where the atmosphere is as hearty and embracing as the fresh/fresher air down there) so grab those fast to get a chance to see headliner Joanna Neary along with a host of other great stalwart acts that include Mae Martin and Julie Jepson.

The very funny Annabel Giles will host both Saturday and Sunday night

We’ve still some tickets available for Sunday’s show, our Second Sunday Showcase, which is fast achieving a notorious reputation for delivering great comedy to round off the week. We’re chuffed to bits to have Funny Women Winner (2006) Suzy Bennett back who will be headlining this Sunday – we look forward to her warm and hilarious insights, which we have missed! And we can’t wait to welcome Cara Cummings to the stage, our assistant producer from last year!

We’re also pleased to add that 2010 finalist Alison Thea Skot sold out a two-night run of her hour long show, ‘Alison Thea-Skot: The Human Tuning Fork’, at The Hen and Chickens Theatre this week. The show followed the story of the only living Human Tuning Fork; Tiff Mason and her daughter Deborah Mason, on the run. Alison juggled playing many different characters in the show and described it as character comedy breaking out! “5 women. 1 fugitive. Lots of Thea-Skots in one hour.” She added that she’s been “overwhelmed by the support” she’s received and we hope we’ll manage to get tickets for the up-and-coming Edinburgh run! Although she’ll be doing a re-run in May, all being well.

Liz Black (left) and Freya Slipper (right)

From one double act to the next, Thankless Child are to appear on CBBC with Dick and Dom with a mix of sketches and improvised mayhem.

The duo produced two short sketches and also improvised some footage for the end of series compilation episode.

Black said of the experience:  “It was really good fun filming for Dick and Dom. It didn’t feel too different performing in a studio because we still had an audience there. However, they were made up of 8-12 year olds so we were slightly concerned when we were writing for it beforehand! You don’t want it to go over their heads and be confusing but equally you don’t want to over-simplify it and patronise them. Luckily it all seemed to go down well and we had lots of laughs and lots and lots of fun.”

Together Liz Black and Freya Slipper make up Thankless Child, the double act who won the Funny Women Awards 2010. Since then they have gone on to perform shows with big names such Jo Brand and Sandi Toksvig. Now they are hitting the screen so keep your eyes peeled! The episode featuring the pair is due to schedule in about four weeks time.

Fancy trying your hand at stand up? Our friends at Amused Moose are on the look out for new comic talent for stand-ups with ‘potential star quality’ and not ‘solely funny’. Past winners/finalists have included stars such as Sarah Millican – a previous Funny Women finalist and Andi Osho who won the 2007 Funny Women Awards.

Click HERE for information on how to enter the Amused Moose LaughOff 2011 or see HERE for further info.

We’re sad to hear this week that the BBC will have to axe some of its comedy shows due to budget cuts. Laughter is of course a very important tonic for the soul, especially in ‘these times’, a phrase endlessly repeated nowadays it seems – it’s lost its meaning with its overuse to some extent but we can assume it denotes ‘hard’ times – so yes, all the more reason to keep the laughs coming. Not that the BBC should be held entirely accountable for the joy of the nation but they have long been held in high esteem as the bastion giant of comedy and it seems a shame that a genre that naturally nourishes the spirit has been selected for the cull. However, the reality is that studio-based sitcoms are a particulalrly expensive format to create.

Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield's show may be for the axe

Fans of Miranda Hart will breathe a sigh of relief this decision wasn’t reached a few years back, otherwise her self-titled sitcom may not have seen the light of day and she wouldn’t have won three awards last week at The British Comedy Awards. Sadly, it looks as though this could be the case for many talented comics in the future, much to the frustration of BBC Comedy Commissioner Cheryl Taylor who says she’s had to reject great scripts and performers because there aren’t enough broadcast slots for comedy on TV. Looking back on the hits from last year, there need to be difficult decisions made about who will get a second chance.

It’s not all doom and gloom though. Live comedy still has a thriving scene and we’re very excited about our new comedy showcase at Brighton’s Komedia, a great venue and a supportive arena for Funny Women. Our first show on the 12th of February will feature inimitable host Annabel Giles, the fantastic Suzy Bennett and the very intelligent and cheeky Julie Jepson. This is also an opportunity for us to support RISE, a very important charity based in Brighton that supports women, children and young people affected by domestic abuse.

Headlining Komedia is Joanna Neary as seen in BBC's That Mitchell & Webb Look and BBC's Ideal.

Please click here for tickets

This week, we’re also pleased to be featured on WM Magazine, an online magazine for working mums; click here for an interview with Lynne.

And finally, we wanted to share the Paul Whitehouse and Harry Enfield clip that everyone’s been talking about this past few weeks owing to recent events involving Sky (now ex) presenters.. who would have thought that this duo’s comedy is not only very funny but prophetic too? Too much truth in comedy I guess..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svg0hh54fa0

As many predicted, Miranda Hart was the true star of the British Comedy Awards this weekend as she walked away with not only an award for Best Comedy Actress and Best New TV Comedy but the all-important, as voted by the public, People’s Choice Award. Miranda herself was “surprised to win” the Queen of Comedy 2010 Award as she admits being a huge fan of the other comics competing  for the title – Harry Hill, Ant and Dec, Michael McIntyre and David Mitchell.

From the first award she collected (for Best New TV Comedy)  which she described as, “lovely, bloody lovely”, to the definitive People’s Choice crowning title, the star collected three awards in all by the end of the evening, a feat never before achieved by a woman in the history of the awards.  Not even Jonathan Ross’  gag about meeting her in the urinals could wipe the smile off her face that evening.

The awards just kept on coming

Hart beat off competition from Grandma’s House and The Trip in the Best New TV Comedy category and Jo Brand and Katherine Parkinson in the Best Comedy Actress category, though lost out in the Best Sitcom category to The Inbetweeners. Jo Brand took Best Female TV Comic, beating off competition from relative newcomers Shappi Khorsandi and Sarah Millican, and Samantha Spiro, who stars in Grandma’s House took Best Female Comedy Breakthrough Artist.

A beaming, yet humble, Miranda told BBC Breakfast that she writes ‘what I find funny and what’s me. I can’t write crude or dark humour.’ When asked about the current, seeming popularity for more slapstick humour, she said: ‘I didn’t write it with any agenda in mind, it’s just luck that your humour gets its time.’

This is certainly Miranda’s time.