Funny Women-Writer and Performer Forum 13th March

I wasn't quite sure where to post this one.

I was chatting to Lynne Parker, who runs Funny Women, about this a while back. The idea is to help strengthen the performers material and give the writers who don't necessarily want to peform, a platform for their stand up ideas.

I appreciate it's a small niche on here but I'm going if possible and it may be of interest to some of you. I've just copied a 'flyer' below, but there's plenty of info on their website.

Jx

Comedy Writers & Performers Forum
Are you finding it difficult to come up with new material?
Are you looking for a muse to perform your work?

Saturday 13th March, 3.00 to 5.00 p.m.
New Players Theatre
Part of the 'See You Next Tuesday' cultural festival
Produced by Funny Women

Not everybody is a natural performer or writer and this blend of talent doesn't come as effortlessly as it may sometimes appear. Recognising that women are natural collaborators Funny Women are hosting an event where performers and writers can meet each other. We'll be inviting a few interesting women from both sides of the fence, and in-between, to talk about their experiences of working in comedy and there will be some time to interact with them and other guests.

Funny Women is at the forefront of developing and producing female comedy. With the launch of the 2010 Funny Women Awards, now in its eighth year, there have never been so many talented women on the comedy scene. The competition is now attracting over 250 new female comedy acts a year from across the UK and beyond. We've seen hundreds of new and established performers over the last eight years and shown that women really can be funny. A small but significant step in changing comedy culture.

If you are a writer and you would like to be connected to female performers looking for new material, this is the place for you. If you are a performer who finds it difficult to come up with new writing, this event will inspire you.

The forum takes place on 13th March during a two week festival to celebrate International Women's Day, See You Next Tuesday, which runs from the 8th to 20th March and plays host to a programme of cultural activities based at the New Players Theatre.

Conceived by the producers of V-Day London 2008 and 2009, See You Next Tuesday is part of the global V-Day movement to end violence against women and girls in which local artists produce events and performances to raise awareness and funds. In the last two years the festival has featured innovative re-imaginings of the controversial classic The Vagina Monologues and the new collection A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer, by writer, campaigner and V-Day founder Eve Ensler. The festival showcases fantastic feminine and feminist talent for an action-packed two weeks, and aims to encourage discussion about all aspects of violence against women, including gender, sexuality, identity, equality and more in a lavish and experimental playground of fancy.

Tickets £20 to include tea and cake. FOR MORE INFORMATION about this event and other shows within the festival please contact Funny Women on 020 8948 4444 or email info@funnywomen.com

For more information about Funny Women please visit

www.funnywomen.com

Sounds like a good idea. But the "tea and cake" bit put me off. Chips and whisky and I'd be there.

Judging from recent Writing Opportunities threads, if I want to sell jokes again I'm going to have to move to Wales, get married, and grow a vagina.

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ March 4 2010, 11:11 AM GMT

Judging from recent Writing Opportunities threads, if I want to sell jokes again I'm going to have to move to Wales, get married, and grow a vagina.

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kev if you can grow vagina's don't waste your time selling gags, a good crop of vaginas, and you've got it cracked , it is an expanding market
smos

Quote: Kevin Murphy @ March 4 2010, 11:11 AM GMT

Judging from recent Writing Opportunities threads, if I want to sell jokes again I'm going to have to move to Wales, get married, and grow a vagina.

View original

What opportunity is only available to people who are married?

Is the idea that a woman won't use material written by a man? Does it have to be written by a woman for a woman to perform to women?

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ March 4 2010, 4:23 PM GMT

What opportunity is only available to people who are married?

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Tax relief.

I'm still not keen, though.

This kind of event is about letting women try out ideas and performing without having to worry about blokes being around with the 'women aren't funny' attitude.

Quote: Empty @ March 4 2010, 4:26 PM GMT

Tax relief.

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Hasn't that been abolished now?

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ March 4 2010, 4:23 PM GMT

What opportunity is only available to people who are married?

View original

Well, I had to scratch my head over that mother-in-law opp. If I had one, I'm sure I'd have had a wealth of material.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ March 4 2010, 4:31 PM GMT

This kind of event is about letting women try out ideas and performing without having to worry about blokes being around with the 'women aren't funny' attitude.

View original

I've met as many women who don't think women are funny, though.

I think this sounds like a good idea. I've just signed up to a women's writing circle up here.

Saying that...

Although it's good to support each other if we're in the minority, does doing women-only things not reinforce the idea that women are somehow different from men? I'm not sure whether separation maybe makes it more likely that women only be judged in a "for a woman" way? And that sort of thing predisposes a belief that women can't match up.

In two minds about the whole thing.

Not having a go at the above, though. Could be really valuable. Just musing...

Thanks for those responses - we've had this heated debate before so I won't go on but I don't see any harm in this kind of thing. I'm not suggesting men and women should always be separated (apart from in public toilets) but sometimes it's interesting to have a different take on comedy.

Personally I've co-written with a few men now which has been great and I hope to continue that but not yet with another female writer or 'stand up' and I'd like to experience that too.

Hopefully with one on this very thread before too long.

Jx

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ March 4 2010, 4:23 PM GMT

What opportunity is only available to people who are married?

View original

Knocking one out by hand with sweat and tears of frustration?

I'm referring to a script of course....what did you think I meant?

Hi Jane P,

Thanks for posting - this looks really interesting...

Oh, and while I think about it, women writers event that might be of interest for anyone who writes for stage...

http://17percent.wordpress.com/

(yes, I admit this is a small plug because I have something in it, but also could be good for networking...)

... I can't think of a sensible reason to separate toilets by gender. Seriously. If questioned a gay man going into the men's toilets I would rightly be pilloried for childishness. And with cubicles etc modesty is protected. Plus you would avoid awkward issues with transgendered people etc ... Just a thought. And I think women's only writing groups are wonderful - especially at the initial stages, but then I'm incredibly liberal.

I don't want to see urinals, or men pissing into them.

I also suspect, rightly or wrongly, that men's toilets are dirtier, at the very least they would certainly have more wee on the floor.

Also, men do bigger and smellier poos.

And that is a fact.