Maxine Peake has been confirmed as Patron of the Women in Comedy Festival, which opened in Manchester over the weekend. On her appointment, Peake commented, “I’m proud to be supporting the UK Women in Comedy Festival as a patron. A festival filled with laughter combined with feminist principles taking place in the North … what’s not to support!”
Peake, originally from Bolton, is well known for her roles in Channel 4's Shameless, Victoria Wood's dinnerladies, legal drama Silk and The Village. She is currently appearing as Hamlet at The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester.
This is the Women in Comedy Festival's second year. It takes place in venues around Greater Manchester until Sunday 26th October and features more than 80 shows across 16 venues. The launch night, compered by Janey Godley, was sold out. Jo Caulfield and Zoe Lyons' solo shows were well-received and 1000s of tickets have been sold for the remainder of the festival.
Big names still to perform include Luisa Omielan, Felicity Ward, Jo Neary, Barbara Nice, Tanyalee Davis, Dana Alexander and Jo Enright. Elsewhere in the festival there are open mic nights for new talent. There are compilation shows such as the best of the North West, workshops, panel shows, comedic plays and sketch comedy. Plus there's Miranda Kane's one-woman show about her adventures working as a prostitute 'The Coin Operated Girl.'
The festival was set up by Dulcet Sounds' Hazel O'Keefe as the natural progression to her successful female comedy clubs Laughing Cows. Now in their 16th year Laughing Cows have opened clubs across the nation and expanded onto the continent playing host to a number of big name female comedy acts whilst also nurturing new talent.
O'Keefe set out to prove that female comedians aren't some kind of bizarre specialist act or, the other common misconception, that all perform the same kind of material but in actual fact are as varied and as myriad performers as any comedian - regardless of gender. In addition, Laughing Cows set out to confound not just those mistaken promoters but some audience members who seem to think that they don't find women funny.
For more details and full line-up click here.
