Soph Galustian is a Mancunian comedy writer-performer of Armenian heritage. She stars in series two of Daddy Issues (BBC Three) and plays Julia in Everyone Else Burns (Channel 4). She also appears in the BAFTA nominated romantic comedy Rye Lane, directed by Raine Allen Miller. Soph wrote and starred in Peck 'Eds, a short-form comedy series created for the BBC Three Threesomes strand, and was part of the writers' room for the BBC comedy Pru, which is also available on Netflix. A Funny Women 2023 semi-finalist, Soph’s debut standup show, Hey Mammas, sold out at London’s Soho Theatre. Her debut book, No Worries If Not, was published in spring 2023. A funny and deeply personal coming-of-age memoir, it explores poverty, queerness, mental health, grief and community through a blend of short stories, spoken word and illustrations, tracing Soph’s journey from childhood to adulthood. Soph has also built a substantial online following, with her comedy videos attracting millions of views across social media and more than 250,000 followers. [email protected]

Claire Rafferty is a Belfast-born actor, writer and comedian, best known for put upon teacher Miss Mooney in Channel 4's acclaimed comedy Derry Girls. Her screen credits also include The Fall, Shetland, Vera, Three Families and Hope Street, establishing her as one of Northern Ireland's most versatile performers. Alongside her screen work, Claire is a celebrated comedy performer and a member of the hit sketch collective Gobby Girls. Following a sold-out debut, Gobby Girls: The After Party returned to Soho Theatre, showcasing an ensemble of some of the UK's most exciting female comedy talent. As both a writer and performer, she brings warmth, wit and authenticity to stories that celebrate the absurdities of everyday life. Claire has her first short sitcom commissioned with a major broadcaster to be announced soon. [email protected]

Libby Rodliffe is an actor, comedian and writer known for her sharp observational comedy and warm, selfdeprecating style. Libby's one woman play, Jobsworth, was published by Methuen of Bloomsbury before going up to The Edinburgh Fringe, where it enjoyed a totally sold out audience for the whole month. Jobsworth had its London transfer at The Park Theatre in November and December last year, and is now in development for a 6 part TV comedy series with Playground Entertainment. Libby trained with world renowned comedy improv school The Second City, and was part of the BBC Comedy Awards winning sketch - When Podcasts Go Wrong. She also trained at Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in Music Theatre and is a professionally trained singer. Libby's TV credits include Call the Midwife (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), Best Interests (BBC). Film credits include Spencer (starring Kristen Stewart) and Big Boys Don't Cry (Netflix). [email protected]

Laura Evelyn is a queer, hard-of-hearing actor, writer and improviser. Her screen credits include Last Christmas (Universal), Black Mirror (Netflix), Starstruck (BBC/HBO), Good Omens (Prime Video) and Doctor Who (BBC). She will next appear in Youth, the upcoming HBO drama created by Sharon Horgan, and performs with the twice sold-out sketch comedy collective Gobby Girls, bringing The After Party to the Gilded Balloon at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Laura's pilot script Two By Two won the Female Pilot Club Pilot Script Competition, earning an industry reading and mentorship. She is currently developing her short film Submerge, a romantic comedy inspired by her own experiences of hearing loss and tinnitus. Across stage and screen, Laura's work combines sharp comedy with heartfelt storytelling, championing authentic representation and underrepresented voices. https://linktr.ee/lauraevelyn1

Noor Sobka is a Libyan comedy writer and performer from the North of England whose work centres MENA and Global Majority stories with warmth, wit and originality. As a performer, her recent credits include Odd Squad (BBC), The After Party at Soho Theatre, the sold-out sketch show Sketchy Muslims, the BFI-funded short film Mourning Period, and the R&D of Let It Burn at the National Theatre Studios. As a writer, Noor was longlisted for the 2025 Tony Craze Award and Female Pilot Club, and placed in the top 5% of applicants for the Channel 4 New Writers Scheme. She has been commissioned by Fresh Ink for her play Colonel Gadaddy and by Migration Matters for Nutella and Harissa. Her BFI-funded short film Mourning Period was selected for the Female Pilot Club Film Festival 2026, while her play Brown Nose was chosen for Sheffield Theatres' Open Works Festival. Noor is the co-creator of Sketchy Muslims, the UK's first Muslim women-led sketch comedy show, which sold out its debut run. She has also been selected for a number of prestigious development programmes, including the Soho Writers Lab, Soho Makers Lab, National Young Writers, New Perspectives, Sheffield Theatres New Dramaturgs and Sheffield Theatres' Making Room Observer Director programme. Through her writing and performance, Noor creates bold, character-led comedy that celebrates underrepresented voices while finding humour in the complexities of identity, family and belonging. [email protected]

Alyssa Kyria (pictured) is an actor, comedian and content creator whose relatable, character-led comedy has built a loyal following both online and on stage. Her one-woman show, The Funny Mummy, has toured theatres across the UK, blending sharp observations on motherhood, midlife and mental health with warmth and honesty. Alyssa's comedy has amassed more than 25 million views across social media and a community of over 50,000 followers. Her online work earned her a nomination for Funny Women Content Creator of the Year, while her acting was recognised with a Best Supporting Actress nomination at the Dublin International Comedy Festival. Alongside her live performances, Alyssa founded Mums Night Out Comedy, bringing stand-up nights to audiences across the UK and creating a space for mothers to connect through laughter. Across stage and screen, her work combines heartfelt storytelling with sharp humour, making her one of the UK's most engaging comedy voices. [email protected] @thefunnymummyuk

Natalie Malla is a writer and director whose work combines sharp comedy with emotionally grounded storytelling. Drawing on character-led narratives Natalie creates stories that explore identity, relationships and the complexities of modern life with warmth, authenticity and a distinctive comedic voice. She balances humour with heart, creating nuanced characters and richly observed worlds that resonate with audiences. Natalie was selected for the BFI-backed Glasgow Funny Features programme with Kidding, Not Kidding, a feature film she co-wrote and will make her directorial debut with. She has also co-written the feature Rent-A-Friend, with award-winning director Tristram Shapeero attached to direct and has another original feature Mistletoe Kiss developed with Creative UK and Netflix and being produced by Bird Flight Films. Natalie is a rare and special mix, an extraordinarily talented and confident writer and director with a diligent and considered work ethic that makes her an absolute pleasure to collaborate with. Her writing is full of heart and joy but she also has an important point of view that she can express masterfully without losing the levity in the work. She has a commercial sensibility while creating work with art in its heart and that is why Natalie is an exciting emerging voice in British screen storytelling. [email protected]

Mary Flanigan is a Belfast-born comedy writer, performer and stand-up comedian. A Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2023 nominee and Birmingham Breaking Talent Award 2019 nominee, she has established herself as a distinctive voice on the UK comedy circuit with her sharp writing and engaging stage presence. Mary has written and performed for Soft Border Patrol (BBC Northern Ireland), written for Quick Comedy (BBC Radio Ulster), and contributed to Parish Matters (BBC Radio 4). She has also written sketches for Gobby Girls: The 11% Club at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Gobby Girls: The After Party at Soho Theatre. Alongside her writing, Mary is a regular panellist on the live comedy game show 8 Out of 10 Celts, performing alongside Eleanor Morton and Esyllt Sears to sell-out audiences at comedy festivals across the UK. This year, she returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with her debut solo show, Scream If You Want To Go Slower. Across stage, radio and live comedy, Mary's work blends razor-sharp observations with warmth and wit, establishing her as one of the most exciting comedy writers and performers to emerge from Northern Ireland. [email protected]

Samantha Lyden and Teresa Burns are an award-winning comedy writing partnership specialising in female-led, working-class sitcoms and comedy for young audiences, they create characterdriven stories with warmth, wit and broad audience appeal. Their credits include writing sketches for Gobby Girls: The After Party at Soho Theatre, The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), and the BAFTA Award-winning CBeebies series Justin's House. They are also regular writers for Cartoon Network and have written for the upcoming series Foster's Funtime for Imaginary Friends. Their adaptation of Barbara Throws a Wobbler has recently been green-lit for series. Their original projects include Curveball, The Bridesmaid's Diaries and the awardwinning short film Neil's Yard, which won the 2019 Funny Women Award. Their sitcom Catch Yourself On was selected for a Female Pilot Club script reading, developed by Sky, and has since been commissioned as a BFI-funded short film. Across television, film and children's comedy, Samantha and Teresa continue to establish themselves as one of the UK's most exciting comedy writing partnerships. [email protected]

Mari Izzard is a Welsh writer, performer and comedian whose work champions working-class voices through bold, character-led comedy. As a disabled artist, she brings fresh, underrepresented perspectives to stories that balance humour with heart. This year, Mari wrote a romantic comedy vertical drama for MOJO Productions, was commissioned by Beastly Media to write and star in her first short film, and penned her first television episode for BOOM Cymru. She was also a semi-finalist for Female Pilot Club, with two original projects currently in development with Gobby Girls Productions. With a distinctive voice and a passion for telling stories rarely seen on screen, Mari is quickly establishing herself as an exciting new talent in British comedy. She also acts and has starred in BAFTA nominated Brian and Charles and in Sitters for BBC alongside her identical twin sister. [email protected]

Kelly Condron is a Salford-born writer whose bold comedy and drama champion Northern working class voices with warmth, sharp dialogue and authentic storytelling. Drawing on her own experiences, Kelly creates character-led stories that are funny, heartfelt and rooted in a strong sense of place. In the past two years, Kelly has won the Scribe Lounge 2025 Elevate Competition, been selected for the prestigious WFTV Kay Mellor Screenwriters' Lab, and was a finalist for the Slick Film Fund and shortlisted for the Unsolicited Script Fund. Most recently, she won Best Script at Female Pilot Club for her comedy pilot Late to the Party, which will be showcased as part of the organisation's industry script reading. Kelly continues to develop original comedy and drama projects, establishing herself as one of the most exciting emerging writing voices from the North. [email protected]

Jessica Aytac is a British-French writer and performer whose offbeat, character-led comedy draws on her lived experience before and after becoming a wheelchair user. Her debut sitcom pilot, Damaged Goods, earned her a place on the prestigious BBC Comedy Collective 2025– 26, supporting the next generation of comedy talent. Jessica writes across sketch, sitcom and satire. She was a lead writer on BBC Scotland's Breaking the News across multiple series and is currently writing for a new CBBC animated sketch show. Her earlier broadcast credits include Channel 4's 2012: Mashed and Rude Tube. In 2022, Jessica reached the semi-finals of So You Think You're Funny? at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and is currently developing her debut solo show exploring life in an interabled relationship. She is also the co-founder of Cirque Du Lol-eil, an accessible comedy showcase championing disabled performers and audiences. Alongside her scripted work, Jessica has an extensive career as a producer and edit producer in unscripted television, with credits including Louis Theroux Interviews, Gods of Tennis and Hunted. Her background in factual storytelling continues to inform her distinctive, character-driven approach to comedy. [email protected]

Ruth Pickett is a BAFTA-winning, Emmy-nominated writer and director whose work spans cinematic, characterdriven comedy and comedy-drama. She won the BAFTA for directing the BBC Comedy short film Quiet Life, and her television directing credits include sketches for the inaugural series of Saturday Night Live UK, all of Series 3 of Ladhood (BBC Three), and Comedy Central's Transaction, which won the Broadcast Digital Award for Best Short-Form Scripted Series. Ruth has also shot second unit for Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi and acclaimed commercial director Bryan Buckley. Her award-winning short films have screened at leading festivals including the BFI London Film Festival, LOCO London Comedy Film Festival, and BAFTA-qualifying festivals Aesthetica and Underwire. Her debut feature, Frack from the Dead, was selected for the Screen Yorkshire talent lab and is currently in development with Sungazer Films. Of English and Turkish heritage, Ruth grew up in Yorkshire and brings a distinctive visual style and sharp comic sensibility to her work. She is represented by Curtis Brown for narrative projects and Hungry Man for commercials. [email protected]

Hannah Berry George (HBG) is an award-winning director/ writer known for her playful, off-kilter comedy and distinctive visual style. Drawing on a background in law, journalism, sketch, stand-up and improv, her work has amassed tens of millions of views online, earned a Cannes Lion and Creative Circle Awards, screened at the BFI and premiered on NOWNESS. HBG has directed high-profile talent including Cynthia Erivo, Katherine Ryan, Aisling Bea, Alfred Enoch, Adjoa Andoh and Little Mix. She was mentored by BAFTAwinning director Simon Hynd through the Directors UK Inspire Mentorship Scheme and has shadowed on the BBC series Death Valley and Can You Keep a Secret? Her debut short film, Borrowed Time, screened at BIFA qualifying festivals, and she was shortlisted for the BBC Comedy Collective. She has recently wrapped production on her latest short, Folding In, starring Rosie Jones, and is currently in pre-production on Wild Thing, a script longlisted for the Slick Films Fund and Breakthrough Film Fund, and shortlisted for the UK Film Festival Fund. With a growing body of acclaimed work across film and digital, HBG is establishing herself as one of the UK's most exciting emerging comedy writer-directors. www.hannahberrygeorge.com

Ella Faye Donley is a director and writer from Teesside whose work combines bold visual storytelling with character-led, absurdist comedy. Selected as one of North East Screen's Directors to Watch 2025, she is quickly establishing herself as an exciting new voice in British comedy. Ella recently shadow directed on Series 2 of the BBC comedy Smoggie Queens. Her directing credits also include the award-winning short films Kindred Spirits, Spuds and Leap of Faith, with her work recognised at the BIFA qualifying Kino London Film Festival, London Lift-Off Film Festival, Tees Valley International Film Festival and Berlin Women Cinema Festival. Alongside her screen work, Ella is the co-founder of Salty Pelican Comedy Improv Theatre, championing new comedy talent through live performance and workshops. www.ellafaye.co.uk

Anna Morris is a writer, comedian and actor known for her character-led comedy across stage, screen and audio. She won a Scotsman Fringe First for her debut play Son of a Bitch, which premiered at Summerhall at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024 before transferring to Southwark Playhouse. Anna wrote and starred in ITV's Bad Bridesmaid and is the creator of viral lockdown comedy hits including Back to Work and music parodies New (Tier) Rules and Vaccine!. Her BBC Radio 4 comedy special Kid Life Crisis is available on BBC Sounds. A performer with single-sided deafness, Anna has written about her experiences for The Guardian and supports Action on Hearing Loss. She is currently developing Son of a Bitch for television with production company Big Beach (Little Miss Sunshine, The Farewell). Anna makes her directorial debut with Slay at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, produced by Gilded Balloon and Gobby Girl Productions. [email protected]

Lily Portman is a writer, director and co-founder of Middling Women Ltd, a Midlands-based production company developing original screen projects that champion underrepresented voices and regional stories. She is also the co-founder of Middling Connect, a vetted Midlands-focused crew and supplier database. After training and working as an actor, Lily moved into writing and directing during the pandemic. Her debut short film Dosed (2022) enjoyed a successful festival run, receiving recognition from the Midlands Movie Awards and Worcester Film Festival. Her comedy short Quiet, starring Philippa Dunne (Motherland, Derry Girls) and Luke Rollason (Extraordinary), and co-produced by Gobby Girl Productions, has gone on to win awards at festivals. Lily has been recognised by the BBC Comedy Collective, BBC Ignite and several international screenplay competitions. She continues to develop a slate of character-led comedy and drama projects with a strong sense of place, tone and cultural relevance, while also working freelance as a director and 1st AD. [email protected]

Josie Charles is a writer and director from Somerset, now based in London, whose work blends distinctive storytelling with sharp character-led comedy and drama. Her television series Neighbourhood Watch is in development with Hartswood Films (Sherlock), and she recently completed the BFI Creative Challenge Fund-supported Glasgow Film Festival Funny Features talent development scheme with her feature Doom Scroll. Her short film Fishing won the Oscar-qualifying Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Short at Slamdance Film Festival 2024 and Best UK Short at Bolton International Film Festival. Her film Blue Violet premiered at BFI Flare before screening at SXSW London, Chicago International Film Festival, Fantastic Fest and HollyShorts. In 2023, Josie was selected for the Directors UK Inspire Scheme, where she was mentored by BAFTA-winning director Tom George, whom she later assisted on Sherwood Series 2. She has also shadowed Simon Hynd on BBC’s Ghosts. [email protected] www.josiecharles.com