Women In Comedy Festival Oct 2017

This October Manchester welcomes the fifth annual Women in Comedy Festival (WICF), celebrating the wealth of female comedic talent on the international comedy scene. From Thursday 19th to Sunday 29th October the festival stages more than 50 events across seven different venues.

Founded by Dulcet Sounds' Hazel O'Keefe in 2013, the event was born out of O'Keefe's all women comedy night, Laughing Cows, which featured entirely female (and all those who identify as women) line ups. Set up in London in 1998, the club's creation was in direct response to an off-the-cuff, but very telling, comment by a male comedy promoter who said that he wouldn't take the chance of putting more than one woman on the bill at his club. O'Keefe decided to prove him and his doubts wrong and Laughing Cows was born.

A few years later O'Keefe moved back up to her native Manchester and it was inevitable that the gig would follow too. It's not stopped since and O'Keefe has put on nights all around the country as well as in continental Europe too. It seemed like the natural next step to stage a whole festival.

This year's WICF sees a stellar line up with some amazing solo shows from a range of great acts and with some major issues tackled head on and with a sharp wit.

This year the festival has teamed up with the Funny Women Awards and the four heats of the competition are on throughout the 10 days.

Plus there are compilation shows and special comedy shorts events allowing up and coming acts to perform shorter sets to allow for work in progress and those working up to an hour length show.

In addition there are talks, improv, competitions and of course the fantastic launch event on Thursday 19th featuring the likes of Ava Vidal, Mrs Barbara Nice and Sophie Willan. The festival will bow out with a closing party featuring Deborah Jane Appelby, Tanyalee Davies and Annette Fagon.

Click below for full details.

Published: 5-Oct-2017: (4554)