433 entrants whittled down

Funny Women has announced the semi-finalits in its annual 'stage award'  for the best live female comedians.

Previous winners and finalists have included Katherine Ryan, Sarah Millican, Zoe Lyons, Sara Pascoe, Susan Calman and  Bridget Christie,  with Thanyia Moore as the current title holder.

This year’s semi-finalists, chosen from 433 entrants, are:

Sarah Mann, Kemah Bob, Abi Clarke, Teresa Livingstone, Grace Mulvey, Laura Smyth, Mary O’Connell, Julia Stenton, Kate Feeney, Sian Davies, Karen Hobbs, Jen Rhodes, Ciara Jack, Jenan Younis, Yasmine (Jay Bennett), Ita Fitz, Alice Brine, Eva Bindeman, Krystal Evans, Helena Langdon, Eryn Tett, Catherine Burgis, Shelf, Jenny Collier, Celya AB, Suzie Preece, Becky Povall, Liz Guterbock, Ruth Hunter, Anne Gill, Kate Barron, Liz Bains, Chloe Green, Pauline Eyre, Isa Bonachera, Sikisa Bostwick Barnes, Charlie George, Jen Ives, Bylgja Babylons, Kathryn Mather, Cam Spence, Justine Stafford, Simone Belshaw, Caity Burke, Louise Atkinson, Katherine Atkinson, Charlotte McKinney, Alice India, Heather Jordan Ross, Paula Gahan, Jessie Nixon.

Four semi-finals take place in London, Brighton, Edinburgh and Manchester with the final being held at Bloomsbury Theatre in London on September 19.

Funny Women also runs awards for writing and for short films, and has announced the judging panels for both.

The Comedy Shorts Awards will be judged by BBC Comedy Commissioning Editor Sarah Asante; BBC Head Of Comedy Kate Daughton; Sky Comedy Commissioning Editor, Tilusha Ghelani and Channel 4 Head Of Comedy, Fiona McDermott. Entries close on July  31.

Writing Award judges will include Bafta Rocliffe founder Farah Abushwesha; comedy actor, Shobu Kapoor, and writer of Channel 4’s Pure, Kirstie Swain.

Published: 10 Jul 2019