What a Girl Wants

I am permanently on the lookout for women on the comedy circuit and I rarely find them so when I do it’s always a great treat.

Andrea Donovan
(More info) Post Views
3,486 Comments
View Comments

Following her previous article on the highs and lows of performing on the London fringe, writer & comedian Andrea Donovan of matt’s little sister is back with a new piece about women and comedy and this time it’s with a plea “to all you ladies out there who are writing their own material and performing it on stage”.

‘I’m frightened by the devil but I’m drawn to those who ain’t afraid’ (Joni Mitchell, A case of you.)

I went to the theatre last night and after the first act I cried. I wasn’t supposed to be crying. It was comedy.

I am permanently on the lookout for women on the comedy circuit and I rarely find them so when I do it’s always a great treat. Last night was particularly hopeful because I went to see a comedy sketch show that was dominated by women. Out of the 8 acts that were on, 7 of them were women. ‘Fantastic’ I thought to myself – ‘This is where all the women in comedy have been hiding and I get to see them all in one sitting’

Unfortunately what I sat through was so bad it made me cry. I couldn’t believe that for 50 minutes I didn’t laugh once. I didn’t even crack a smile. Ladies what are you doing to me? I am rapidly losing faith in this business of comedy that I love so much because as an audience member I’m not seeing anything that’s inspiring me and as a writer I can’t think of anything funny to write. I have severe writer’s block.

I am currently part of a comedy double act (male and female) that I do all the writing for and I enjoy very much. I never tire of writing characters for my partner, Reedy, and myself. It comes naturally to me as I love looking at the relationship between a man and a woman and exploring the different angles, emotions, situations I can throw at them. My next adventure, however, is to go solo. To stand on stage alone, in front of an audience I don’t know and make them laugh…actually at this moment in time just to see them smile would do. But I am struggling with my subject matter. I like to write characters and situations that appeal to both men and women. Unisex topics. With a female character on her own though, I am finding it difficult as I don’t have a male character to bounce off, to spar with, to tone down the oestrogen levels! Last night we were bombarded with jokes about periods, dating, babies, make – up. Other issues that regularly pop up with female comics (not all but most) are marriage, reaching 30, men, gaining weight, sex, men, keeping fit, getting dumped, men… COME ON GIRLS! Surely this can’t be all we have to talk about? As assertive, funny women, who are taking their careers in their hands, there must be something else that occupies our minds? As a 29 year old, single woman, yes, these are all issues that affect my life – they are worrying, inevitable and downright annoying. However, when I go to the theatre for entertainment and escapism I do not wish to be faced with them again.

Am I alone in my thinking? Do women want to hear about these subjects because they can relate to them? Do men really find it funny to hear about our failures in the dating game? Or am I just making excuses and stalling so that I can prolong the agony of standing on stage on my own? Perhaps I am continually searching for these women in comedy because, like Joni Mitchell says ‘I’m frightened by the devil, but I’m drawn to those who ain’t afraid’

I’ll never know really until I try. Until I have performed that first gig in front of an unfamiliar audience and truly found out whether, what I think is funny, works. On an all too regular basis I moan to a friend of mine about the quality of female comics (actually I moan about comedy in general) on the circuit and how I could do much better. His response back is always the same, worded slightly differently each time, but none the less he tells me that they’re the ones out there doing it, putting themselves up to be judged and criticised so until I pluck up the courage to actually do it myself, I should respect them for trying.

Well, I am trying to respect them for trying but I’m finding it extremely trying myself. There’s only so much unfunny comedy I can take! So this is a plea to all you ladies out there who are writing their own material and performing it on stage. Show me something different. Please. Let’s see some new ideas. Steer clear from the clichéd notion that all women talk about is men, menstruating and marriage (even if we do!) and let’s wow the audience with exciting and innovative female characters.

I have included myself in that plea and I promise I shall be bursting onto a stage near you very soon with a character that will hopefully have you rolling in the aisles and will have nothing to do with babies, boobs or boys!

Angela

Hey Andrea, how about something about growing up with mad parents in a British forces boys bording school, left to your own devices while they all partied like good un's?? xx
Andrea

Oh..I typed in the wrong address for our myspace...NO idea who she is above HA!!
Andrea

Thanks for the invitation Sue, I shall definately come and check out the comedy night you're referring to and look forward to it. xx
Sue

I agree with "Male friend", female comedians are indeed alive and well. Just look at Sarah Silverman, Josie Long, sarah Kendall, Lucy Porter, Issy Suttie. They don't do the cliched stuff that you're talking about. I am a character stand up and my set has NOTHING to do with babies boobs or boys at all.
If you want to be exposed to good female comics come to a gig I'm organising of female stand ups to raise money for breast cancer care. It's at Comedy at the Kirk on March 12th 2008. The people I've booked are excellent (and include Issy Suttie). There won't be a period joke in sight :)
Male Friend

Hi,
Well I'm up at Edinburgh at the moment and I can tell you that female comedians are alive and well. Issy Suttie is a brilliant stand up and musician who has a genuine warmth and audiences love her, Jo Neary is a genius, she has an incredible range of characters and people are lapping it up. Then there's Watson and Oliver, Triplicate, Lucy Porter, Abigail Burdess, Shappi Khorsandi, Shazia Mirza. These are funny ladies with original ideas. The london comedy scene, is a mixed bag, and because there are so many oppurtunities to perform and so many clubs, almost anyone can get up and have a go. This means that the quality of performance can quite often be ropey. However those that really want to do it, who stick at it, will and do become good at what they do. I think that there are less female comedians than men, so they probably get scrutinised more, however if you take a look at some of the male acts at these venues, I think you'll agree that a quite substantial percentage of them haven't quite 'got it'. They muck about with weak ideas that don't really go anywhere, and have a deluded beleif that they are funny. But it's those performers who really want to do it that will stick it out and realise that you have to develop original ideas and practice them relentlessly to make them work, (even then it sometimes doesn't work). Comedy is a tough business and it's a never ending process, you're constantly learning how to be funny, how to use ideas, how to present characters, and at some point you might just realise that you can't do it. The audience will soon let you know if you're funny or not, and unless you are completely nuts, you'll find out if you can do it or not fairly quickly.
What has to be born in mind, is that most of the time when you are going to see comedy in pub venues or small clubs, you are watching public rehearsals, people trying out material to see if it's a any good. You never really get to see a finished product unless you come to Edinburgh or go to see someone performing their show at The Soho Theatre or somewhere similar. I think shows presented at these types of venues can be judged, but otherwise, I think it's counterproductive to judge people who are trying to get up there and find out if they're funny or not. I beleive if you are judgemental of others, then you think others will be judgemental of you, and this will lead to fear, and therefore lack of creativity and the inability to get started.
Me.
Kath

Hi Rea,
I totally know where you're coming from having recently discovered a new comedy night here in Hong Kong, which we eagerly trotted along to, expecting (unsurprisingly) a good laugh, considering the dearth of stand-up comedy opportunities in this part of the world. However, amongst a rather motley bunch of 'comedians', one female who shall remain nameless (in fact she was instantly forgettable so I can't name her anyway), provided the most cringeworthy 15 mins of the whole evening. Yes, plenty of jokes about periods, men, etc. etc. It was painful to watch. However, the one redeeming act of the evening was also in fact female- a 17 year old (or thereabouts), whose name I'm also ashamed to say I cannot remember who was bravely making her first foray into stand-up and actually did make us laugh with her tales of being a mixed-race teen in Hong Kong and the UK. So, yes, there is other material available to women comedians if they are prepared to think a bit harder and I know you are one of those who's willing to be different, so stick with it as you're naturally funny and entertaining. I think a large part of comedy does lie in the delivery as well as having good material of course, and you've got it in spades....
Geraldene

Hi, great piece! Agree with you entirely that most of what female comedians do today is not comedy. Comments about menstruation, saggy/ too small/ too enormous boobs and 'put me down' remarks about face/ figure/ hair etc. are just not funny and do not make me laugh. ( Well maybe the odd snigger of embarassment.) The only people who do laugh at that sort of thing are men. There are two distinct types of laughter that they employ: the first is nervous and slightly uncomfortable, the second (sadly the most often used) is the 'school bully', an unkind and vindictive guffaw. So, why do female comedians do it ? Why go for laughs at their own expense and the expense of womankind? Probably because they are underconfident: afraid that the audience won't laugh at their material. They know that with the 'put me down' stuff they will, at least, get a laugh from the male half of the audience. Since male guffaws are louder than female giggles they will appear to be doing very well.
I think comedy should come from wit. You have to be clever to be witty. Sometimesjust the speed of clever repartee can make quite ordinary things funny. Great amusement can be achieved through a 'play on words', and I don't only mean 'double entendre'. ( Think Oscar Wilde and William Shakespeare.)
Satire can be funny, to a degree, but it must be done cleverly and sympathetically. I never enjoy slapstick, although I can't say, honestly, that it has never made me laugh. The best comedy, I think, arises out of manipulation of awkward situations and relationships.
Trying to think of a female comedian, of the present day, who really makes me laugh is almost impossible. (Although I can think of plenty who don't ! ) I agree with the first person to post that French and Saunders and Ab Fab were terriffic. The closest I come to 'cracking up' or 'laugh 'till I cry' is when listening to Pam Ayres reading some of her own poems.
The best laugh I've had in recent years was when I came to Little Venice to see you, Andrea, doing 'Dirty Dancing with Dave', or something like that, ( maybe it was 'Dancing with Dirty Dave' ?)My sides ached so much I could hardly breathe, and that was before the show was even halfway through! You are a very clever, very witty, very confident young woman. Your friend is right : you've got to get out there and GO FOR IT ! Come on, stand up (double entendre ! ) for womankind !
Jayne

I must say to the writer: beautifully written! And so poignant. I AM BORED OF COMEDIENNES PAINTING A BLOODY AND TEAR STAINED PICTURE OF WOMANHOOD. Get over it. I await your debut solo performance with eagerness and excitement. I have seen a couple of your shows before at The Hen and Chickens and loved them. I came down with a friend and I can't wait to go again.
Interesting piece. Cheers.
Geraldene

I have just spent an hour writing a long comment for Andrea and when I pressed 'submit' it vanished from the screen. I was told that I had to submit a valid e-mail address. Since my e-mail address is what it is, and I only have one, I am going to try again but I shall not have time to re-type my long comment tonight, that will have to wait. Sorry, Andrea. Best Wishes, Geraldene.
tim

funny is as funny does,i have seen this lady be very funny indeed and will be seated somewhere other than the front row for her solo foray into the land of laughter.i am a woman who must admit that all my favourite comedy characters are men,i cant think of any women led comedy that really cracks me up!!!surely there are women who've had me in that wonderful place??(i dont mean THAT place) oh hang on there are obviuosly french and saunders who i loved when i was younger,ab fab was hilarious but still cant think of anything recently.is there a female equivilant to tony law out there somewhere???if so please will the real Ms Law please stand up!