The world of standup has been rocked by allegations of sexual harassment and assault – and finally some men in the industry are vowing to tackle itWhen US comedian Kelly Bachman found herself performing to a bailed Harvey Weinstein at a New York show i…
Continue ReadingFor years, sexual predators have infested the live comedy scene. But female comedians are demanding action. Is this British standup’s #MeToo moment?‘If this was a normal office where, on your first day, someone higher up than you goes: ‘Here’s a list o…
Continue ReadingAvailable online With weariness and seething frustration, the comedian sounds off in style about gender inequality and sexismThe starting point of Jen Brister’s 2018 show Meaningless, now available online from Soho theatre, is that the Bright…
Continue ReadingWhen her trainer called muscly women ‘unfeminine’, the standup turned her outrage into a hilarious show full of sweat, barbells, chalk and childbirthJessica Fostekew felt nervous yesterday, very nervous. So she went to lift some weights. “I was at peak…
Continue ReadingHannah Gadsby made butchness cool again. Now a crop of queer comics are channelling their inner bloke – and getting back to boots, quiffs and tachesSarah Keyworth has, she says, a “weird kind of relationship with masculinity”. She appears confident in …
Continue ReadingThe soul-baring comedian has turned his experience of being stalked into a gripping piece of theatre, Baby ReindeerIt had all ended so well. When Richard Gadd won the Edinburgh Comedy award three years ago with Monkey See Monkey Do, it wasn’t just a pr…
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghKatie Arnstein uses Dorothy’s yellow-brick road to map her own struggles and issue a raw reminder of the urgency of #MeToo‘We saw your boobs! We saw your boobs!” The words from Seth MacFarlane’s opening number at the 2013 …
Continue ReadingPleasance Courtyard, EdinburghParading her sex life, friendships and militant subjectivity, the triumphantly profane comedian takes a step into the big leagueThe men have gone sensitive, it’s been said of this year’s fringe comedy – while female standu…
Continue ReadingIs the fringe ready for the brash standup who used to get paid in nachos and chicken wings? We meet one half of 2 Dope Queens as she fills her shoes with sweatWhat does Phoebe Robinson want to see when she arrives at the Edinburgh fringe? “Just tons of…
Continue ReadingMonkey Barrel Comedy, EdinburghThe Australian absurdist lays waste to standup convention with glee and skill – but is she too clever for her own good?No gimmicks, promises Zoë Coombs Marr: no message, no arc, no politics. We know her best as “Dave”, th…
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