Press Release

NIVEA Funny Women Fringe Award to seek best of female comedy talent at Edinburgh

Hot on the heels of another highly successful search for new talent around the UK with the NIVEA Funny Women Awards, the producers of the leading female comedy brand, are heading to Edinburgh in August to scout the famous Fest for the best shows of female content on the Fringe. The NIVEA Funny Women Fringe Award will be given to the show that best embodies the spirit of female comedy at the Fringe.

The Funny Women reviewers will be looking for the cream of female comics and female oriented shows to compete for the 2008 NIVEA Funny Women Fringe Award. The nominations will be announced on Wednesday 6th August on www.funnywomen.com and these acts will be invited to perform in three exclusive preview shows at 3.30 p.m. on Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th August at the Pleasance Dome.

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The best in three categories will then be selected to perform at the Awards Ceremony on Monday 11th August, also at the Pleasance Dome at 11.30 p.m. for a chance of winning the overall £1,000 cash prize. There will also be prizes for the winners of the three categories:

• Best stand–up, individual act
• Best sketch, character or theatrical show
• Best newcomer

The main cash Award will go to the show which in the opinion of the judges’ best represents female–led comedy at the Fringe. This could be in any category as long as it is comedy.

The Fringe Award was created by Funny Women in 2007 to recognise women in comedy and to highlight the imbalance of female nominations and winners in the mainstream awards which are a feature of the Edinburgh Fringe. Every year increasing numbers of strong female–led shows appear at the Fringe, wide in range and diversity.

2007 winner

The 2007 winner of the first ever Funny Women Fringe Award was Bridget Christie and her show “The Court of King Charles II” – a look at the 17th century’s deranged royals, incompetent terrorists, mentalist fundamentalists and pointless wags. Bridget returns to the Fringe again this year with her sequel, “The Court of King Charles II – The Second”, which takes place at the Baby Belly, Cowgate, 31st July to 24th August.

“It is important to celebrate female comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe, which is the world’s leading arts festival,” explains Lynne Parker, producer of Funny Women. “We have been at the vanguard of delivering new female comedy talent to eager audiences across the UK for six years, and this is our opportunity to reward and promote talented women at the Fringe.”

The NIVEA Funny Women Fringe Award expands the tradition of nurturing and discovering new female talent as established through the annual NIVEA Funny Women Awards, which take place across the UK during Spring. For more information please visit www.funnywomen.com.

Notes to Editors

• Funny Women was started in 2002 by Lynne Parker as a platform to find and celebrate female comedy talent
• Funny Women raises funds and awareness for a variety of causes that aim to help and heal women. This includes Ovarian cancer action which raises awareness and funds research into ovarian cancer, and is part of the Helen Harris Memorial Trust which is dedicated to defeating ovarian cancer. Visit: www.ovarian.org.uk or email info@ovarian.org.uk for more details
• Beneficiary charities include YWCA, Jo’s Trust, Bristol Cancer Care Centre, ActionAid and V–Day: Until the Violence Stops
• Funny Women has raised over £80,000 for charity in the past five years
• Funny Women has taken part at the Edinburgh Fringe for five years, running various events including a theatrical production, a series of workshops and regular stand up show in addition to the Funny Women Fringe Award.
• The 2008 Funny Women Fringe Award is sponsored by NIVEA, who ethos is Beauty is Laughter.