Review: Bitches in Stitches: New Grrrl Order, Camden Comedy Club

Stand-up comedy line-ups have long been dominated by men. Bitches in Stitches: New Grrrl Order seeks to refashion comedy nights for more inclusivity and diversity. Seven femme/them comics take to the stage of Camden Comedy Club for an hour of laugh-out-loud comedy that takes boundaries and norms and launches them out of the window. The premise did make me question how many female comics I’ve seen at comedy shows; that number is very small and not enough. 

Bitches in Stitches is a collective of non-male comedians that has risen to popularity, regularly putting on shows in Hong Kong, Manila, London and Manchester. This show features a wide range of comedians, from various corners of the world, and of different ages and identities. This creates a very diverse body of material that includes menopause, divorce, period sex, daddy issues and British colonialism. There is something which will resonate with everyone. 

It is refreshing to see comedy where other people’s identities and appearances are not the butt of the joke. The comedians restrict such jokes solely to their own experience. The atmosphere created is inclusive and welcoming, and accommodates strong feminist themes that subtly critique patriarchy in both the comedy field and society more generally. Refreshingly, none of the comedians leans on crowd work as a crutch for providing cheap laughs, but instead all provide solid sets filled with laughs. 

Founder Fran Ayala-Rock is our host for the evening. She does a great job of warming up the audience with her loud and bold energy. Her raunchy and taboo jokes have no boundaries and are shockingly hilarious. But Arie David is the standout of the night. Whether it’s abortion or paedophile rings, her jokes can get dark, but her clever writing and deadpan, sharp style of delivery work exceedingly well in raising cackling laughter from the audience. 

For Bitches in Stitches: New Grrrl Order, nothing is out of bounds. The diversity of the comedians showcased is refreshing, and all involved should be commended for creating such a necessary space in the comedy scene. Bitches in Stitches aren’t trying to tick a checkbox, but rather to offer a space that is welcoming and celebratory, whilst also showing off some amazing talent. All of the acts proved themselves with strong writing, stage presence and delivery; the audience laughed the whole way through. They hold a defiant, rebellious middle finger up to those who claim “women aren’t funny enough”.

Founded by Fran Ayala-Rock and Natalia Schwartz
Performers: Fran Ayala-Rock, Arie David, Alix Brown, Casey Brander, Madeline Fennell, Twinks Burnett and Kate Hu
Lead production by Arie David

Biches in Stitches: New Grrl Order has finished its current run in London, but it is transferring to The Laughing Horse at the Edinburgh Fringe until Thursday 27 August.