Award-winning Lamb Comedy Productions presents the BIG Queer Weekender for Brighton Fringe

With multiple award wins and nominations across the years, Lamb Comedy’s Queer Weekender took home the Brighton Fringe 2023 Audience Choice award for ‘Best Event’ with the sell-out show ‘Sian Hutchinson: Tick My Box’, to sit alongside The Actors Audience Choice award for ‘Best Venue’.

Lamb Comedy also launched their very own ‘Queer Comedy Award’ in 2023, which was awarded to the super talented Selena Mersey, who headlines this year’s Queer Weekender event with a brand new show: ‘Bisexuelle’.

Kicking off the long weekend in style, Kathy Maniura brings back to the Actors her critically acclaimed debut solo show Kathy Maniura: Objectified. Kathy presented a work in progress version of this show at The Actors in 2023, before honing the piece at Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh gaining 4 and 5 star reviews for it’s silliness, goofiness, and all round brilliance.

In this show, Kathy personifies inanimate objects, making this a character comedy show like no other! Lamb Comedy loved the WIP version so much, Kathy was given the ‘runner-up’ accolade for the ‘Queer Comedy Award 2023’, which sits nicely alongside her other nominations for ‘Best Debut Show’ at this year’s Leicester Comedy Festival, ‘BBC New Comedian of the Year Award 2023’, ‘SYTYF 2021’, ‘Funny Women 2021’, and winner of ‘Sketch Off 2020’. Proof, should anyone need it, that Kathy is a very very funny lady, indeed. Kathy Manuira: Objectified is on Saturday and Sunday 25-26 May at 3:30pm.

Trans comic Jen Ives joins the Weekender with a tongue in cheek show titled Jen Ives: I’m Straight Now – a show about being straight and not queer anymore actually, so don't say she is… Jen catapulted onto the comedy scene just a few years ago and quickly picked up award nominations at ‘Laughing Horse New Comedian of the Year (Runner Up 2018)’, ‘Funny Women Finalist (2019)’, ‘2Northdown New Comedian Finalist (2019)’ and ‘Leicester Mercury Awards (2019)’.

Since then, she has written and starred in projects for E4, Dave, Comedy Central, and featured on ‘Joe Lycett’s Big Pride Party’ on Channel 4. This is a first chance to see Jen’s brand new show which has been gathering much attention on her social media channels! Jen Ives: I’m Straight Now is on Saturday and Sunday 25-26 May at 5pm, and on bank holiday Monday 27 May at 2pm.

Returning to the Queer Weekender line up this year is radio, podcast and regular Piers Morgan tv show guest (yes, really!), James Barr. Popular on the London circuit, James hosts queer line up night ‘All Barr Huns’ in top LGBTQ+ venues across London including the Two Brewers and the RVT. James can be heard on The Hits Radio breakfast show every weekday, and is often seen on TV going head to head with Piers Morgan on GB News.

Piers describes James as “a woke comedian”. James Barr: I’m Sorry I Hurt Your Son (Said My Ex To My Mum) is the first chance to see this work in progress show heading to the Underbelly at Edinburgh Fringe in the summer. In his most poignant work to date, James uses this show to discuss his relationship with an abusive ex-partner and surviving online abuse in this trailblazing hour of stand-up, co-directed by Madeleine Parry (director of Hannah Gadsby’s Emmy-award winning show Nanette). James Barr: I’m Sorry I Hurt Your Son is on Saturday and Sunday 25-26 May at 6:30pm.

Northern comic, and Brighton favourite, Jane Postlethwaite is back! Jane returns to Brighton Fringe after a hiatus of 4 years since moving away to Cumbria. Jane is a Lamb Comedy favourite, having been programmed by the team in 2015, 2016 and 2017 gaining plenty of award nominations (including ‘Best Event’ and ‘Best Comedy Show’) for her outrageous sell-out and 5-star rated character comedy adventures.

This year’s show, Jane Postlethwaite: Terrible People will no doubt receive the same admiration and standing ovations as her previous one-woman routines have obtained. Becoming renowned on the north-west comedy circuit, last year Jane launched a new comedy night for female, non-binary and LGBTQ+ acts at the Feel Good Club, Manchester.

Jane is now so established as a character comedy actress, she teaches the craft of writing and performing character comedy for women at workshops throughout the year, as well as running an ethical clothing brand, hosting podcast ‘Bats In The Attic’, and writing scripts for TV and radio. Jane Postlethwaite: Terrible People is on Saturday and Sunday 25-26 May at 8pm, and bank holiday Monday 27 May at 3:30pm.

The Lamb Comedy ‘Queer Comedy Award’ winner, Selena Mersey, rounds up the Queer Weekender with her brand new show, Selena Mersey: Bisexuelle. Popular comedian and burlesque artist, Brighton local Helena (aka Selena), originally hails from Liverpool and launches her new show at the Queer Weekender following last year’s successful and critically acclaimed debut show ‘Madonna/Whore’.

Quickly becoming a fan favourite, with Selena’s mix of comedy, burlesque and music, she has established herself as a proven hit on Brighton’s alternative comedy circuit. As she prepares to take her first show to the Edinburgh Fringe in the summer, she is honing her new work in progress follow-up show at Brighton Fringe in May. Expect raucous laughter, explicit humour, a little sauciness, and standing ovations. Selena Mersey: Bisexuelle is on Saturday and Sunday 25-26 May at 9:30pm, and bank holiday Monday at 5pm.

Lamb Comedy’s Queer Weekender takes place across the Bank Holiday weekend of 25-27 May, as part of Brighton Fringe 2024 at The Actors Theatre, 4 Prince’s Street, Kemptown BN2 1RD.All Queer Weekender tickets are £8 full price (£6.50 concession), and there’s a 20% discount for tickets bought for multiple shows in the Queer Weekender line up, when bought together in advance.Tickets can be purchased from the Brighton Fringe box office; brightonfringe.org / 01273 917272, or in person at The Ledward Centre. Tickets may also be purchased on the door at The Actors on the day, if not sold out.Full show details (and tickets) can be found on the following links:

KATHY MANIURA: OBJECTIFIEDJEN IVES: I'M STRAIGHT NOW JAMES BARR: SORRY I HURT YOUR SON (WIP)JANE POSTLETHWAITE: TERRIBLE PEOPLE SELENA MERSEY: BISEXUELLE (WORK IN PROGRESS)