Comedy Writing alumni take sketches to Edinburgh Fringe

Five Falmouth Comedy Writing MA (Online) alumni are heading to Edinburgh Fringe after their comedy sketches were hand-picked to be performed as part of a one-hour industry showcase over six consecutive nights.   

Performing as part of Gobby Girl Productions’ ‘The 11% Club’, the show celebrates female comedic talent, reflecting on how only 11% of sitcoms are written by women. The show is all about skewering the gender imbalance in comedy with wit; satirically playing with the idea of women's roles in comedy.   

Speaking on the opportunity, Course Leader Simon Nicholls said: “Over the last five years that we’ve run the MA, we’ve had many successes with students breaking into the professional comedy industry. I’m so pleased to see this latest group of talented students getting such a high-profile showcase for their writing. It’s fantastic to see our comedy writing graduates flourish!” 

Lotte Allan, Jane Harvey, Jenny de Jersey, Jo Somner and Rosie Šošić make up almost half of the group of 12 writers behind the show and are all recent graduates of Falmouth’s Comedy Writing master’s course. We caught up with them to learn more about their sketches, what it means to have their material performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and how Falmouth helped them get there.  

How have you found your time studying at Falmouth on the Comedy Writing MA course?  

Jane Harvey: Without a doubt, embarking on the MA course was the best decision for me, having had such a fun and rewarding time on the course. It gave me the tools and knowledge I needed to pursue the career I wanted, equipping me with the knowledge of how the industry works. Course Leader Simon Nicholls, was incredibly encouraging and supportive all the way through, as were all the tutors. 

Jo Somner: The tutors have been brilliant and taught me so much and have supported, championed and engaged with me in a way that no teacher ever has and for that I will be eternally grateful. Thanks to the brilliant tutors, I’ve now got the skills to develop, structure and write comedy.  

Can you tell us a little about the sketches you’ve written for Edinburgh?  

Jenny de Jersey: The show takes a tongue in cheek approach - it’s by women in comedy about why women shouldn’t do comedy! In response to the brief, my sketch has a male and female performer going up against each other for the same role. The women’s list of preparations is as long as your arm (hair done, dress appropriately, drop kids to school, do the big shop) but with so much to think about she’s forgotten to read the script! I am also working on a parody of the Country & Western classic ‘Stand by Your Man’ but our version is ‘Stand-Up’s for Men’!   

Jo Somner: For my sketch, I reworked a scene from a sitcom that I’d developed while I was studying on the Comedy Writing MA. I was blown away when my sketch was one those selected out of over 200 submissions.   

Having worked in TV, I had already written a sitcom pilot about my experiences called ‘TV is Dead’, where I revealed that the real entertainment lies behind the camera. It’s now a sketch called ‘I Would Do Anything For Love (Including That)’ and is a ridiculous spoof of someone auditioning for a reality dating show.