Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall, a major new celebration of women in comedy, has announced the inaugural edition, taking place on Sunday 7 March 2027 at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall.
Set to become a landmark event in the British comedy calendar, Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall takes place on the eve of International Women’s Day, and will showcase a compilation of world-class, award-winning comics who have helped shape the contemporary comedy scene alongside the brightest new talent coming through, with each act performing a specially-curated set.
Announced today to appear at Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall 2027 are (A-Z): Catherine Bohart, Ciara O’Connor, Fern Brady, Harriet Dyer, Janine Harouni, Josie Long, Lou Sanders, Marty Gleeson, Michelle De Swarte and Sindhu Vee.
Tickets go on sale 10AM Friday 23 October via www.hysterical-women.co.uk.
Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall’s creator Bridget Mulroy, Promoter at Live Nation, said:
“Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall is a celebration of stand-up comedy, with comedians across generations, backgrounds and identities taking over the Hall on the eve of International Women’s Day. We’re reclaiming a word that has been used to dismiss women for a very long time and putting it in lights, while celebrating the incredible talent in the comedy scene right now.”
“The Royal Albert Hall is an iconic venue with a rich history of comedy legends, but its Victoria Wood who holds the record for the most shows in a run by any comedian, a feat she achieved twice with 15 sell-out shows. She proved what a woman with a microphone can do in that venue, and Hysterical Women is a way of carrying that forward.”
Matthew Todd, Director of Programming at the Royal Albert Hall, said:
“We are delighted to have such a brilliant array of comedians performing here next year for this brand new Hysterical Women event. The Hall has been a platform for innovation, important voices and cultural change throughout its history, so this event will be a fitting moment in our programme to collectively celebrate women through the undeniable power of comedy ahead of International Women’s Day.”
ABOUT THE COMEDIANS
Catherine Bohart’s most recent show, Again With Feelings, was nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2024 and received five stars from The Guardian in its opening 2 weeks. Catherine has also performed multiple critically acclaimed solo stand-up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and on tour across the UK, Ireland and Australia, entitled Immaculate, Lemon, and This Isn’t For You, garnering rave reviews along the way. Immaculate is available to view as a stand-up special on Amazon Prime UK.
Ciara O’Connor represents one of society’s most marginalised communities… girls who peaked in Year 9. Having performed at venues such as The Clapham Grand and Top Secret Comedy Club, and with writing that has featured on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, O’Connor is an up-and-coming voice who ponders the big questions (why do we dedicate benches to dead people?)
Bestselling author and Taskmaster fan-favourite Fern Brady is renowned for her caustic wit, exceptional writing, and electric stagecraft, as seen on Live at the Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats, and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order. In 2023 she released her stand-up special, ‘Autistic Bikini Queen’ on Netflix, reaching the Top 10 shows in the UK the week of release. In 2024, she was the recipient of the Sky Arts Award for Comedy.
Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee Harriet Dyer is an award-winning comedian, writer and mental health advocate. She had an extremely successful 2026 Edinburgh Fringe, she was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2026 and also won the ISH Comedy Award for ‘Best Show’. She also won the Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award in 2024. Harriet’s TV credits include Live At The Apollo, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, The Russell Howard Hour and many more.
Janine Harouni is a Lebanese-American actress, stand-up comedian, and writer based in the UK . This year Janine was named the Comedy Champion on Netflix’s reboot of Star Search, the prestigious talent competition that launched the careers of comic powerhouses Dave Chapelle, Adam Sandler, Ray Romano and many more. Janine is a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, recipient of numerous comedy awards including the prestigious BBC New Comedy Award in 2019. She has over 825,000 social followers and more than 250 million views on her online comedy. Her set on BBC’s Live at the Apollo became one of the most-watched debuts in the show’s history, amassing over 35 million views online. Twice nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, Janine’s storytelling stand-up shows have received a slew of 4 and 5 stars reviews.
Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and Gold ARIA winner Josie Long is a comedian, writer, podcaster, and filmmaker who is a trailblazer in the UK comedy industry. As the first woman to be nominated three times for the Edinburgh Comedy Award (2010-2012), Josie is a pioneer in every facet of her work.
Lou Sanders does comedy, acting and writing (don’t we all). And like a jealous partner, I suspect you’d like to know where she’s been…She’s often on QI, and Would I Lie to You, and was on the first series of the UK’s Last One Laughing. Lou has also performed a couple of times on BBC Two’s Live at the Apollo. She has not been banned from any show she’s performed on. You may have seen her on Travel Man, James Cordon’s Late Late Show, and she won the eighth series of Taskmaster. Lou has also appeared on four series of Mel Giedroyc’s: Unforgivable as the second piece of eye candy I guess.
Winner of Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2026 as well as BBC New Comedy Award and Channel 4’s Sean Lock Awards finalist Marty Gleeson is an Irish comedian making waves in the UK. Renowned for her offbeat, captivating, and whimsical performance style, Gleeson was crowned LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year 2024 and was also chosen to be a part of the prestigious Pleasance Comedy Reserve at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024.
Michelle De Swarte is an actor, comedian, presenter and writer. She wrote and starred in her own critically acclaimed show Spent for BBC Two. Her comedy appearances include Live At the Apollo, and panel shows Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Would I Lie To You, The Graham Norton Show and The Last Leg. Michelle was named as one of Variety’s ‘10 Brits to Watch for 2025’. This year she went on tour with her stand up show The Afters to sold out venues and rave reviews.
Sindhu Vee is an award-winning comedian, writer, and actor. As a critically acclaimed stand-up comedian, Sindhu has appeared twice on BBC Two’s Live At The Apollo, most recently as the host. She has also been a guest on top British panel shows, including Mock the Week, QI, Have I Got News For You, and Would I Lie to You? Sindhu’s debut tour, Sandhog, saw two sold-out runs at the Soho Theatre, as well as a 92-date UK tour.
ABOUT HYSTERICAL WOMEN AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL
Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall is a major new celebration of women in comedy, with the inaugural edition taking place on Sunday 7 March 2027 at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall.
A landmark event in the British comedy calendar, Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall will showcase a compilation of world-class, award-winning comics, honouring the women who have influenced the comedy scene and championing those who are shaping its future.
Hysterical Women at Royal Albert Hall is the antidote to comedy’s archaic ecosystem. By spotlighting established comedic talent, as well as offering a platform for rising stars, the event aims to broaden the pipeline for female and gender-expansive comics whilst encouraging a wider, cultural conversation to take place around equal opportunities in the entertainment industry.
