Jenny Eclair, Nish Kumar headline Christmas Comedy
The Christmas Comedy line-up: Jenny Eclair, Nish Kumar, Michelle De Swarte, Amy Gledhill, Lorna Rose Treen and MC Vix Leyton.
The hilarious, legendary stand-up comedian Jenny Eclair is headlining Christmas Comedy in aid of Women and Children First at the Leicester Square Theatre on Monday 2nd December.
She will be joined at the fundraiser by award-winning comics seen on TV, including Nish Kumar (‘Live at the Apollo’), Michelle De Swarte (‘Spent’), Edinburgh Fringe Best Show winner Amy Gledhill and double Chortle award winner Lorna Rose Treen.
Stand-up comedian Jenny Eclair was the first woman to win the Perrier Award – the UK’s top comedy award – in 1995.
Since then, Jenny has taken multiple shows on tour around the country, most recently Sixty! (FFS), which was extended twice due to its popularity.
Jenny is well known for her starring role on BBC1’s Grumpy Old Women which ran for three series and was then adapted into four live shows touring across the UK and Australia, all of which Jenny co-wrote and starred in.
Continuing her partnership with Judith Holder, producer of Grumpy Old Women, Jenny co-hosts the podcast Older and Wider, the podcast for people who don't know what a podcast is, a weekly ramble about life, with additional swearing. She is also the writer of the much-loved BBC Radio Four Little Lifetimes monologues which ran for seven series.
Jenny was a contestant on series 15 of Taskmaster (Channel 4) and currently hosts the spin off podcast Taskmaster: The People’s Podcast. Eclair is also a critically acclaimed author with seven novels, a collection of short stories and a number of non-fiction books under her belt. Her latest writing endeavour is an autobiography titled Jokes, Jokes, Jokes: My Very Funny Memoir published in October.
Nish Kumar is “a comedian, and a bloody good one at that” (Time Out). Nish has achieved huge success on the stand-up circuit with five rave reviewed solo stand-up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, two of which have been nominated for the prestigious Comedy Award for Best Show in both 2015 & 2016. He’s been seen on shows including Live at the Apollo and The Mash Report, and regularly hosts political news podcast Pod Save the UK.
Michelle De Swarte is an actor, comedian, presenter and writer. She has starred in The Duchess for Netflix and horror-comedy series The Baby for HBO/Sky Atlantic. Most recently, she wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed Spent for BBC Two.
Amy Gledhill is a multi-award-winning comedian, actor and writer, and is the only act ever to be nominated for the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award twice in the same year. As seen on Would I Lie to You?, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and many more.
Lorna Rose Treen is an award-winning comedian, writer, and actor who received rave reviews at Edinburgh Fringe 2023/2024 for her debut show Skin Pigeon, and for which she won U&Dave's Best Joke of the Fringe and Chortle's Best Alternative Act 2024.
Compering the show is Vix Leyton, host of ‘The Comedy Arcade’ podcast and ambassador of Women and Children First, fusing whimsical charm with biting wit.
The Christmas comedy show is in aid of Women and Children First. Every 2 minutes a mother dies in pregnancy and childbirth. The charity sets up community health groups in the world’s most rural, remote areas, enabling mothers to survive and thrive.
Through empowering strong women leaders to run these groups, they can halve maternal mortality. It is life-changing, life-saving work. Every £5 raised can help support a woman to attend their local community health group for a year.
Speaking about the show Jenny Eclair says, “I’m so looking forward to taking part in this Christmas fundraiser for Women and Children First, championing brilliant women to run important community health groups that support women through the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth, whilst sharing the stage with loads of fellow comedy greats!!!”
Beth Silver, Chief Executive of Women and Children First, adds, “We are thrilled Jenny Eclair, Nish Kumar and so many fine comedians are joining our fundraiser to help women and children survive and thrive in some of the most rural, remote communities.
“Our life-changing, life-saving work is only possible thanks to the kindness of our supporters and the public. Please join us for a festive night of great entertainment and raucous laughter.”
Tickets are available from the Leicester Square Theatre from £19 each, plus booking fees.
Group bookings of 6 or more people can use the code COMEDY6 for a 15% discount.