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Clare Berry performing at Fem de la Femme

Manchester – What has happened to the comedy industry?

24 February 2026, categories: Cancel Culture, comedy, Culture, Event, Free speech, Gender stereotypes, Manchester, Meetings, Woke

On 24 February 2026 we will be talking about the comedy industry.

Our discussion will be hosted by Claire Berry founder of Fem de la Femme CIC, an organization in Liverpool set up to run women’s comedy nights and confidence building workshops. Post cancellation Claire is now training as journalist and facing a whole new set of ideological challenges.

Clare will argue that:

  • the comedy circuit, as with the arts more generally, is one of the most captured industries around when it comes it gender ideology
  • that the sector is a very unwelcoming environment for women and men who believe in the material reality of sex
  • the scope of acceptable material is diminishing, and many promotors and performers are unaware of majority views on sex and gender, as the sector feeds off its own echo chamber and runs the risk of alienating audiences
  • the fractured comedy circuit is beginning to fall into two camps – queer friendly, inclusive and sensitive or male dominated gigs brandishing as many ‘isms’ as possible to push back against censorship and cancellations
  • women’s place in comedy has always been challenging but is now stuck between the old school misogyny and the new misogyny that’s erasing their identity
  • any whiff of a gender critical comment from a woman on the circuit means swift and public cancellation, leaving women particularly between a rock and hard place.

What do you think? And what do you think can be done?

Come and join the discussion

You are warmly invited to join us at the Welcome Inn, Bury Old Road, Whitefield, Manchester M45 6TA for our next meeting at 7:30pm on Tuesday 24 February 2026.  This is a free event.  All are welcome.

See here for location.

Upcoming events

Many of us will be attending Battle of Ideas North on Saturday 7th March, 10am to 6pm, a day of debate on politics, economics, culture wars and more as the Battle of Ideas festival returns north!

You can find out more here.

Use PIP-BN26 to get your discount as a PiPs supporter.

All our future events are advertised here: Upcoming Events.