Comedy’s gender agenda
Pare down your look, let sequins take centre stage and when the bells ring you’ll be sure to shine the brightest
There has been a long-needed influx of female-fronted comedy shows recently, with Katherine Ryan and Sara Pascoe having their own sitcoms and shows like Motherland proving to be ratings winners.
Doon has been at the forefront of UK female comedy since the 1980s and says there is some way to go before they are on an equal footing with male comics.
“There’s some great female-led shows now, which is exciting, but there’s still a bit of a way to go yet before we redress the balance,” she said.
“It’s been 20 years since we did Smack The Pony and we didn’t see a raft of femaleled shows after it. I’m working on a book about my experiences when I was younger, looking at the roles I was asked to play.
“It wasn’t until Smack The Pony that we were allowed to be the lead. Until then we were the feed or straight person to the men, like Mel and Griff (Smith and Rhys Jones), so it was fantastic to be the bomb disposal experts as opposed to the sexy nurse.
“Smack is still really popular and is passed around via Facebook and Youtube, so it shows how much people still want that sort of thing. The three of us remain in touch and we’ve talked about bringing it back, but we all have kids and other things going on.
“We could do it again, so never say never. Who knows when it will happen – but it might.”
The new party dress code rules for this extraordinary year mean opting for “relaxed glamour”. Hogmanay will be like no other and this is a look that will work for a Zoom party (just the top half needs to be glam) or a small “bubble” gathering. If Zooming is really not your thing, and it is just you, Jools Holland on the telly and a phone conversation, I guarantee sequins will get you in the mood. You can tell people what you’re wearing.
This look is all about wearing just one piece that’s glam. There’s no need to deck yourself out in competition with the Christmas tree.
For example, it can be chandelier earrings and a stylish jumpsuit, or a sequinned blazer and tuxedo trousers, or a velvet top and sparkly embellished skirt. You get the idea?
I’ll be raising a glass of prosecco to you all, and wishing you a stylish and fashionable 2021!
Here’s to you!