On May 3, 2010 HER-story was made. "Funny Girls", headed by Mina Liccione, was the very first ALL-FEMALE Comedy Show to happen in the Middle East and MENA region. This blog is intended to document and follow this HER-storical show as it continues to grow, prosper and encourage women of all backgrounds to follow their dreams. Our first show included "Funny Girls" hailing from around the globe though all reside in Dubai, UAE. The line-up consists of two professional veiled women, an Italian-American Broadway veteran and professor, an Australian flight attendant, a Lebanese beauty and an Armenian school teacher.
The “Funny Girls” Team:
Bronwyn Byrnes- Opening Act
Lamya Tawfik- Stand Up
Sabina Giado- Stand Up
Sophie Samuelian- Guest Stand Up
Azza Yehia- Hostess/MC
Mina Liccione- Headlining Stand Up Act, Funny Girls coach and creator
Ali Al Sayed- Producer
Abel Fernandes- Stage Manager
Presented by- Dubomedy/VIVA Arts
Comedy Training- Laugh Out Loud! Comedy School lead by Mina Liccione & Ali Al Sayed
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“Funny Girls: UAE Comediennes Stand Up”
By Jo Wadham
printed in The National News on May 2, 2010
Tomorrow, history – or as the comedienne and lead performer of Funny Girls, Mina Liccione, describes it, “her-story” – will be made at the Al Shalal Beach Club on Palm Jumeirah, as Liccione and her international but Dubai-based cohort of comics present the first all-female comedy show in the Middle East.
One would be hard pressed to come across five more different women in one comedy troupe. There is Lamya Tawfik, the Egyptian PhD student who is eschewing her thesis to tell jokes; “BB” Bronwyn Byrnes, the blonde Australian air hostess; Sophie Samuelian, the American-Armenian teacher; Sabina Giado, a Sri Lankan communications co-ordinator and Liccione, a vivacious, six-foot-tall Italian-American from New York. The only things that link them are that they all live in Dubai and they all are funny.
“I think here, arts and comedy have grown so much. I am ready to hear the women’s voices – and a lot of people are too. I get messages saying that all the time,” Liccione says. The rest of the Funny Girls have studied with Liccione in her comedy courses, which she runs at the Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre.
When Liccione arrived in Dubai in 2008, she knew she wanted to tap into the female talent in the UAE. “I decided I really wanted to train enough women to the point where they were not just good, not just for fun, but to get to the point where they can perform. I wanted to hear a different point of view. I’ve heard the same Arab-American comedy for 10 years now. I wanted a different voice.”
The fact that two of the troupe’s members, Giado and Tawfik, wear headscarves will shape but not dominate the humour. And it has already attracted some controversy. During a recent television interview in Lebanon, Tawfik says she was asked by a presenter: “‘You are veiled. Aren’t veiled women supposed to keep attention away from themselves?’ And I said: ‘I am not disrespectful of myself or the veil.’ One of the things I have always been proud of is that I am able to do almost anything I want to do with the veil on. I don’t allow it to limit me. “My Arabic and my English are the same strength,” Tawfik says, “but a lot of the time I think in English and it’s a lot easier for me to do stand-up in English than it is in Arabic. Arab-speaking comedians don’t really do stand-up.”
Liccione agrees: “Arab comedy is more about storytelling.”
Similarly, Giado is aware that her religion marks her out as different in the world of comedy: “I’m very conscious of being a representative, but at the same time, I try not to let it limit me. It’s a bit of a fine line.”
Giado started performing stand-up as part of her undergraduate degree in Melbourne, Australia. “I had to pass the performance studies course and I didn’t know anything except stand-up. I didn’t know theatre, so I did stand-up and it went down, like, awesome. It was unbelievable. I never thought of doing stand-up, ever, but it was just so much fun that I kept doing it.”
Giado later showed her parents the video of her performance. “Their first reaction was shock because usually I am really quiet and soft-spoken in real life. On stage I’m different. I become a lot more comfortable in my skin. I’m just a little more open, expressive in what I think.”
The jokes will reflect the social values of the women and UAE society. As Liccione explains: “We all take pride in the fact that as part of my programme, and for these girls as individuals, we do not swear. We don’t talk about certain things; we genuinely respect the culture here, and the women have values that are reflected in the comedy. You don’t need to swear. You can tell stories. It forces you to be more personal and more creative.”
Most of the comediennes are long-term Dubai residents. Tawfik and Giado were born and brought up there, and Byrnes has lived there for 15 years. She puts her love of comedy down to her childhood as the youngest of eight children in Brisbane, where she and her mother would watch the comedian Dave Allen on television.
There is a touch of Rita Rudner about Byrnes, who was selected from the students of Liccione’s last comedy course to take the five-minute “newcomer” spot at the beginning of tomorrow’s show.
The fifth member of the group, Samuelian, has been a drama teacher in an international school in Dubai since 2002, and has done stand-up in the UAE and the US. She caught the comedy bug while participating in an open mic day in Dubai with Ahmed Ahmed and his fellow Arab-American comics during their Axis of Evil tour in 2006.
Anyone who thinks an all-female show means relentless jokes about PMT and useless husbands should think again. Liccione says her comedy comes from her loud and funny Italian-American family. “I talk a lot about my dad and my mum, but I like talking about current events or something I just went through. I take notes. I write down funny stories. Art reflects life, so whatever I’m actually experiencing, that’s what I’ll talk about.”
Liccione also works in improvisation and movement at the New York Film Academy in Abu Dhabi. With her business partner and co-producer of Funny Girls, Ali al Sayed, she set up Dubomedy’s Monday Night Funnies in Dubai, and launched an Abu Dhabi version last month.
Liccione and al Sayed have big plans for the future of comedy in the UAE. As al Sayed explains: “We intend to walk that extra mile. Right now we are doing training, doing small shows and getting the community involved. Once the base is strong enough, we’re going to the rest of the Middle East and North Africa.”
For al Sayed, an Emirati, the time has come for UAE comedy to stand up and be counted. “I grew up with entertainment being imported. We’re trying, hopefully, to export our entertainment internationally.”
Funny Girls first appeared at the Gusto Ristorante at the Al Shalal Beach Club on the Palm Jumeirah the evening of May 3, 2010.
Dubomedy's "Funny Girls" makes HER-story!
On May 3, 2010 HER-story was made. "Funny Girls" was the very first ALL-FEMALE Comedy Show to happen in the Middle East and MENA region. This blog is intended to document and follow this HER-storical show as it continues to grow, prosper and encourage women of all backgrounds to follow their dreams. Our first show included "Funny Girls" hailing from around the globe though all reside in Dubai, UAE. The line-up consists of two professional veiled women, an Italian-American Broadway veteran and professor, an Australian flight attendant, a Lebanese beauty and an Armenian school teacher.
The “Funny Girls” Team:
Bronwyn Byrnes- Opening Act
Lamya Tawfik- Stand Up
Sabina Giado- Stand Up
Sophie Samuelian- Guest Stand Up
Azza Yehia- Hostess/MC
Mina Liccione- Headlining Stand Up Act, Funny Girls coach and creator
Ali Al Sayed- Producer
Abel Fernandes- Stage Manager
Presented by- Dubomedy/VIVA Arts
Comedy Training- Laugh Out Loud! Comedy School lead by Mina Liccione & Ali Al Sayed
_________________________________________________________________
Q & A SESSION BETWEEN NADEEM HANIF OF GULF NEWS AND "FUNNY GIRLS" DIRECTOR MINA LICCIONE - May 22, 2010
What is your background? Where are you from and how did you get involved in showbiz?
I am from New York and started performing at age three so it chose me! My first performance was a cute little tap dance number with my bouncey curls. My first job was as an assistant Dance Teacher at age 12 so I could afford new tap shoes and costumes. My first big break into show biz was as an original dancer on MTV’s The Grind at age 17 and my first Broadway show was Stomp. The day I found out I was casted in Stomp is still one of the happiest memories of my life. I even took a picture of myself jumping up and down with excitement so that I could always remember what pure bliss feels like.
I started out with intense dance training then went into musical comedy, character acting and improvisation then Broadway then an International Tour then Cirque then Stand Up and back again! Since I was a kid I was always casted as the comic relief so no matter what style of performance I was doing there was always elements of comedy. Comedy has been my way of life both on and off stage. I have been blessed with a very supportive family, amazing teachers and incredible opportunities.
My educational background is rather unique. I have a BFA in Dance, minor in Theater Arts- Marymount Manhattan College and an MFA in Experimental Performance Studies and & Interdisciplinary Arts Education- New College of California. I'm also a graduate of the 1 year Professional Clowning Program- San Francisco School of Circus Arts’ Clown Conservatory.
What challenges have you and your team faced when planning and doing the shows?
At first it was difficult to get venues to trust local material and homegrown talent as the majority of entertainment comes to Dubai on a plane. But ever since we’ve launched our shows and Monday Night Funnies things have changed and local talent has been given more performance opportunities.
Is Dubai/UAE a difficult place to be a comic, particularly if you're a woman?
For me personally, NO! It’s a great place for generating material! Many comics will complain about not being able to say this or that or swear but I prefer a clean show and always have. It forces a comic to be more creative and not rely on cheap laughs but rather find the real laughs. As for being a woman, it’s never been an issue. I’m too tall, too loud and too Italian-American LOL! I was already an experienced professional performer very comfortable in her comedic skin long before I moved here though, I’m sure it may be different for new female comedians from this region just starting out.
What was the thinking behind the funny girls show? What do you want to achieve by it?
I wanted to give comedy in the Middle East a different voice, another point of view. I’ve been hearing the same jokes for years now and I wanted to hear something fresh, honest and new from people who lived here. I wanted to encourage women here to explore their comedic side and share it with others in hopes of inspiring other women to do the same. We often here the male point of view as well as a lot of swearing in Stand Up Comedy, my act is high energy , heavy hitting and just as funny without the cussing.
What kind of response have you guys had to the show?
The response has been very, very positive! This project was not only funny but extremely meaningful for this community. We have received numerous e-mails thanking us for “paving the road for other female comics in the Middle East”. We are deeply humbled and grateful for the support and encouragement we have both received and given to others. Art from the heart- comedy from the gut.
What are the differences between doing stand-up in the UAE and the West?
Comedy is a universal language, we all smile and need to laugh or else our heads will explode. LOL! Audiences can change from town to town let alone country to country. An audience of only college students is much different to an audience of senior citizens. An audience in San Francisco is completely different from Dubai. An audience of Dubai expats is very different from that of Dubai locals. An audience in Uptown Manhattan is different than downtown Manhattan. Each country, city, neighborhood have inside localized jokes about them. Certain things that are funny in Tokyo wouldn’t make any sense in Italy and vice versa. Also, some cultures are more reserved and don’t scream or shout and then you go America where they don’t shut up. LOL! There was this one part of Stomp where we make music with plungers. Kids always got a good laugh of it but most adults would simple smile and maybe give a chuckle. However, when we performed in Germany the crowd was laughing uncontrollably for the entire plunger piece. They were very quiet and reserved for most of the show but when the plungers came out they went wild! Go figure? One time I went to see a British Stand Up Comedian and I didn’t get any of his jokes? His accent was thick and I didn’t know the places he was talking about. I knew he was funny because I was the only one not laughing! The key is to find the similarities and connections that we all share and always include some localized jokes to the particular region you are performing in.
Do you have any amusing stories for when you were performing?
Too many! I once split my pants in an audition, I once got pushed off the stage and got wedged between the edge of the stage and the front row seats until two ushers pulled me out, I once skidded about 4 feet across the stage on spilt water and proceeded to land on my lower back with my legs in the air center stage! The beauty of these things is that I always kept going no matter what and it made for great comedy! Mistakes equal great comedy, there is nothing funny about perfection! The splitting of my pants landed me a lead comedic role in a major New York production, the infamous big slip as the Evil Step Mom in Cinderella Ragtime got us rave reviews for our “physical humor” and getting pushed off stage back in high school is still the number one story told when I go home after all these years! My parents still have the video and it sometimes makes guest appearances at family gatherings.
Are there things you avoid making jokes of?
Religon and anything that isn’t truthful to my own personal experience. For example, if I wasn’t Italian-American I wouldn’t make jokes like “Q: How do you shut an Italian up? A: By tying his hands behind his back!” My comedy reflects my truthful life experiences. Everything from my day to day blunders to my family to Dubai driving to Facebook to my funny adventures of trying to learn Arabic! Whatever I am living at that moment is reflected in my jokes.
What is the future for Funny Girls? Will you tour other countries?
Inshallah! We are working on a lot of opportunities over the summer through the rest of the year! Our goal is to involve the rest of the Middle East and North Africa for this and all of our upcoming projects.
Q & A with core Dubomedy member Lamya Tawfik
What is your background? Where are you from and how did you get involved in showbiz?
I'm an Egyptian 33-year-old born and raised in Dubai. My background (both academically and career-wise) is journalism and PR. My first show ever was on Feb 13, 2009. It was after a comedy workshop that I attended that was given by Aron Kader (Axis of Evil). I went on stage, performed, heard the applause and knew then that I was hooked for life! I then found out about the Laugh Out Loud Comedy school at DUCTAC and have been training and performing intensively with Mina Liccione ever since!
So far the journey has been challenging, exciting and my life has changed dramatically. My intense training with Mina has taught me that showbiz is not just about performing but it's also a learning experience. You learn discipline, punctuality, swallowing your ego and being open to criticism. When you're a group performing you learn to put the success of the group first understanding that you're a jigsaw piece of bigger picture that HAS to look good. The implications of that for example is that while you're focused on perfecting your own material you're not stingy about giving feedback and input to others!
Is Dubai/UAE a difficult place to be a comic, particularly if you're a woman?
Dubai is the perfect place to be if you’re a comic I think. Sure there are things we can’t joke about. But that’s not the full story. What people don’t realize is that despite the red lines, we’re blessed because this is a city so diverse that there’s comfort in its diversity. The fact that you can crack a joke and be able to tickly the funny bones of an Australian, Indian and Emirati sitting in the audience means that you’re achieving ‘international’ success before even performing internationally! You gain an understanding of what makes us all laugh, i.e. the common grounds of humor on a human level instead of what makes only certain cultures laugh. The former is a lot more challenging and rewarding than the latter.
Being diverse, means that Dubai is more accepting of various kinds of artists. Since day one, I’ve always heard praise that I’m a female comedian and that I also wear the head veil. I think my audience feels that it’s a refreshing change from a male-dominated industry.
What kind of response have you guys had to the show?
Extremely positive! I’ve even had random people come up to me and say: “hey Funny Girl… I’ve been to your show… you girls are really funny!” Exhilarating! Our launch was sold out, there were people standing and sitting everywhere and the praise that followed was proof that no one left disappointed!
Do you have any amusing stories for when you were performing?
I was doing a show once and suddenly this guy and his family got up and starting walking towards the door. Ok, they don’t want us to pick on them but then they do something like that and of course I’m thinking… this is a gift! So I quickly looked at him and said: “Wait... don’t go! Stay! I’ll tryyy to be funny! Give me a chance!” Of course everyone in the audience though that was funny… he then turned around red-faced and said: “Umm… we have to go because the baby is crying.”
How do people’s sense of humor compare between expats and Emiratis?
Both expats and Emiratis watch Friends and other sitcoms and laugh, so the basis of what makes them laugh is the same. Arabs though are more inclined to enjoy the build-up of a joke, the story behind it more than the actual punchline. I once performed for an audience that was mostly Emirati and decided to write material that reminisced about life back in the 80s. I struck a common chord between us and they enjoyed it. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. If I don’t relate to something a comedian says, I will not find it funny.
Are there things you avoid making jokes of?
I personally will never make jokes about any faith. I find jokes that make fun of religions insensitive to the feelings of those who follow it. I like to keep my act clean and family-friendly which means I don’t do sexual jokes.
Statement on what it's like to perform as a Muslim and the issues Lamya Tawfik has faced:
I’ve had girls come up to me after some shows and have given my hugs and praise for being a veiled comedian. However, being veiled has also been a challenge.
For example, in some venues in Dubai veiled women are not allowed in. While this has always frustrated me when I used to go out with my friends and we’ve usually resorted to just leaving and going somewhere else, it became an actual challenge when I’m performing.
In a recent show, the organizers asked us to wear hats on top of our veils. It was initially frustrating but then you have to swallow that and think of the big picture (see my answer to question 1). I wore a hat felt blessed that I’m still going to perform and had a blast that night! Also, inadvertently, that fed my comedic mind with more material. To start off, I pointed it out before even starting my act!
I was also recently criticized on a TV talk show by an Egyptian presenter who said: “Aren’t veiled women supposed to keep attention away from themselves?” I’m not sure where she got that from but I said that my comedy is clean and family-friendly and so I'm not doing a disservice for myself or my veil by being a comedian. The strange thing is that one of her co-presenters was also veiled!
It’s a bumpy ride but I’m enjoying it! As Miley Cyrus eloquently put it… “The struggles I’m facing, the chances I’m taking sometimes might knock me down but I’m not breaking.” I mean really... at the end of the day… it IS The Climb!
FUNNY GIRLS SEASON 2 took the UAE by storm as part of the Comedy Rotana Tour! The Funny Girls performed to thousands of fans as they toured the UAE between May-July, 2011. This year's line-up included Shaima Al Sayed, Simone Heng, Susan Strickland, Sophie Samuelian, Azza Yehia as the hostess and Mina Liccione headlining. Each 'Funny Girl' comes from a different cultural background hence bringing their own unique flavor of Comedy to the table! From a Euro-Australian Radio and TV presenter (Simone Heng) to a Local events organizer who wears an abaya (Shaima Al Sayed) to a Broadway Veteran from New York (Mina Liccione) and everything inbetween. We take pride in the rich diversity our 'Funny Girls' represent. They bring great joy to their audiences all while breaking stereotypes and bringing people together through laughter.
