Female-Driven Comedies

Women take center stage in this collection of comedic shows! Here, the laughs are generated by one or more female performers displaying stellar comic timing and charming line deliveries. From farcical heroines to grounded slice-of-life protagonists, the roles in these shows span the range of human existence without ever sacrificing the comfort found in a hearty laugh. So sit back, relax and let the laughs transport you through these comedic worlds run by and featuring women!

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Plays

Always a Bridesmaid by Jones Hope Wooten (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 6w)
In this hilarious comedic romp, four friends have sworn to keep the promise they made on the night of their senior prom: To be in each other’s weddings – no matter what. More than 30 years later, these Southern friends-for-life are still making “the long walk” for each other, determined to honor that vow. For more female-driven comedies by Jones Hope Wooten, check out Hallelujah Girls (US) or The Savannah Sipping Society (US).

At the Wedding by Bryna Turner (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 2m, 1 any gender)
In this raucous and bittersweet comedy, a woman named Carlo guides the audience through her ex-girlfriend’s wedding, to a man, and talks to several friends and family members about love, life and how to cope with both.

Bachelorette by Leslye Headland (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 4w, 2m)
In what The New York Times hailed as a “sensational new comedy,” this play chronicles a party the day before an upscale Manhattan wedding where four old girlfriends from high school come together. As the party progresses, their true feelings come out, and things get toxic in this wickedly dark comedy about female friendship and growing up in an age of excess.

Bernhardt/Hamlet by Theresa Rebeck (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 8m)
In 1899, the international stage celebrity Sarah Bernhardt set out to tackle her most ambitious role yet: Hamlet. Theresa Rebeck’s play rollicks with high comedy and human drama set against the lavish Shakespearean production that could make or break Bernhardt’s career.

BLKS by Aziza Barnes (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 1m)
When shit goes down, your girls show up. Waking up to a shocking and personal health scare, Octavia and her best friends June and Imani go on a crusade to find intimacy and joy in a world that could give a fuck less about them or their feelings. This 24-hour blitz explores what it is to be a queer blk woman in 2015 New York, how we survive and how we save ourselves from ourselves.

Business Ideas by Milo Cramer (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w)
In a too-cute café, a desperate mother and daughter brainstorm get-rich-quick schemes to pay for college (or maybe to make ends meet?). Meanwhile, their hapless server tries to network with a revolving cast of customers, all hilariously played by one actor.

Crimes of the Heart by Beth Henley (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w, 2m)
In Hazlehurst, Mississippi, the three Magrath sisters gather to await news of their ailing grandfather. Their troubles, grave yet somehow hilarious, are highlighted by their priggish cousin, Chick, and by an awkward young lawyer who has clearly fallen in love with Babe. Honest, touching and consistently hilarious, Beth Henley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play teems with humanity and humor.

Drinking Habits by Tom Smith (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m)
Accusations, mistaken identities and romances run wild in this traditional, laugh-out-loud farce. Two nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing have been secretly making wine to keep the convent’s doors open, but Paul and Sally, reporters and former fiancés, are hot on their trail. They go undercover as a nun and priest, but their presence, combined with the addition of a new nun, spurs paranoia throughout the convent that spies have been sent from Rome to shut them down.

Fallen Angels by Noël Coward (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 3m)
Best friends now happily married to others, Julia and Jane both once counted the dashing Frenchman Maurice as their lover. Guess who’s back in town and requesting the pleasure of the ladies’ company? Coward at his inimitable best, this story is a champagne cocktail of wit and charm – and a great opportunity for comedic women to flex their physical comedy muscles.

2016 Playwrights Horizons production of Familiar (Joan Marcus)

Familiar by Danai Gurira (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 5w, 3m)
Marvelous and Donald, Zimbabwean emigrants in Minnesota, are preparing for the marriage of their eldest daughter, Tendi. But their graceful blend of Zimbabwean and American culture is disrupted when Marvelous’ sister insists on performing a traditional wedding ceremony in which the groom barters for the bride. Tensions flare, identities clash, and the family’s fabric slowly unweaves as they take an honest look at who they truly are.

I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samantha Hurley (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 1w, 1m, 1 any gender)
To cope with the absence of her father, neglect from her mother, and ridicule by her classmates, eighth grader Shelby Hinkley has put all of her time and energy into the only thing that matters in 2004: Spider-Man. When leading a devout online fan club proves insufficient to her needs, Shelby decides to risk it all for love, kidnap famous actor Tobey Maguire, and marry him in her basement.

Into the Breeches! by George Brant (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 6w, 2m)
This surprisingly modern and moving comedy set during World War II explores the power of art and community even in the darkest times. While Oberon Play House’s director and leading men are off at war, the director’s wife sets out to produce an all-female version of Shakespeare’s Henriad.

Laughs in Spanish by Alexis Scheer (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 1m)
It’s Art Basel, and the stakes are high for the gallery that Mariana runs in the Wynwood Arts District in Miami. And when Mariana’s movie-star mother tries to help out, things get even more complicado. Laughs in Spanish is a fast-paced, cafecito-induced comedy about art and success – and mothers and daughters.

Laundry and Bourbon by James McLure (US)
(Short Play, Comedy / 3w)
Three gregarious Southern women sit on the front porch on a hot summer day in Texas. With biting humor, they gossip about small town secrets, their husbands and their deeply held convictions. A delightful hour-long comedy that was written to be performed alongside Lone Star, McLure’s other one-act play set in Texas.

Mary-Kate Olsen Is In Love by Mallery Avidon (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 10w, 2m)
Grace is 27, married to her high-school sweetheart, makes good money and should be way happier than she is. But her husband lost his job and now all he does is play Xbox and smoke pot and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen might be her best friends but maybe they only like her because she’s their new target demographic. Or maybe…they’re actually going to save her.

Mary Gets Hers by Emma Horwitz (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 5w)
It’s the 10th century! A plague rages on in Germany! Everyone is turning into foam! When two overzealous hermits find an abandoned orphan named Mary, they scheme a saintly rescue mission to protect her purity at any and all costs. Mary, however, has other plans for herself, in this riotous, racy, (ir)religious play inspired by Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim’s closet drama-comedy Abraham, or the Rise and Repentance of Mary.

Packing Up Polly by Leslie Kimbell (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 4w)
In this hilarious and poignant play, four friends in their 40s come together to laugh, drink, cry and scream as they pack up the cluttered home of Caroline’s late mother, gospel singer Polly Porter. There is just one little problem (or two or three): Miss Polly was an extreme hoarder of epic proportions, Caroline’s useless siblings are totally MIA, and her three best friends from high school, former co-cheerleaders, have all shown up… unannounced!

For more adventures from Kimbell with women leading the comedic way, try Four Old Broads (US/UK), Four Old Broads on the High Seas (US/UK), The Four Old Broads Christmas Extravaganza or The Miss Magnolia Senior Citizen Beauty Pageant (US/UK).

Poor Clare by Chiara Atik (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dramatic Comedy / 5w, 1m, 1 any gender)
It’s 1211 in Assisi, Italy, and Clare’s got beauty, wealth and a rich suitor who showers her with expensive presents. So why is she so drawn to this guy Francis who gave up all his possessions just because poor people are suffering? Everyone in town says he’s crazy. And yet… she starts seeing everything in her life differently in this hilarious, anachronistic telling of the real story of St. Clare.

Pouf! by Lou Clyde (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 4w, 2m)
What happens when you mix hairspray, head lice and a little dab of Elvis? Hairlarity. The year is 1958, and Betty finds herself unfulfilled as a housewife. With the encouragement of her sister, Betty secretly sets up an in-home salon, leveraging her prowess with hairspray and bobby pins to change the lives of neighborhood women by “poufing” their hair in this comedy with big hair and even bigger laughs.

sandblasted by Charly Evon Simpson (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 1m)
Angela and Odessa are on a sandy search for something that might not be real, but they are determined to make a way out of no way. When they stumble upon Adah – that’s right, THE Celebrity-turned-Wellness-Maven Adah – they decide to follow her lead, not knowing that the journey could very well be the cure in this alarming yet delightful satire.

2017 MCC production of School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play (Joan Marcus)

School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play by Jocelyn Bioh (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 8w)
Paulina, the reigning queen bee at Ghana’s most exclusive boarding school, has her sights set on the Miss Universe pageant. But the arrival of Ericka, a new student with undeniable talent and beauty, captures the attention of the pageant recruiter – and Paulina’s hive-minded friends. This buoyant and biting comedy explores the universal similarities (and glaring differences) facing teenage girls across the globe.

The Cottage by Sandy Rustin (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 3m)
Sylvia and Beau find themselves in an English countryside cottage for their yearly rendezvous. When their spouses unexpectedly arrive at the cottage, she realizes that this home-away-from-home is a refuge for determining a new path forward. With a tip of the hat to Noël Coward and sex comedies of the past, The Cottage offers a perfect showcase for six actors with endless laughs, hilarious twists, daring physical comedy and a happy ending for lovers everywhere.

The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls by Meg Miroshnik (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 6w)
Once upon a time – in 2005 – a 20-year-old girl named Annie returned to her native Russia to brush up on the language and lose her American accent. Underneath a glamorous post-Soviet Moscow studded with dangerously high heels, designer bags and luxe fur coats, she discovers an enchanted motherland teeming with evil stepmothers, wicked witches and ravenous bears.

The Lacy Project by Alena Smith (US)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 5w)
Her mother’s photographs turned Lacy into an icon of childhood innocence and beauty. Now, on the night of her 22nd birthday, Lacy has to navigate between image and reality, sex and friendship, self-indulgence and responsibility. This wild tragicomedy presents a portrait of a young woman held captive by her own childhood and a vivid picture of a generation unable to grow up.

The Mamalogues by Lisa B. Thompson (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w)
From the award-winning writer of Single Black Female comes a show about the exhilaration and exhaustion that come from being a Black single mother in America. During a single mother’s retreat, three women share their angst about racial profiling on the playground, their child being the “only one” at their school and the politics of soccer in the hood in this satirical comedy.

The Moors by Jen Silverman (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 5w, 1m)
Two sisters and a dog live out their lives on the bleak English moors, dreaming of love and power. The arrival of a hapless governess and a moor-hen set all three on a strange and dangerous path. The Moors is a dark comedy about love, desperation and visibility with comedic roles for women ranging from the sisters to a moor-hen.

White Pearl by Anchuli Felicia King (US/UK)
(Full-Length Play, Dark Comedy / 5w, 1m)
“It’s just a fun ad. Now the whole world is going crazy.” In Singapore, Clearday™ has developed from a small startup into a leading international cosmetic brand in less than a year. But when a draft of the company’s latest skin cream advert is leaked, the video goes viral globally for all the wrong reasons in this “bracingly funny corporate satire” (The Guardian) where women bring comedy to the world of startups.

Wives by Jaclyn Backhaus (US)
(Full-Length Play, Comedy / 3w, 1m)
From the brawny castles of 16th-century France, to the rugged plains of 1960s Idaho, to the strapping palaces of 1920s India, all hail the remarkable stories of the Great Men – as told by their whiny, witchy, vapid, vengeful, jealous wives. In this kaleidoscopic, time-hopping, comic ensemble piece, Jaclyn Backhaus pushes past patriarchal cliché to reach an ecstatic breakthrough.

Musicals

Chicago by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 10w, 9m)
In “Roaring Twenties” Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband, Amos, to take the rap…until he finds out he’s been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another “Merry Murderess,” Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the American Dream: fame, fortune and acquittal. Licensable as Chicago: Teen Edition (US/UK).

Emma! A Pop Musical by Eric Price (US)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 9w, 5m + ensemble)
Emma, a senior at Highbury Prep, is certain she knows what’s best for her classmates’ love lives. But will Emma’s relentless matchmaking get in the way of finding her own happiness? Based on Jane Austen’s classic novel, this sparkling new musical features the hit songs of legendary girl groups and iconic female singers from The Supremes to Katy Perry. Girl power has never sounded so good! Also available: Emma! A Pop Musical JV (US)

Mame by Jerome Lawrence, Robert E. Lee, Jerry Herman and Patrick Dennis (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 6w, 6m + ensemble)
When the ebullient and convivial socialite Mame Dennis suddenly becomes responsible for the upbringing of her nephew Patrick, the wealthy sophisticate embraces the challenge, introducing the boy to all of life’s wonders. With spirit, humour, class and wit, Mame continues to thrill audiences around the globe.

Marian, or The True Tale of Robin Hood: The Musical by Adam Szymkowicz and Masi Asare (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 4m, 13 any gender)
With an exuberant score ranging from pop and soul to classic show tunes, this new musical is a gender-bending, patriarchy-smashing, hilarious new take on the classic tale. Robin Hood is (and has always been) Maid Marian in disguise, leading a motley group of Merry Men (few of whom are actually men) against the greedy Prince John. As the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, who will stand for the vulnerable if not Robin?

Nunsense by Dan Goggin (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 5w)
A zany, wholesome, hilarious musical revue presented by the Little Sisters of Hoboken, Nunsense is a heavenly delight! The show is a fundraiser the Little Sisters are presenting to raise enough money to bury fellow sisters accidentally poisoned by the convent cook, Sister Julia (Child of God). This madcap musical is also available in a large-cast version, Nunsense: The Mega-Musical Version (US/UK).

2016 New Group production of Sweet Charity (Monique Carboni)

Sweet Charity by Neil Simon, Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano (US/UK)
(Full-Length Musical, Comedy / 4w, 4m + ensemble)
Inspired by Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria, Sweet Charity explores the turbulent love life of Charity Hope Valentine, a hopelessly romantic but comically unfortunate dance hall hostess in New York City. With a tuneful, groovy, mid-1960s score by Cy Coleman, sparkling lyrics by Dorothy Fields and a hilarious book by Neil Simon, Sweet Charity captures all the energy, humor and heartbreak of Life in the Big City for an unfortunate but irrepressible optimist.

The Marvelous Wonderettes ’58 by Roger Bean (US)
(Short Musical, Comedy / 4w)
This smash off-Broadway hit takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom, where four teenage friends have hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! Plus, make it home by curfew in this one-act, prom-only version, while still hearing hits like “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” and more.

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To discover more female-driven comedies, explore our collection of plays and of musicals, or visit Concord Theatricals in the US or the UK.