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Wicked Women ... for Glitz, Glamour 'n' Gags

How It Began

Wicked Women’s comedy nights started in 2005 at ‘Comedy on the Rox’ initially to leverage off the State of Origin football nights. They were astoundingly popular with Sydney’s women audiences and surprisingly many Sydney men. Many nights were sold out.

Since then they have become an institutional part of the Sydney comedy scene, presenting a unique opportunity to parade and showcase the best female comedic talent and female performers in Australia.

In three years well over two thousand people have attended the Wicked Women nights at the Roxbury Hotel many booking months ahead to ensure a place in this iconic comedy and cabaret event.

These outrageously funny events started out as a one women show organising them. They have now become so popular that an ever growing team of women are now getting involved in its operations.

Jackie Loeb, Imogen Kelly, Kathryn Bendall, Amanda Gray, Portable Two, Kael Murray and The Margaritas (Nathalie Cotte, Jackeline Laso and Natalie McCormack)

“On-stage testosterone gets the heave-ho at the ultimate girl’s night out.” – Daily Telegraph (Syd)

Wicked Women are bringing the sexy back – into the funny.

Wicked Women showcases some of Australia’s best comedy, cabaret and burlesque performers. In case you haven’t heard – burlesque is a humorous theatrical Entertainment involving parody and sometimes grotesque exaggeration. Burlesque has surged in the last five years, thanks to the popularity of performers such as Dita Von Tease, lady Gaga and Pink.

Wicked Women started at Comedy on the Rox in a reaction to the State of Origin football nights and has since become a phenomenon of the Sydney comedy and cabaret scene. Previous Wicked Women performers have included: Kitty Flannigan, Fiona O’Loughlin, Julia Clark (UK), Amber Ray (USA), Danica Lee and Amelia Jane Hunter.

You only have to look at the mega hit TV series Sex and the City and its follow up movie of the same name, with its emphasis on comedy about women's lives, sharing their most intimate thoughts and actions, there isn’t a topic that didn't raise a laugh. Women love to laugh at themselves, feel inspired and even empowered!

The 2008 mega hit "Menopause the Musical" played to over 500,000 Australian women who saw this hilarious show."Busting Out" a comedy about well, busting out, saw over 10,000 people flock to see the show for its ten day season at 2009’s Adelaide Fringe Festival. This show celebrates women’s comedy alongside women’s bodies and makes it hilarious. This is the show that had everyone laughing, the critics raving, women cheering on their feet, and men gasping with amazement. “Wicked Women” is set to achieve similar if not higher targets around Australia.

‘Wicked Women’ debuted in a new format in 2009 with a cavalcade of women comics, singers, Japanese Geisha and beautiful burlesque performers empowering women through laughter and joy. This is a night of Entertainment for everyone who loves to laugh and celebrate all that is woman and female (That includes you men too!). The range of comedic talent encompasses all lifestyles, all ages and all varying life experiences. These are women holding up a mirror to life’s expectations and celebrate all that is the same and all that's different.

Our Performers in 2010 Feature:

Jackie Loeb – Host of ‘Wicked Women’ and one of Australian’s best comics. Jackie has been a fixture on the global stand-up comedy landscape since she exploded onto the scene in 1992. Described as gobsmackingly excellent and completely in your face funny by publications across the galaxy, Jackie has maintained her reputation as one of today's most hilarious and gifted stand-up comedians while simultaneously distinguishing herself as a versatile actor, vocalist and musician. Jackie has been seen on ‘Spicks and Specks’, The Today Show, Channel Nine’s 20-1 and ‘Good News Week’. A great singer, astounding mimic. Jackie is not limited to straight comedy. Jackie utilizes her amazing vocal skills and acting ability to parody everyone from old favourite Shirley Bassey to contemporary superstars The Pussy Cat Dolls and is definitely a wicked woman!

“One of the top five comedy acts” – Sydney Morning Herald

Imogen Kelly is one of Australia’s most prolific performance artists and in internationally renowned as Australia’s Queen of Burlesque. In 1997 she ran away with a circus in the UK and was trained on trapeze by Romanian gypsies. She returned to Australia in 2000 and co-founded/ produced renowned Sydney performance troupe Gurlesque. She has since performed at the launch of The Sydney Opera House ,The Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Sydney Festival, Edinburgh 2004 La Clique (5 stars), 2005 Go Go Burlesco (4 stars) in the Assembly Rooms Edinburgh and toured the USA, playing at the NYC Burlesque Festival and Tease-o-rama. In late 2007 Imogen was a regular guest of the ABC’s Sideshow.

“Imogen’s Marie Antoinette striptease is spectacular.” The Advertiser – Best of Fringe Award 2006

The Margaritas are a talented trio of sassy and sexy senoritas guaranteed to show you a good time. They will have the crowd on their feet. These sophisticated songstresses serve up a delicious mix of deserving ditties from decades gone by and punish and cherish them with their part-parody, part-tribute and all-entertaining comedic and musical act. A pastiche of classic popular tunes ranging from lounge to 70’s soul to Doo Wop and 80’s pop, The Margaritas make the songs their own with their unique comic twist and striking costumes.

Kathryn Bendall is a very late comedic bloomer. She’s had 3 marriages, 3 kids, and 3 big laughs. After a long corporate career which she can’t remember, she embarked on Stand up in 2004 – by October a National Finalist in “Search for A Comedy God”, by January ‘05 a NSW State finalist in RAW. April 2006 she opened Comedy on the Rox at the Roxbury Hotel in Glebe. 2009 saw Kathryn perform her first solo show at Adelaide Festival called ‘Kath on a Hot Tin Roof’. Kathryn will tell you the comedy business is far from funny. It takes heart, courage and a type of insanity – strangely, the same traits of a stand up comic. She’s been a Wicked Woman since its original inception in 2006 and is the founder of ‘Wicked Women’.

Amanda Gray has been around the traps performing for the past 3 years and has made the grand finals of both the ‘Green Faces’ and ‘Quest for the Best’ comedy competitions. She performed all over The UK in 2009, has been seen at The Comedy Store and is a rising star in the making. She is a regular ‘Wicked Woman’ and has been described as a “Super Bitch…who delivers a drizabone humour with brilliant comedic timing”

Kael Murray’s unique take on fusion Belly Dance will have you spell bound in your seat. Her eclectic beats along with a passion for cabaret glamour and fusion of Classical, Flamenco and even a bit of Hip Hop will make for a performance you'll never forget. She has earned acclaim performing overseas in 2009 and has studied with many of the foremost Belly Dancers in the world. Kael continues to reinterpret the boundaries of modern Belly Dance to keep today’s audience entwined with its ancient past and enthralled by its seductive charm.

Portable 2 is your onsite nurse for all occasions. She appears with her special piano-playing patient, Clive the catatonic and for 2010 every performance of ‘Wicked Women’, a nurse will be needed. For anything untoward may occur, Portable 2 will be on hand to give a hand. (And a sexy hand it is!) Her short custom made uniform and her long legs allows her great freedom of movement when giving CPR, or mouth-to-mouth. She has not yet lost one footballer, fireman or member of audience yet. From bowels to buildings, Portable 2’s evacuating skills are second to none. While the ability to control unforseen events is an innate gift, Portable 2 believes the best approach to health and wellbeing is through her unique array of interventions. These include lectures, practical exercises, and most particularly sharing her beliefs through music.

A ‘Wicked Women’ evening is a mixture of hilarity, belly dancing, a little retro boogie, and all things female. It’s a true celebration of woman. Wicked Women!!