Girlbossing With Hong Kong’s First All-Femme Stand-Up Troupe, Bitches in Stitches

Comedians and creatives Dannie Higginbotham and Fran Ayala know how to make people laugh.

The Hong Konger-American and Filipino best friend duo have a combined 15 years of experience writing for Hong Kong’s comedy scene, challenging stereotypes of female comics in a macho-majority space where jokes often eer on the edge of sexism.

“After years spent on the scene, competing against my peers for one slot on a five-guy line-up of cis heterosexual men and standing in front of an audience of bros who [complained] that I was gonna (sic) joke about her period got a little bit frustrating,” Fran told The Beat Asia over Zoom.

“We were being booked as an afterthought, but not in front of the type of audience that would cater to our type of humour,” she said. “The word afterthought is very apt here,” Dannie agreed. “We were seen as the minority card, but we're half the population. Why are we trying to stick to entertaining men that aren't our audience?”

Prior to forming Bitches in Stitches, Hong Kong’s first all-femme stand-up comedy troupe, boasting a clannish membership of 15 comedic talents, Dannie and Fran had their "aha moment.”

Conversations began prior to the launch of the group in March 2021, with Fran asking, “Why are we seeking permission to be on shows from producers who don’t get our humour?”

“[Dannie, our femme comedy friends, and I] got together and said, let’s do a show. Let’s curate the audience and the space where they understand because their stories are our stories.”

The original team of six “bitches” - Dannie, Fran, comedienne Rose Rage, teacher Morrigan Anthony, actor Bianca Lau, and photographer Asher Chan - were founded on a principle of laughter existing as inclusive of creed, race, gender, or history.

“Laughter is something that should be used to connect people and not alienate them,” Fran said. “Your identity is not a punch line. It’s a story.”

Bitches in Stitches began in the conversations between Dannie and Fran over the years that the pair has been involved in the comedy scene in Hong Kong. The name, however, sprung from a drunk suggestion at a rooftop barbeque party.

“What would I call an all-femme show in comedy in Hong Kong, I asked a friend there,” Fran recounted. “Bitches in stitches was what they said.” Dannie points out that using the word “bitches” in a manner of labelling the troupe is a “loving way of taking [the word] back” and repurposing it.

The group opened their first show last year in March after deliberating how to form Hong Kong’s first female-focused comedy group. The WhatsApp group of six experienced and beginner comediennes with a pocket packed with jokes debuted at dive bar Bobby’s Rabble on Wyndham Street.

Gigs at neighbouring The Aftermath bar on Hollywood Road followed, with the troupe hosting a “big queer cabaret and comedy show” at the Lambda Lounge in July 2021 with musical shows, dance numbers, and comedic acts.

“This is about community, inclusivity, this is our brand and business, we accept everyone into the community, the goal is to get you on the show,” Fran said.

Prior to the sixth wave of COVID-19 infections, the now-15-strong membership of femme comedians in Bitches in Stitches host bi-monthly comedy nights at either Bobby’s Rabble or The Aftermath, with bi-monthly gigs at the Lambda Lounge. Following the closure of Lambda, the pair is in search for the next bigger venue to host crowds numbering in the dozens.

Dannie and Fran told The Beat Asia that membership for Bitches in Stitches isn’t guaranteed based on your femme identity, but one’s ability to create conversations, empower female topics, and be funny as a female comedian.

“Just because you’re a [female] comedian doesn't mean we're going to highlight you. But what we're trying to do is to hold workshops, [source new talent], and create conversations for new female comedians to have a space to be included in the conversation,” Dannie said.

“We want to include them and work with them so that you feel like this is a space for me and you and others. This is a space where I can learn and I can grow and have some fun.”

The format and type of humour hosted on each Bitches night depends on their curated line-up and availability. The 15 members are routinely brought in for comedy nights and gigs across town.

Where humour goes, bringing a female perspective to the matters and issues discussed is necessary. “We don’t want to punch down [with our humour],” Fran said. “You can be crass and rude and sarcastic but be smart with your humour.”

“People now come to us to pitch their ideas and join us.”

Their membership is open for any female comedian adaptable with the Bitches in Stitches “vibe,” Dannie said. “[We want people] who want to do comedy, who fit the vibe, which champion inclusivity, it’s fun, it’s very supportive. We want people who can practice and be involved in the scene. We welcome them with open arms.”

On Zoom, Dannie was visibly excited when stating that “people are starting to recognise how important this voice is. It’s refreshing. I don’t have to convince you to listen to me or tell you why I’m funny. You want to come and you’re asking for this [humour and comedy].”

Following their first comedy show at The Aftermath on April 28, the future is strong with Bitches in Stitches returning to the stage after a winter in 2022 of shuttered entertainment venues.

“I just wanna [sic] make people laugh,” Dannie said.

“The last three years, life in Hong Kong has been so tough and stressful. been miserable lately. What I’m really looking forward to is being able to perform again and just to make people laugh again, giving someone an hour-long show where they can just forget about everything.”