HEARD THE one about the women who got so fed up with the lack of opportunities in comedy they set up their own sketch show?

Actually, that’s not a joke. Witserface is an all-female grass roots comedy movement which is getting ready to take Glasgow Comedy Festival by storm.

Scots actresses and comic performers Karen Dunbar, Elaine Mackenzie Ellis and Maureen Carr are leading the charge, but the show, called ‘Funny how….?’ will also showcase a bunch of talented new comediennes.

Theatre director Morag Fullerton and actresses Alison Peebles, Claire Hemphill and Kate Donnelly are also all on board.

Still Game star Maureen, who set up Witserface her best pal, director/editor Jacqui McAlpine, explains: “We had just got really fed up with how few opportunities there were for women in comedy. We spoke to so many writers and performers who had tonnes of new material which ended up stuck in a drawer that we wanted to do something.”

Determined to ensure those good ideas did finally see the light of day, Maureen and Jacqui set up the small women’s collective – and immediately it started to gather pace.

Initial read-throughs in the Calton and Bridgeton went down a storm, leading to a slot in the festival programme which will see 25 performers deliver 56 hilarious, quick-fire sketches.

Maureen adds: “Witserface gives women a platform to try out new comedy material.

“I think women feel more relaxed about suggesting ideas when they are in an all-female environment – there’s less embarrassment about speaking up.

“Now we have some of Scotland’s leading talents developing new work and helping young, emerging talent – it’s all about developing confidence.”

As well as the Glasgow Comedy Festival gigs in March, Witserface has big plans to tour community venues, to perform and develop a series of comedy workshops and to broadcast a sketch show on YouTube throughout April.

Karen Dunbar, best known for her own telly series as well as her scene-stealing performances on TV sketch show Chewin’ the Fat, says: “Some of the material is quite experimental - we will all be trying out new stuff to see what works and what doesn’t.

“Only the best sketches will make it on to the You Tube show which is being shot by some of the best camera women in the industry – really slick, really well-produced work.”

She adds: “One of the best aspects of the collective is that the more experienced performers are getting the opportunity to pass on their skills to those just starting out, but the young ones are energizing the ‘auld yins’ to try different material as well.

“It’s a melting pot of ideas where you can try anything out and have no fear about being judged.”

She grins: “The only rule is it has to be really, really funny - no pressure….”

Tickets for ‘Funny how….?’ cost £7 and £5 concession and all proceeds will help the group fund future community comedy events, working with women of all ages and levels to develop and try out new material.

Elaine Mackenzie Ellis sums it up.

“Let’s be clear, Witserface is a comedy movement with a load of women, rather than a feminist movement with comedy,” she says.

“There really are very few opportunities for female comedians to really hone their material, so we are doing it for ourselves.”

She adds, firmly: “But the bottom line is - top quality humour. We want to see a culture change in Scotland’s comedy circuit. We want lots more of Scotland’s funny women to be taken seriously.”

Funny how...? is at St Luke’s on March 11 and 12 will be a compilation of 56 fast fire sketches with a meet and greet and q and a after the show. £7/£5 and tickets can be booked by calling 0844 873 7353 or www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com