Bethany Black
Encyclopedia
Bethany Black is a stand up
comedian from Chorley
, Lancashire
, England
. Described as "Britain's only goth
, lesbian
, transsexual comedian", Black is known for performing black comedy
, dealing with controversial subjects.
where she got a degree in film, television and cultural studies. Black had a nervous breakdown
and attempted suicide on several occasions. Once she tried to hang herself, but she was so heavy she dragged down the ceiling. On another occasion she attempted to gas herself in a car, but the car ran out of petrol. She then came out to her family twice: first as a trans woman
, and then as a lesbian. Black eventually underwent sex reassignment surgery
and discusses her transition in her stand-up act.
Originally, she was hesitant about entering stand-up because she felt that the best comedians were older people. However, Black changed her mind after seeing Josie Long
, someone younger than her, perform successfully while using material similar to her own. At the age of 25 she started her career, first as a compere
for a music club in Preston called "Club Fuzzy", where she provided comedy between the music acts. After a hostile reaction, she then began performing in actual comedy clubs. Black adopted a "Fairy Gothmother" style, performing her routines dressed in black, with black eye shadow
and sometimes wearing fetish clothing. Most of her comedy is a combination of observational comedy
mixed with innuendo
.
Her career grew when in 2005 she opened the Manchester Pride
festival. She also became a supporting act
for other comedians such as Mick Miller and attracted positive reviews from other comedians such as Brendon Burns. In 2007, she became a finalist in the Chortle Student Comedy Awards. In 2008, Black started performing her show "Beth Becomes Her", which tells the story of Black's childhood. She had previously resisted performing material about her life story for fear of how her audience would react. However, the show went down well with most of the audience. It was nominated for the award for "Best Debut" at the Leicester Comedy Festival
.
Many critics believe that Black will be a successful comedian in the future, although her act has been criticized. The U.K. Comedy Guide Chortle.co.uk wrote in October 2006 that "Bethany's by no means the finished product, remaining entertaining rather than a must-see, but she seems to be in possession of all the comic tools it'll take to get her there – most crucially a sharp tongue and an engaging personality you'd like to hear more from."
Yve Ngoo from BBC Tyne said in November 2006 that, "A seductively intriguing cross between Marilyn Manson
and Corrie's
Hayley Cropper
(I'm alluding to ambiguous androgyny), Bethany's material is as black as her eye shadow and her delivery as dead-pan as a Goth at a garden centre."
In July 2007, Paul Jameson from BBC Tees wrote that, "New to the comedy circuit, Bethany strikes a sullen and almost apologetic presence on stage, and her comedy matches her appearance. She appears to not have quite decided whether to base her act on ridiculing suicidal Goths, or actually court the idea that she is one! This all resulted in a rather confusing set without much continuity. However, saying that, she did raise a number of laughs throughout her set and I'm sure with more experience and some polishing of her persona, she could be a lot better."
Paul Dale from The List attacked her "Beth Becomes Her" show in August 2008 saying, "It's hard to think of a show with a more personal pedigree at this year's Fringe. Unfortunately there is so little edge to the likeable but bland Black and her nervy nice-girl delivery allows her to murder the comedy gold dust and linger over the mundane. Disappointingly second rate."
However, David Pollock
from The Scotsman
was more positive saying, "This shock value is an integral part of Black's routine, but the obvious comfort this tall, emo-styled stand-up has in her new self is heartening. That her story starts with abortion
, infidelity
and suicide
attempts and ends on a note of encouragement leaves a warm glow of optimism. But of course, Black's not here to make us feel good."
In 2011, Black came 96th in The Independent on Sundays "Pink List" of influential LGBT
Britons.
and drug addiction. She is also planning to adapt "Beth Becomes Her" for television with Paul Schlesinger.
In 2011, Black co-founded Funny's Funny, a comedy organisation that set out to provide a free-entry comedy competition for female comedians.
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
comedian from Chorley
Chorley
Chorley is a market town in Lancashire, in North West England. It is the largest settlement in the Borough of Chorley. The town's wealth came principally from the cotton industry...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Described as "Britain's only goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, transsexual comedian", Black is known for performing black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
, dealing with controversial subjects.
History
Black was born male and had a troubled childhood, suffering from depression. She attended Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
where she got a degree in film, television and cultural studies. Black had a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
and attempted suicide on several occasions. Once she tried to hang herself, but she was so heavy she dragged down the ceiling. On another occasion she attempted to gas herself in a car, but the car ran out of petrol. She then came out to her family twice: first as a trans woman
Trans woman
A trans woman is a male-to-female transsexual or transgender person and the term trans woman is preferred by some individuals over various medical terms. Other non-medical terms include t-girl, tg-girl and ts-girl...
, and then as a lesbian. Black eventually underwent sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
and discusses her transition in her stand-up act.
Originally, she was hesitant about entering stand-up because she felt that the best comedians were older people. However, Black changed her mind after seeing Josie Long
Josie Long
Josie Long is an English comedian.-Background:Long spent her early life in Orpington, South East London, where she attended Newstead Wood School for Girls in Swift House. She also attended GIFT Ltd. summer schools. She began performing stand-up comedy at 14, winning the BBC New Comedy Awards at...
, someone younger than her, perform successfully while using material similar to her own. At the age of 25 she started her career, first as a compere
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
for a music club in Preston called "Club Fuzzy", where she provided comedy between the music acts. After a hostile reaction, she then began performing in actual comedy clubs. Black adopted a "Fairy Gothmother" style, performing her routines dressed in black, with black eye shadow
Eye shadow
Eye shadow is a cosmetic that is applied on the eyelids and under the eyebrows. It is commonly used to make the wearer's eyes stand out or look more attractive....
and sometimes wearing fetish clothing. Most of her comedy is a combination of observational comedy
Observational comedy
Observational comedy is a style of humor based on making remarks about commonplace aspects of everyday life. It is the most common type of humor used in stand up comedy.The humor is based on the premise of "It's funny because it's true."-External links:* *...
mixed with innuendo
Innuendo
An innuendo is a baseless invention of thoughts or ideas. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging , that works obliquely by allusion...
.
Her career grew when in 2005 she opened the Manchester Pride
Manchester Pride
Manchester Pride is the current name of the annual Gay Pride festival held in the city of Manchester in the North West of England in the United Kingdom....
festival. She also became a supporting act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
for other comedians such as Mick Miller and attracted positive reviews from other comedians such as Brendon Burns. In 2007, she became a finalist in the Chortle Student Comedy Awards. In 2008, Black started performing her show "Beth Becomes Her", which tells the story of Black's childhood. She had previously resisted performing material about her life story for fear of how her audience would react. However, the show went down well with most of the audience. It was nominated for the award for "Best Debut" at the Leicester Comedy Festival
Leicester Comedy Festival
The Leicester Comedy Festival is an annual comedy festival held in a number of venues across Leicester, England early in the year. The festival started in 1994 with 40 events in 23 venues over 7 days throughout Leicestershire, attracting 5,000 people...
.
Reception
Black reached the final of "2006 Funny Bones New Comedian of the Year" competition, the Chortle Student Comedy Awards in 2007, and was nominated for the "Best Debut" award at the Leicester Comedy Festival in 2008.Many critics believe that Black will be a successful comedian in the future, although her act has been criticized. The U.K. Comedy Guide Chortle.co.uk wrote in October 2006 that "Bethany's by no means the finished product, remaining entertaining rather than a must-see, but she seems to be in possession of all the comic tools it'll take to get her there – most crucially a sharp tongue and an engaging personality you'd like to hear more from."
Yve Ngoo from BBC Tyne said in November 2006 that, "A seductively intriguing cross between Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
and Corrie's
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Cropper
Hayley Anne Cropper is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street...
(I'm alluding to ambiguous androgyny), Bethany's material is as black as her eye shadow and her delivery as dead-pan as a Goth at a garden centre."
In July 2007, Paul Jameson from BBC Tees wrote that, "New to the comedy circuit, Bethany strikes a sullen and almost apologetic presence on stage, and her comedy matches her appearance. She appears to not have quite decided whether to base her act on ridiculing suicidal Goths, or actually court the idea that she is one! This all resulted in a rather confusing set without much continuity. However, saying that, she did raise a number of laughs throughout her set and I'm sure with more experience and some polishing of her persona, she could be a lot better."
Paul Dale from The List attacked her "Beth Becomes Her" show in August 2008 saying, "It's hard to think of a show with a more personal pedigree at this year's Fringe. Unfortunately there is so little edge to the likeable but bland Black and her nervy nice-girl delivery allows her to murder the comedy gold dust and linger over the mundane. Disappointingly second rate."
However, David Pollock
David Pollock
David Pollock may refer to:*David Pollock , former American child actor*David Pollock , rugby union player for Ulster Rugby...
from The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
was more positive saying, "This shock value is an integral part of Black's routine, but the obvious comfort this tall, emo-styled stand-up has in her new self is heartening. That her story starts with abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, infidelity
Infidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
and suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attempts and ends on a note of encouragement leaves a warm glow of optimism. But of course, Black's not here to make us feel good."
In 2011, Black came 96th in The Independent on Sundays "Pink List" of influential LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
Britons.
Current projects
Black is to perform a new show at the Fringe entitled, "Love and a Colt 45", which covers other aspects of her life including her former alcoholismAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and drug addiction. She is also planning to adapt "Beth Becomes Her" for television with Paul Schlesinger.
In 2011, Black co-founded Funny's Funny, a comedy organisation that set out to provide a free-entry comedy competition for female comedians.
External links
- Bethany Black on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- Bethany Black on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....