It’s not often that a single sentence in a review inspires a whole new show but that’s exactly how Quite a F.E.W. (Funny Empowered Women) came about. Because their two -night season is now over, I can reveal the provocative comment directed at three women comedians was included in a review of the Wellington Raw Comedy Quest 2025 Final: “And one of the key elements of that future seems to be a perennial favourite: going into detail about vaginas.” In fact such mentions were but a fraction of their sets.

In response, two of the comedians, Emma Jean and Katy Borrows, decided to devote a new two-night show – or a third of it, anyway – to talking about things that are “that are properly important” to women. First, they each offer a stand-up set, then they interview an invited guest on a topic of equal import to women.

Katy Borrows tells me that for the first of their two-night season, their featured interviewer was Melanie Beirne, founder of the company Women Step Forward, a platform designed to empower and equip women with the expertise to become high- performing leaders. “She talked about the importance of knowing your ‘why’ and knowing your values.”

On this second night they double down by devoting the interview section details about another perennial favourite, breasts. Their interviewee will be Rachel Dudfield, lactation expert and childbirth educator. But first, after working together to align and engage their very supportive audience, they present their solo stand-up sets.

Emma Jean talks about her quest for mental health in the face of a fondness for alcohol while working in a call centre, and compares coming out to her family as doing art therapy to coming out as queer. Returning to study has allowed her to share insights into the Limbic System, DMT and EMDR (Google them).

Learning Reiki has also helped Emma find inner peace, which comes with a new set of problems. As for what happened at the Freemason’s Lodge – let’s just say it brings a new meaning to being ‘on the tiles’. She leaves us to contemplate the proposition that Empathy is Evolution.  

Katy Borrows (twice a RAW Quest finalist) regales us with how she has become empowered and confident despite obstacles others – mother, ex-boyfriends, etc – have put in her way. She also reveals her love of rap and how her own self-censorship led her to finding a replacement for an unsayable word.

We are invited to consider whether ‘workwife’ is ever an acceptable term. And Katy shares the joys and challenges of motherhood with a story about her son’s picture of a duck.

There is a strong sense of togetherness and empathy in the room when Rachel Dudfield joins them to answer questions from her hosts and the audience about breasts and breastfeeding. Thus we learn why one pair of breasts may differ in size, whether breast size affects the quantity of milk (no), that breastfeeding shouldn’t hurt, what makes breast milk (not food; blood), how much alcohol is permissible when breastfeeding (if you can drive you can feed), what breast-piercing does (makes more holes for the milk to come out of).

Myths are debunked about pre-birth preparation for nipples (not needed) and how to solve blocked nipples (not by extreme sucking, which only makes it worse). Rachel also offers salutary insights into where to place silicone implants and how breast lifts might affect your milk-making material.

There can be no doubt that Quite a F.E.W. (Funny Empowered Women) has left its audience highly entertained and very enlightened on matters important to all humanity.  

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer