From 6 Comics to 90 Worldwide: Bitches in Stitches Returns to London for Women’s Month

Bitches in Stitches London’s co-founders, Arie David and Fran Ayala-Rock. Photo by Frances Carlisle.

After selling out its first show of 2026, Bitches in Stitches London returns to Hoxton Cabin on the 13th of March to celebrate International Women’s Month — with prizes from fellow feminist brands up for grabs.

Launched in London last year, the feminist stand-up collective champions inclusivity by creating safe, high-energy spaces for non-male comics and comedy lovers worldwide.

“We want to give as many femme comics the opportunity to perform in a space where everyone’s safe to show up as themselves and laugh their hearts out,” said founder Fran Ayala-Rock. “Bitches in Stitches believes that laughter should be used to connect people, not alienate them.”

While it may be Bitches in Stitches’ fifth gig in London, its members are no strangers to the stage. The group was founded nearly five years ago in Hong Kong, expanded to Manila, Philippines, in 2024, and established its UK chapters in Manchester and London last year. 

Believe it or not, it was a Google Alert that sparked this global movement. 

From Humble Beginnings to Sky-High Aspirations

In April 2021, Hong Kong’s rowdy watering hole, Bobby’s Rabble, sold out tickets to its first, all-female stand-up comedy night in just six hours. Following a raucous debut show that jam-packed the bar, co-producer Ayala-Rock and her five fellow femme comics were invited for a repeat performance the following month. And again, the month after.  

By that summer, Bitches in Stitches had evolved from what was originally conceptualised as a one-off comedy gig with a six-woman lineup into Hong Kong’s first all-female stand-up comedy troupe. In its first two years, the group sold out every single one of its 30 shows and doubled the number of paid female comics in the city.

Ayala-Rock expanded Bitches in Stitches to the Philippines in 2024, after she moved back to her hometown of Manila and saw an opportunity to grow the local comedy scene by putting more women on stage.

“Our shows were consistently selling out, including a couple of crossover gigs featuring the Bitches in Stitches from Hong Kong on the lineup, and I knew exactly where I wanted to take us,” said Ayala-Rock. “Until that Google Alert landed in my inbox.”

Arie David performing at Bitches in Stitches London’s sold-out debut show in Hoxton Cabin, New Grrrl Order. Photo by Donna Ford.

“Our all-female comedy night is back tonight,” it read, linking to an Instagram post from Manchester speakeasy den, The Fitzgerald. “Bitches in Stitches is a hilarious all-female comedy show that will leave you in stitches.” 

“Discovering this group of women comics on the other side of the world who share our mission of using laughter to lift each other up… and even have the same name! It made trying to change things for the better feel like less of an uphill battle,” said Ayala-Rock. 

From Hong Kong to Hoxton 

In July 2024, UK, Manchester-based comedian Natalia Schwartz launched her brainchild, Bitches in Stitches Manchester, a monthly all-female stand-up night at the Northern Quarter’s speakeasy-style drinking den, The Fitzgerald. She was relatively new to the local scene but noticed there was only one, or at most two women on any given lineup, giving women comics no opportunity to meet, network, and work with one another.

“So often, women in comedy feel like a token – we’re either there to fill a quota or as a novelty,” said Schwartz. “I wanted a night where women could perform to a warm and crowded room where we aren’t treated as a minority. We are half of the population and should act like it.” 

After following each other on Instagram and fangirling over DMs, Ayala-Rock and Schwartz decided to merge their all-femme groups this year, officially making Bitches in Stitches a global brand.

Bitches in Stitches London’s International Women’s Month show is happening on 13 March at Hoxton Cabin. Photo by Frances Carlisle.

Upon her relocation to the UK in June last year, Ayala-Rock quickly established the group’s newest chapter in London with fellow comedian Arie David — who she met on the local open mic circuit in 2024.
“When Fran asked me to co-found Bitches in Stitches London, I immediately said yes,” David wrote in an op-ed for Missing Perspectives. “I had already been inspired by what the group was achieving in Hong Kong and the Philippines, and I loved the unapologetic, punk-feminist energy of the project. It felt exciting to help bring that to London.”

Sold Out, But Not Selling Out

 Bitches in Stitches founder and MC for its London shows, Fran Ayala-Rock. Photo by Donna Ford.

The group made its London debut to a full house, packed with 50 audience members. Schwartz came down from Manchester for the show — making it the first time Bitches in Stitches’ full UK contingent would meet in person and perform together. The show’s 10-woman lineup featured a diverse mix of experienced and up-and-coming performers, each with their own unique style of comedy, including 15-year American stand-up veteran, Coor Cohen and Taiwan-based comedian Casey Brander — who met Ayala-Rock in Hong Kong. 

“The venue was buzzing even before the first act took the stage — a cosy, packed room full of laughter, anticipation, and that slightly electric sense that something special was about to happen,” Joyzine’s Hayley Foster da Silva wrote in her review of the show. “By the end of the night, my face ached from smiling. Bitches in Stitches is exactly what the UK comedy scene needs right now — inclusive, fearless, feminist fun that’s genuinely funny.”

Bitches in Stitches’ UK leaders: Natalia Schwartz (Manchester), Fran Ayala-Rock (London), and Arie David (London). Photo by Donna Ford.

Femmes to the Front

Bitches in Stitches London now holds a monthly residency at Hoxton Cabin. Each show features a rotating lineup of femmes and thems alongside co-founder Arie David, with Ayala-Rock as compere.

To celebrate International Women’s Month, the 13th of March show will include interactive elements designed to spread the collective’s message of empowerment, including themed photo props and games with prizes from sponsors including The Spark Company, Sh! Women’s Store, and The Feminist Shop.

Tickets to Bitches in Stitches: Femmes/Thems Comedy Night are now available on DICE.fm. The show is at 8:30pm on Friday, 13 March in Hoxton Cabin, E2 8DP.

About Bitches in Stitches

Bitches in Stitches is a global, all-femme/them stand-up comedy collective founded in Hong Kong in 2021. With chapters in Hong Kong, Manila, Manchester and London, the group creates inclusive comedy spaces while championing diverse voices on stage and building community through laughter.

Website: https://bitchesinstitches.carrd.co/ 

Photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HdmDZd3nGKyX6Ce7b3M6YsRoFncjB5ZP?usp=sharing  

Follow Bitches in Stitches on Instagram: @bitchesinstitchesldn