Funnie: The Most Lamentable Comedie of Jane the Foole

by Jessica Moss

All Jane wants is to perform comedy. But she is struggling even to get stage time in the court of King Henry VIII, in 1533. Despite the support of her friend Anne Boleyn, Jane can’t break into the boys club of Tudor nightly entertainment – King Henry would rather see acts like Carl the Funny One, who makes wry observations about contemporary life, but who also is known to publicly masturbate. But Carl the Funny...

All Jane wants is to perform comedy. But she is struggling even to get stage time in the court of King Henry VIII, in 1533. Despite the support of her friend Anne Boleyn, Jane can’t break into the boys club of Tudor nightly entertainment – King Henry would rather see acts like Carl the Funny One, who makes wry observations about contemporary life, but who also is known to publicly masturbate. But Carl the Funny One has a degree of power, and an interest in Jane: which he uses to put her in a humiliating and upsetting situation. When the event goes public, the court is divided, and as Carl makes half-hearted non-apologies, Jane still can’t get onstage – until she and Anne have finally had enough. In a world where you are inherently seen as less-than, what kind of justice is possible? How can you ever be seen as funny when you’re not really seen as a person? Inspired by the very short Wikipedia entry about Jane Foole, or Jane The Foole, the only female court jester ever depicted, and current events.

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Funnie: The Most Lamentable Comedie of Jane the Foole

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  • Zach Barr: Funnie: The Most Lamentable Comedie of Jane the Foole by Jessica Moss
    “

    "Funnie" balances precariously on the tightrope between laughing and crying, between hope and hopelessness, between the past and present. From a starting point of satirizing the struggles of women in comedy, the play barrels past that into a larger story of how the power dynamics of class and gender shape our ability to achieve, or even fight for, restorative justice. A moste merrie satyr play.

    "Funnie" balances precariously on the tightrope between laughing and crying, between hope and hopelessness, between the past and present. From a starting point of satirizing the struggles of women in comedy, the play barrels past that into a larger story of how the power dynamics of class and gender shape our ability to achieve, or even fight for, restorative justice. A moste merrie satyr play.

    ”
  • Kate Danley: Funnie: The Most Lamentable Comedie of Jane the Foole by Jessica Moss
    “

    Screamingly, HOWLINGLY funny!! It's a razer-sharp, biting satire that keeps you laughing the whole time. The biggest crime of our era is that this play is not being produced everywhere. If you have a classical theatre, program this show immediately! If you've ever heard the phrase "Women aren't funny," program this show immediately! If you have hilarious actresses in your life who are losing hope, program this show immediately. Brilliant!

    Screamingly, HOWLINGLY funny!! It's a razer-sharp, biting satire that keeps you laughing the whole time. The biggest crime of our era is that this play is not being produced everywhere. If you have a classical theatre, program this show immediately! If you've ever heard the phrase "Women aren't funny," program this show immediately! If you have hilarious actresses in your life who are losing hope, program this show immediately. Brilliant!

    ”
  • David Hilder: Funnie: The Most Lamentable Comedie of Jane the Foole by Jessica Moss
    “

    Holy mackerel. I'm entirely won over by this comedy of rage, this extremely funny vivisection of awful societal structures and strictures, this profound and sometimes profoundly silly and often very sad examination of, ya know ... horrible sexism built into our social norms. Every character is fresh and distinct, and the writer's voice couldn't be more clear as well. Love, love, love this one.

    Holy mackerel. I'm entirely won over by this comedy of rage, this extremely funny vivisection of awful societal structures and strictures, this profound and sometimes profoundly silly and often very sad examination of, ya know ... horrible sexism built into our social norms. Every character is fresh and distinct, and the writer's voice couldn't be more clear as well. Love, love, love this one.

    ”
View all 6 recommendations