Comedy Doubles - Sophie Duker + Marise Gaughan

Sophie Duker is a comedian and writer whose favourite things include breaking hearts, taking names and telling jokes with the confidence of a cis straight middle-class white man. Her Edinburgh Fringe Show, Venus, saw her nominated for the Best Newcomer award and gained critical acclaim and five star reviews, leading to a two week sold out run at Soho Theatre.

Sophie is a regular guest on Frankie Boyle’s New World Order (BBC2). She has appeared on Live at The Apollo (BBC2), Mock the Week (BBC2), 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4) and Hypothetical (Dave). Sophie is the winner of the 13th series of Taskmaster (Channel 4).

Other appearances include 8 Out of 10 Cats (E4), Don’t hate the Playaz (ITV2), Dave Gorman’s Terms and Conditions Apply (Dave), and Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club (ITV). She can also be seen in Riot Girls and BiscuitLand (Channel 4), Quickies (BBC3), Guessable (Comedy Central), The News Quiz (Radio 4), Roast Battle (Comedy Central), The Last Leg (Channel 4), Hypothetical (Dave), Mel Giedroyc’s: Unforgivable (UKTV), CelebAbility (ITV), Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back (Channel 4) and Blankety Blank (BBC1).

Marise Gaughan is a critically-acclaimed comedian and author from Dublin.

In 2022 Marise’s debut memoir, Trouble, was published by Monoray. It was described by The Irish Times as ‘a graphic, explicit, often visceral memoir that engulfs the reader’ as it traces Marise’s unravelling through sex, self-destruction and a near-miss with Scientology. The book went on to be an Irish Bestseller and received fantastic reviews in the press. It was published in paperback in 2023 and Marise is currently working on her first novel.

As a stand-up comedian, Marise started her career in Los Angeles, appearing in on stages including The Comedy Store and The Hollywood Improv. Since returning to the UK, her debut stand-up show Drowning explored her father’s (successful) suicide attempt and her own (unsuccessful) one. It premiered at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2019 where it was nominated for the Fringe’s Spirit of Wit Moira Brady Averill Award for artists whose work defies categorisation with bold and unconventional material and for the First Fortnight Award for shows that challenge stigma and prejudice about mental health. Marise was subsequently awarded the Women’s Irish Network Arts Bursary. She has also supported acts including Rob Delaney, Ari Shaffir and Jim Norton on tour.