Lily Philips: Crying
Rising comedy star Lily Phillips brings her brand-new, hilarious and unapologetically honest show, "Crying," to the Monkey Barrel at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. Crying sees her delving into the taboo truths of childbirth, IVF, early motherhood, and navigating mental health, delivered with her signature sharp wit and feminist bite.
In "Crying," Lily shares her unfiltered journey from a traumatic four-day labour - complete with ventouse, forceps, and a doctor triumphantly winning a "tug-of-war" with her vagina - to confronting the injustices of IVF treatments, sleep deprivation, and the isolating silences around post-natal depression. She questions the glossy lies sold by Instagram’s maternity algorithms and boldly calls out society’s unrealistic expectations of new motherhood.
"It feels like if you say anything negative about having a baby, you're labelled mentally ill," says Lily. "But maybe you're just having a normal reaction to a horrific event. We're all lying about birth and early motherhood, and it can feel so isolating. Strap in, here's the uncensored version."
An exciting voice in UK comedy, Lily was Runner Up at Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year 2019, Funny Women Finalist 2018, and part of the acclaimed Pleasance Comedy Reserve at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019. She reached the BBC New Comedy Awards grand final in 2021, further cementing her place as a must-watch comedian.
On TV, Lily has become a series regular on ITV2’s "The Stand Up Sketch Show" and starred in E4 Digital’s hidden camera show as a fake podcast host. Other credits include BBC3’s "Period Dramas," All4’s "The Joy Of Missing Out," and various Comedy Central Online shorts.
Also a gifted writer, Lily was shortlisted from over 1,000 entries in Funny Women's Writer’s Award 2021, sponsored by Sky Studios. Her debut hour "SMUT" premiered at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe to rave reviews.
Monkey Barrel - MB2: 30th July - 12th August:1.30pm.