A NEW inclusive comedy night has launched in Bromborough.

Comedian, writer and podcaster, Mary Cross, set up the new comedy night called Bliss Comedy, which aims at championing diversity in comedy.

The night launched a sell-out first show at microbar HOP on Allport Road in Bromborough on January 31, which saw a line up of five female and LGBTQ+ comedians from across the North of England perform to 40 audience members.

Mary told the Globe: “I started my stand-up comedy journey at the age of 45 and have been regularly gigging across the North of England for the past 18 months.

“During this time I've found the power of laughter not only as entertainment but also as a crucial element of mental health and wellbeing.

“Bliss Comedy is dedicated to pushing the boundaries and challenging the status quo of comedy line-ups. Whilst progress has been made, there is still work to be done to elevate the voices of women, LGBTQ+, and neurodiverse comedians.

“Bliss Comedy aims to fill this gap by offering a platform for underrepresented talents in the world of stand-up. It is also intended to be an inclusive night for the audience and attract people who might not always feel comfortable in traditional comedy clubs.”

During its launch night, comedians Jane Postlethwaite, Lizzie Norm, Kelly McActeer, Kie Carson and Alex Stringer performed while Mary hosted and MC’d..

Mary said: “HOP was filled with a great mix people all of whom really enjoyed the night which will be running monthly or six-weekly going forward.”