The Farnham Literary Festival hosted a hilarious and compelling talk by award-winning actress, comedian, and writer Doon Mackichan on Thursday night.

Held at the town council offices, the event drew a captivated audience eager to hear about Mackichan’s extensive career. She captures this journey in her recent memoir, My Lady Parts: A Life Fighting Stereotypes, an account of the entertainment industry’s attitude to women. In her book, she tackles topics such as aging, body image, motherhood, and working in a male-dominated field.

In discussion with actress and town councillor Kika Mirylees, Mackichan explored her 40-year career, starting with her early days in stand-up comedy, where she honed her craft in the vibrant but tough comedy circuit of the 1980s.

She recalled her first television appearance as Cinderella in a Hale and Pace pantomime, where comedian Jim Davidson made a sexist remark about her unshaven legs—an early example of the misogyny she would go on to challenge throughout her career.

The discussion moved on to her contributions to pioneering television programmes. She reminisced about working on The Day Today alongside comedy greats Steve Coogan, Chris Morris, and Armando Iannucci, a show that redefined news satire. She also reflected on the groundbreaking Smack the Pony, which won an Emmy for its fresh, female-led sketch comedy, and her role as Matt Berry’s irritable agent in Toast of London.

Mackichan addressed sexism in the industry, discussing how figures like Harvey Weinstein and Jimmy Savile were able to operate unchecked for decades. She spoke about the need for better protection and support for females working in entertainment, referencing her memoir as both a personal account and a call to action.

The evening concluded with a lively Q&A, where audience members quizzed Mackichan on everything from her creative process to misogyny in the military. Glass of bubbly in hand, her witty responses highlighted why she is regarded as one of Britain’s greatest comedic talents of the past few decades.