The popular dating app Bumble regularly brings people together for sex, or love, or professional networking – or for all three. But now the social media platform that gives heterosexual women priority in making contact with men is to bring together a much bigger group of people. The app will stage a comedy night devoted to navigating the perils of romance at the Edinburgh fringe festival this month.
Bumble, which is free and has more than 60 million users worldwide, has joined forces with the fringe venue Gilded Balloon to host How to Make The First Move (The Good, The Bad and The Funny) on 19 August.
The one-off show aims to encourage women to have the confidence to approach a prospective date.
Many of the standup comics at this year’s festival have created shows dealing with the pressure to find a partner.
Darren Harriott’s Good Heart Yute is about reaching the age of 30 without having been in love; “Handful” Brodi Snook, an Australian comic, is trying to understand why some have not welcomed her on to the dating scene; and Robyn Perkins, who created a live dating show last summer, is reporting back on the experience in Mating Selection.
Katy Koren, artistic director at the Gilded Balloon and daughter of the venue’s founder, Karen Koren, said: “Karen and I are so excited to be teaming up with Bumble – which is making waves in the social, dating and business world by empowering women to make the first move. We’re all for the strides Bumble has made in shifting power dynamics.”
The acclaimed comic Zoe Lyons will host the late-night show which will feature a line-up of up-and-coming women comedians including Maisie Adam, best newcomer at the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Awards, and acts Jayde Adams, Lou Sanders, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Jenny Bede and Flo & Joan.A pair of free tickets to this show is available by downloading Bumble and then matching with the Gilded Balloon/Bumble profile.
