Comedian Athena Kugblenu is explaining how she got her name. "Athena was the Greek Goddess of wisdom so I think it’s a very good name for a girl to have in the patriarchy. Naming your children is the first gift you give them.” Her parents were not particularly classical scholars, but her older brother was obsessed with Homer at the time. The Odyssey, not The Simpsons.
And the name feels apt. Kugblenu is one of the smartest acts on the circuit, with a growing reputation for intelligent, pertinent humour. She has previously written for Lenny Henry, Frankie Boyle and Russell Howard’s TV shows. Now she is centre stage herself. Her solo show, Shaking Her Class, comes to the Soho Theatre this month. And from May 19 she co-hosts a new weekly comedy series on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, DMs Are Open.
