Liverpool Comedy Festival: Back, back, BACK!
This autumn Liverpool Comedy Festival is finally back, it being some 15 months or so since the last event. And organisers are saying it has the biggest ever line up to boot. Some 95 shows will take place across seven days between September 27 and October 7. The line up brags household names including John Bishop, Jack Dee, Sarah Millican, Ross Noble (pictured), Stewart Francis and Jason Byrne (although some of these are already sold out). As well as big names there will be comedy workshops, debates, Stand Out Shows broadcast on the BBC and stand up comedians from the national circuit. The festival will be linking up with the Guild of Students as well as Bold Street Festival and the Liverpool Biennial to take comedy to some brand new audiences (Simon Munnery is leading the charge on that front). Local talent includes pals of this blog such as Sam Avery, Steve Gribbin, Jake Mills (performing with adopted scouser James Redmond), Peter Grant and Silky. The Unity Theatre will host its usual collection of brilliant one man shows, with gigs from Peep Show's Isy Suttie, Seann Walsh, Robin Ince and Michael Legge, Alun Cochrane, Josh Widdicombe, Josie Long and Craig Hill. The Festival is delighted to embrace the Kazimier again for a couple of more offbeat shows, with shows from Mr B and Bedwyr Williams and Simon Munnery -- hopefully people will buy tickets this time and the shows there will actually take place (some were cancelled last time). Sam Avery, stand up comedian and director of the Comedy Trust said: “Moving the festival into the autumn was a big leap for us but it has paid off with the number of top quality acts we can now attract to the city. We are hoping to bring in record numbers of people so get up, switch off the telly and come out to see some live comedy.” There's no excuse (except for not being able to navigate the festival's rather horrible website, which would be perfectly understandable. Seriously. What's going on there?). Tickets and information are available from liverpoolcomedyfestival.com or on 0870 787 1866.
