» Comedy Preview: Brighton Comedy Festival
Last year I pootled along to the Brighton Comedy Festival and saw a lovely Liverpudlian chap do his set in the Pavilion Theatre on New Road. That chap’s got rather more bums on seats this year. He’s playing the Brighton Centre. His name was John Bishop. Yup, that fella off of weekend telly.
Although this year’s Brighton Comedy Festival isn’t until October, now is definitely the time to start booking tickets. We’ve all heard of the Jimmy Carrs and the Frankie Boyles that fill out the Dome Concert Hall come the autumn, but there are cracking comics playing the smaller sites too. Kevin Bridges – of C4’s Stand Up For The Week and the BBC’s Michael McIntyre Roadshow – is playing the Corn Exchange on 12 October. Baggsy seeing that engagingly thoughtful, Glaswegian early-twenty-something!
Ardal O’Hanlon, rather well known for playing a character by the name of Father Dougal, will also be playing the Corn Exchange (14 October), as well as Kevin Bridges’ Stand Up For The Week-mate and comedy stalwart, Rich Hall (15 October).
If it’s unsung but tipped-for-the-top you’re after, here’s a list of the rapidly upwardly mobile comics playing, too. Top is Sarah Millican (Corn Exchange, 9 and 16 October); she started only a few years back but has already got her own radio show – and it’s been re-commissioned – as well as becoming a regular on the telly panel show circuit. Scottish former barrister Susan Calman (Pavilion Theatre, 16 October) is another comic wowing the radio panel shows on Radios 4 and 7, with her straight talking and humility.
Striking out on his own is Greg Davies (Pavilion Theatre, 16 October), one third of sketch group We Are Klang, who had their own TV show on BBC3 last year. He’s also easily recognisable as a certain teacher from that rather successful telly show, The Inbetweeners.
Oh, and not forgetting Jack Whitehall (Corn Exchange, 22 October). He’s another Stand Up For The Week alumni and has been tipped by America’s Variety newspaper as one of next year’s young upstarts to watch on a global scale.
Remember to check the listings for late additions to the line-up, as the Brighton Comedy Festival bookers are up at the Edinburgh Festival right now handpicking a few last minute morsels that have succeeded in making a splash up there.
And, of course, our homegrown comedy highlights – Stephen Grant, Zoe Lyons, and Seann Walsh – are playing, too. Brighton doesn’t just import great comedy. It creates the stuff.
The Brighton Comedy Festival, various venues, 7–23 October, 01273 709709. For full listings and to book visit www.brightoncomedyfestival.com
