Comedy: Treats galore at the Brighton Comedy Festival & Brighton Comedy Fringe
Treats galore at the Brighton Comedy Festival & Brighton Comedy Fringe
We’re in the final week of the Brighton Comedy Festival and the first week of the Brighton Comedy Fringe, which means if you’re not laughing in this fair city, you’re not trying. 
Fringe is here! Brighton Comedy Fringe! Tuesday has Funny Women winner alumni Suzy Bennett with her new show ‘Gumpton’, Wednesday malarkey is provided by The Book Of Job: The Musical, Thursday treats us to Ria Lina’s controversial show fresh from Edinburgh – ‘Taboo Raider’, and Friday the critically acclaimed and recently recorded for Christmas DVD release show from Matthew Crosby – ‘Smaller Than Life’.
Brighton Comedy Festival (BCF) highlights this week start with Michael Legge’s show ‘Tell It Like It Is, Steve’ tonight (Tuesday) bringing misanthropic vitriol to the masses in style. Wednesday presents a most enjoyable quandary with brilliant comedy offered from Dara O’Briain, Fred MacAulay and the final of the Squawker Awards – a brilliant selection of up-and-coming comics. Thursday hosts acclaimed ventriloquist Nina Conti, and the charity fundraiser BIG CHEER for Amaze! with its own top line-up. Friday sees Richard Herring, Bridget Christie, Joe Lycett and Milton Jones all arrive with new shows.
The weekend is jam-packed with the brilliantly clever Festival of the Spoken Nerd, and a work in progress from anarchic Nick Helm from the BCF, and Luisa Omielan headlining the fringe’s Red Brick Comedy Saturday showcase.
To whet your BCF whistle, a Brighton tale, from the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer 2015, Sofie Hagen.
Sofie Hagen – Bubblewrap, Brighton Dome, Studio, Wednesday 21 October, £11
“As Brighton is a lovely town in which to perform comedy, I am often there to do shows. One time I came in early to see some sights and ended up getting lost. I finally got on a bus that was completely empty apart from an older woman and myself. The bus driver started MC’ing the trip, doing jokes and little songs, and ending the trip with a loud: “Are you not just grateful Justin Bieber wasn’t the driver of this bus?” and I laughed for the rest of the night. To me, that experience has always symbolised what Brighton is. Simply a happy place.”
