BATH
Comedy Festival
2012
30 MARCH - 9 APRIL www.bathcomedy.com
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contents
thank you Bath Comedy Festival acknowledges with gratitude the support of the following companies and individuals who have made this event possible: Festival Patrons
Lady Venetia Fuller, Margaret & Brian Roper, Louisa Gummer, Alex & Kate Timms, Nick Steel
Festival Sponsors
Thank you
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Welcome
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What’s on Diary of events
iesis
With many thanks to the Festival team, advisors, friends and supporters
Louisa Gummer, Geoff Whiting, Ralph Oswick, Nod Knowles, John Arnold, Helen Chamberlain, Alex & Kate Timms, Ian McGlynn, Rod Johnson, Kate Partlett, Darren Fry, Ann Garner, Graeme Thomas, Sonia Mills, Alison Sully, Sam Holliday, Deri Robins, Georgette McCready, Steve Wright, Sam Ewart, Craig Maplesden, Bernard Aherne, David Lawrence, David Jackson, Jonathan Steel, Alastair Steel, Mel Booth, Bob Winsley & Dawn Box, Maria King, Chris Radford, Colin Callan, Mark Burton, Marick Baxter, Mike MacDermid, Brian Hennigan, Henry Franklin, Leslie & Lynsay Redwood, Harriet Beveridge, Denis France, The Widcombe Association and all the volunteers and many other supporters too numerous to mention.
Event Sponsors litfestA4-cover.pdf
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VOUCHER £5 off when you spend £20 and over C
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Booking info
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Venue map
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Programme, website & other tech by
Xerophon is an Internet consultancy based in Bath and offers a full range of online and offline services including web, networks and systems, specialising in web authoring and hosting. T: 01225 337289 E: contact@xerophon.com W: www.xerophon.com
welcome
how to book
The fourth annual Bath Comedy Festival boasts the strongest ever lineup, from well known household names to local favourites and rising stars, with something for everyone in a diverse mix of stand-up, sketch comedy, street theatre, story-telling, character comedy, comic art, cabaret, music, magic, mystery tours, walks, workshops and puppetry - and that’s just the classifiable stuff!
The easiest way to book tickets is online. Please visit our web site at: www.bathcomedy.com for all booking links and telephone numbers.
Widcombe Social Club is host to a packed programme of 15 events over the 11 days, featuring over 50 performers. Other Festival venues include The Rondo Theatre, Baroque Nightclub Comedy Cavern, The Mission Theatre, Komedia, Natural Theatre Company Studio, St James Wine Vaults, The Assembly Inn, Ye Olde Farmhouse, Bath Central Library & The Pump Room. The popular New Act Competition is running again with five heats compered by popular local comedians, and a grand final with a famous MC. For online booking, and to join the e-mailing list to be kept informed of stop press and future events, visit the web site at www.bathcomedy.com Read on to discover what’s on and I hope you all have a great laugh this Festival!
Nick Steel Festival Director
You can buy tickets for most events though both Brown Paper Tickets and Bath Box Office, or other box offices where stated. More info: page 24
Brown Paper Tickets W: www.brownpapertickets.com T: freephone 0800 411 8881 Bath Box Office T: 01225 463362 W: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk There are concessionary rate tickets for some shows. Please note different venues and events have different policies on concession rate tickets. Most venues: NUS students and unwaged. Rondo Theatre: the above plus senior citizens.
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WHAT’S ON
BATH
Comedy Festival
30 MARCH - 9 APRIL 2012
Thursday 29th March
Pre-Festival
New Act Competition - Heat 1
7.00pm for 7:45pm show I Baroque Comedy Cavern I TICKETS: £5/£3.50 concs I 01225 312508 The Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year Competition gathers 35 of the best up and coming comics in the UK to compete in five heats. This heat will be compered by Dan Thomas. The Final will be held at Widcombe Social Club on Easter Monday 9th April, compered by Phil Kay. Event by Mirth Control.
Friday 30th March
Opening Night
Bizarre Bath
8:00pm I Meet outside the Huntsman I TICKETS: £8 I No pre-booking required You’ll laugh yourself silly when you join the celebrated stroll which takes an irreverent look at the city of Bath. You’ll experience unforgettable mysteries, thrills, and surprises that stretch the traditional image of the city. So if you’’re looking for something hysterical rather than historical, why not join us? Bizarre Bath leaves the Huntsman Inn, North Parade Passage, every evening at 8pm. The entertainment lasts approximately 90 minutes (but don’t worry - we’re not walking for all that time!)
www.bathcomedy.com
Friday 30th March
Opening Night
Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip - Opening Night Cabaret with Alan Francis, Mike Hayley & Jared Hardy
7:30pm for 8.00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £12/£9 concs I 0800 411 8881 A mixture of stand-up, character comedy and music to celebrate the opening night of Bath Comedy Festival. Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip: Jonny Flockton on guitar, Benson Walker on bass and beaming grins, Mik at the front - comedy, singing, poetry, stories, rock, folk and funk with moments of unutterable human beauty thrown in... Alan Francis: countless writing and performing credits for TV, radio and theatre; a most popular performer. “Smooth, classy and elegant as a vintage Scotch, a seductive performer” - Chortle Jared Hardy: hilarious story telling and ferocious ad-libbing, infused with wit and observational humour. “Extremely funny” - ThreeWeeks “Definitely a man to look out for in the future” - thisissomerset.co.uk Mike Hayley brings his creation the anthropologist-cum-”helpless orifice” Clovis Van Darkhelm... “...distilled Tony Hancock gold” - Fest
Up The Pump Room Charity Ball with the Stuttgarter Saloniker
7:30pm for 7:45pm I Roman Baths & Pump Room I TICKETS: £50 I 0800 411 8881 Raising funds for Natural Theatre’s projects for young people and disabled actors. The poshest night in the comedy calendar! Right Roman revels and torch lit reception by the historic baths, followed by sultry jazz and Searcys’ sumptuous bowl food. Then enjoy the wonderfully nostalgic sounds of the fabulous Stuttgarter Saloniker Orchestra, specially flown in for your delight and delectation. These highly accomplished musicians have over a hundred numbers in their repertoire, from tangos to Tchaikovsky, so prepare to dance the night away. Dress code: Black tie or Roman (prize for best costume). Grand raffle prizes include Hilton hotel vouchers and a magnum of Château Sainte Marguerite Rosé.
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WHAT’S ON
Saturday 31st March Krater Comedy Club with Steve Williams, Pierre Hollins, Steve Hall & MC Sally-Anne Hayward 6:00pm for 8:00pm show I Komedia I TICKETS: £14.50 - £27.50/£5 concs I 0845 293 8480
Watch three great stand-ups and enjoy the best comperes in the business, plus eat delicious food served by our Soil Association Gold Standard Award Winning Restaurant. Krater Comedy Club ticket holders gain free entry to the critically acclaimed Motorcity clubnight.
Piff the Magic Dragon - Last of the Magic Dragons
6:30pm for 7:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £9 I 0800 411 8881 Direct from a sell-out run in Edinburgh: award-winning magic stand-up Piff, and the World’s First Levitating Chihuahua Mr Piffles, return to save the species! It’s not easy being the last of your species. Piff’s wife has run off with Prince Charming, his brother’s in rehab and health & safety laws have forced Piff to quit the booze, (Dragons aren’t allowed alcohol: it combusts). And nobody is taking Piff seriously as the Greatest Magic Dragon of All Time. It’s time to set the record straight... Joined by Mr Piffles, Piff will prove he can dazzle like David Copperfield, match the psychic ability of Derren Brown and surpass the dizzying heights of Paul Daniels...by an inch. “One of the most magical things we’ve ever seen” - Penn & Teller, “Top Three Picks of the Fringe” - The One Show, “Unbelievable” - BBC1, “Cute, inspired and very funny” - Time Out, “Gloriously grumpy!” - Chortle
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath
8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
www.bathcomedy.com
The Real MacGuffins - Saturday Night Cabaret with Edward Eales-White, Matt Green & Gary Colman
8:30pm for 9.00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £12/£9 concs I 0800 411 8881 The Real MacGuffins: from a sell-out Edinburgh festival run, a unique brand of fast paced sketch comedy to take you into a world of rapping Victorians, the world’s worst advertising agency and what might have happened if Hitler had made alternative lifestyle choices. Be prepared for chaos and wit, the real and the surreal as this dysfunctional sketch group sometimes goes too far... Special Guest tonight: Edward Eales-White (from Radio 4 sketch show Clever Peter) “Insanely witty writing” ***** Three Weeks, “The perfect blend of clever and silly” ***** spankcomedy.com “Brilliantly well-crafted” **** Chortle, “Hysterically funny...utterly inspired” **** Fest Matt Green: resident MC for The 99 Club in London and a regular at many clubs across the UK. “If you want classic stand-up expertly delivered then this is the show for you.” **** Broadway Baby “Not only charming and affable but also disarmingly intelligent” **** The List Gary Colman:“One of the hardest working and funniest comics on the circuit, the best deadpan act since Jack Dee” - GQ. “Quality geordie stand-up” - TNT Magazine. “Hugely inventive and very funny” - Frank Skinner
Sunday 1st April
April Fool’s Day Natural Youth Theatre
Daytime between 11am and 4pm I Bath City Centre I Free The wonderful Natural Youth Theatre will be bringing the Comedy Festival to the streets this year. Inspired by their illustrious parent company, 40 members of the NYT will be serving up slices of superlative silliness street style. As 2012 is both an Olympic AND Jubilee year, expect to see the best of British brilliantly interpreted by these amazingly talented young performers.
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WHAT’S ON
Sunday 1st April
April Fool’s Day Women on the Make - What Makes Women Laugh? Performance Workshop
10:00am workshop I Natural Theatre Studio I TICKETS: £10 incl light lunch I info@womenonthemake.com Full day performance workshop (women only!) Come along and sharpen your comedic skills in our friendly performance workshop. Try out stand-up, sketch comedy and improvisation. 20 places only, ticket includes light lunch. For further information and to book a place, please email info@womenonthemake.com
Sunday Lunch with Bill Smarme & The Bizness
12:30pm for 1.00pm I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £18.50 incl 2 course lunch* I 0800 411 8881 Bill Smarme Presents “Come Lunch With I”. Lunch, plate, pudding, bowl; Table, chair, rock ‘n’ roll; Knife, fork, serviette; Can you tell what it is yet? Yes, it’s Sunday lunch with Music and Comedy Cabaret from Bill Smarme & The Bizness. Bill Smarme: international entertainer, love guru, connoisseur of fine marmalades, and building contractor sends up most styles of music. The band bring you songs of love, pork pies, binder twine, and Twerton - all in the best possible taste. There will be a special door opening and book signing at this event. “Lots of visual comedy combined with great musicianship...had the audience in hysterics” - Maverick Magazine * Ticket includes two course lunch including roast beef or vegetarian alternative. Licenced bar. Mrs Chipps’ Kitchen. Limited number of tickets available - book early!
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath
8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
www.bathcomedy.com
Dan Wright - Michael Jackson Touched Me
6:00pm show I Assembly Inn “Festival Bar” I TICKETS: £5 I Available from the venue Dan Wright (Big Cook Little Cook, Big Brother’s Big Mouth) shares hilarious stories about his experiences as an obsessive Michael Jackson fan, and asks whether or not it’s finally time to let it go and stop bothering people about it. There is also a show on 9th April.
Women on the Make - What Makes Women Laugh? Panel Discussion 6:30pm for 7:00pm I Natural Theatre Studio I TICKETS: £5 I 0800 411 8881 Come and join Women on the Make for a lively and probing discussion on “What Makes Women Laugh?” A prestigious panel of writers, performers and producers to include BBC Comedy producer, Victoria Lloyd and Harry Venning, co-writer of Clare in the Community will discuss all aspects of women in comedy.
Henning Wehn - No Surrender
7:30pm for 8pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £10 I 0800 411 8881 You may well have heard Henning on BBC Radio’s “Unbelievable Truth”, “News Quiz”, “Now Show” and “Fighting Talk” or seen him on “QI” , “Dave’s One Night Stand” or “Edinburgh and Beyond”. Now’s your chance to see the self-appointed German Comedy Ambassador to the UK in the flesh in his sell-out Edinburgh show, “No Surrender”. Teutonic jolliness at its best. Come along ... or else. Deutschland über alles! “Side-splittingly funny” - The Scotsman ”A vulnerable man grappling with a language that isn’t his own” - The Guardian
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WHAT’S ON
Sunday 1st April
April Fool’s Day Boothby Graffoe & Nick Pynn...
7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Rondo Theatre I TICKETS: £12 / £10 concs I 01225 463362 ...on the ‘Is This Your Vehicle, Sir?’ tour. Music. Funny stuff. More music. Interval. Even more music. Even more funny stuff. Encore, possibly combining music and funny stuff. End. Get kicked out of venue. Get let back in venue. Buy CD. Go home. Listen to CD. Have eggs. Boothby & Nick follow on from the success of their The Return Of Boothby Graffoe 2011 tour by having another jolly trip up and down the country to promote the new studio album ‘Is This Your Vehicle Sir?’.
The Scat Pack - Lights! Camera! Improvise!
7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Mission Theatre I TICKETS: £10/£8 concs I 01225 463362 The Improvised Movie Live On Stage. The audience suggest the genre, location and title; the movie is created before your very eyes complete with captivating plot and a thrilling live film score. Fringe Sell-Out 2009 - 2011. ***** “Rip-Roaring Laugh” – Edinburgh Reporter, ***** “Outstanding” - Broadway World ***** “Breathtaking” – New Current Show runs 1st - 3rd April
Mitch Benn & Max Dickins
7:00pm for 8:00pm show I Baroque Comedy Cavern I TICKETS: £8/£7 concs I 01225 312508 Mitch Benn: “He lampoons every musical genre, from rap to disco, from country and western to heavy metal, and his spoofs of specific bands are even more amusing” - The Guardian Max Dickins: “Impressive...his modest, careful delivery perfectly showcases his often sterling material, derived from imaginative thinking and expressed with exquisite use of English” - Chortle Plus guest (new) acts on the bill. MC - Geoff Whiting
www.bathcomedy.com
Monday 2nd April Jarred Christmas - Let’s Go Mofo!
6:30pm for 7:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £10 I 0800 411 8881 An electric hour of arse-kicking comedy. You’ve seen him on Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats, Argumental, Dave’s One Night Stand. He’s the guy with the side burns and glasses…that’s right, Jarred Christmas! He has jokes, he has stories, he has energy, he has personality, and he has one helluva show. Fast, funny and in demand. Let’s Go MoFo! “One of the funniest men to pick up a microphone” - Time Out, “Likeable, intelligent and full of unpredictable energy” - The Scotsman, “Robustly funny, his delivery confident and his show not to be missed” - The List
New Act Competition - Heat 2
7.00pm for 7:45pm show I Baroque Comedy Cavern I TICKETS: £5/£3.50 concs I 01225 312508 The Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year Competition gathers 35 of the best up and coming comics in the UK to compete in five heats. This heat will be compered by Taylor Glenn. The Final will be held at Widcombe Social Club on Easter Monday 9th April, compered by Phil Kay. Event by Mirth Control.
Repeat Show Repeat Show
The Scat Pack - Lights! Camera! Improvise!
7:30pm for 8:00pm show | Mission Theatre I For full details see listing on page 10.
Bizarre Bath 8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
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WHAT’S ON
Monday 2nd April Patrick Monahan - Hug Me I Feel Good
8:30pm for 9:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £12/£10 concs I 0800 411 8881 Lovable comedian Patrick Monahan blends a high energy style with hilarious and engaging stories of his Irish/ Iranian/Teeside heritage. Winner of ITV One’s Show Me The Funny! Laugh and be hugged at the same time! “Raised the roof”- The Sun, “Omid Djalili meets Dave Allen” - Daily Mail “Funniest Show in Edinburgh” - Guardian, “Lovable stuff” - Independent. “Born to be a stand up” - Metro
Tuesday 3rd April New Act Competition - Heat 3
7.00pm for 7:45pm show I Baroque Comedy Cavern I TICKETS: £5/£3.50 concs I 01225 312508 The Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year Competition gathers 35 of the best up and coming comics in the UK to compete in five heats. This heat will be compered by Johnny Kats. The Final will be held at Widcombe Social Club on Easter Monday 9th April, compered by Phil Kay. Event by Mirth Control.
Repeat Show
The Scat Pack - Lights! Camera! Improvise!
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath
7:30pm for 8:00pm show | Mission Theatre I For full details see listing on page 10.
8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
www.bathcomedy.com
Wil Hodgson’s Alternative Cabaret with Ash Mandrake, Kitty Ribbons, Violet Vayne & Cerys Nelmes 7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £10 I 0800 411 8881
Starring the West Country’s finest fast-talking My Little Pony-collecting raconteur Wil Hodgson and a pick of favourite cabaret acts - including the unique and incredibly skilled Ash Mandrake who incorporates music, loop machines, stories and comedy; burlesque stars Kitty Ribbons & Violet Vayne plus stand-up newcomer Cerys Nelmes. What does breakfast cereal have to do with skinhead culture? Are Care Bears anarchists or communists? Why were Black Lace more punk than The Sex Pistols? All these questions and more will be answered by cult storyteller Wil Hodgson, as heard on Radio 4 and seen on Russell Howard’s Good News and Edinburgh And Beyond. “Brilliantly written, phenomenally well-observed stories” - Guardian, “This is punk rock, this is how it should be” - Mark Thomas, “Genius” - Russell Howard, “A passionate diatribe by a man genuinely enthusiastic about his subjects” - Chortle, “A sort of cultural lay preacher” - BroadwayBaby Recently selected for The London Burlesque Games, the theatre trained and vintage styled delectable Kitty Ribbons will deliver a kaleidoscope of guises. With her unforced enthusiasm which transfers itself from the stage to the audience, you know you’re seeing someone who lives for and loves Burlesque. This is one classy lady you are unlikely to forget !
The Funny Farm with Phil Wang, Chris Chopping & MC Jared Hardy 8:00pm show I Ye Olde Farmhouse I TICKETS: free entry
The Funny Farm presents short and sharp comedy sets from local and national acts. Hosted by Jared Hardy and performed in an historic building, which has seen more than its fair share of funny characters over the centuries. Phil Wang: “A skilful and hilarious individual” - Varsity, “Effortless personified” - The Tab “Genius” - The Cambridge Student, “Winner” - Steve Bennett, Chortle
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WHAT’S ON
Wednesday 4th April New Act Competition - Heat 4
7.00pm for 7:45pm show I Baroque Comedy Cavern I TICKETS: £5/£3.50 concs I 01225 312508 The Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year Competition gathers 35 of the best up and coming comics in the UK to compete in five heats. This heat will be compered by Iszi Lawrence. The Final will be held at Widcombe Social Club on Easter Monday 9th April, compered by Phil Kay. Event by Mirth Control.
An Evening with Jeremy Hardy
7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £14/£7 concs I 0800 411 8881 Jeremy Hardy may be best remembered as a much younger man, but there is nothing he can do about that now. Still alive and able to speak unaided for lengthy periods, this show will be not so much a one-man show as an under-staffed cavalcade. Best known for his work on Radio 4, notably on “News Quiz”, “I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue” and “Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation”. litfestA4-cover.pdf
“One of the sharpest comedians on the circuit” - The Guardian “Warm, witty and a delight to listen to” - The Public Reviews. “A comic genius” - Sandi Toksvig
Instant Wit
8:00pm show I Rondo Theatre I TICKETS: £12/£10 concs I 01225 463362
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VOUCHER
£5 off when you spend £20 and over C
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Shop 82- 84 Walcot Street. 01225 334533 Workshop 84 Walcot Street. 01225 464207
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www.johnsbikes.co.uk
The West’s own comedy improvisation company return with a completely improvised show of sketches, gags, songs, games, flying packets of Instant Whip and a bottle of wine for the best contribution, all shaped round audience suggestions. So if you’ve yearned to hear a song about four penguins on a ghost hunt or a sketch featuring a trebuchet made of jelly - turn up and let us know, your wish is our command. Fast paced and fun! “The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets” Christopher Morley
See website for terms & conditions: www.johnsbikes.co.uk/terms
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath 8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
www.bathcomedy.com
Thursday 5th April New Act Competition - Heat 5
7.00pm for 7:45pm show I Baroque Comedy Cavern I TICKETS: £5/£3.50 concs I 01225 312508 The Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year Competition gathers 35 of the best up and coming comics in the UK to compete in five heats. This heat will be compered by John Robins. The Final will be held at Widcombe Social Club on Easter Monday 9th April, compered by Phil Kay. Event by Mirth Control.
Barry Cryer & Ronnie Golden
7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £14/£10 concs I 0800 411 8881 Barry has written for Morecombe & Wise, Tommy Cooper, Kenny Everett, Bob Hope and Jack Benny to name but a few. Ronnie’s seminal cult rock band Fabulous Poodles outsold both The Clash and The Jam in the US back in the late 70s. Their two hour live show features Barry’s formidable collection of one-liners and tall stories alongside Ronnie’s amazingly versatile musicianship and array of musical impressions. Their comic songs take in the unlikeliest of themes - assisted suicide, mobile phone frustrations, freedom passes and...John Prescott! “Two of comedy’s most fabled masters” - Festival Times; “I laughed incontinently” - Guardian
Quicksilver
8:00pm show I Rondo Theatre I TICKETS: £12/£10 concs I 01225 463362 A hundred years of hilarity are brought back to life by QuickSilver for an evening of sparkling song-based entertainment. Together Grant and Hilary revive memories of the great stars (and a few acts who hardly made it above the printer’s credits) in a celebration of that great institution, the well-crafted comic song.
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath 8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
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DIARY OF EVENTS Date
Event
Time
Venue
Thu 29th March
New Acts Competition - Heat 1
7:45pm
Baroque Comedy Cavern
10
4
Fri 30th March
Bizarre Bath Up The Pump Room Ball Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip - Opening Night Cabaret
8:00pm 7:45pm 8:00pm
The Huntsman Roman Baths & Pump Room Widcombe Social Club
7 5 1
4 5 5
Sat 31st March
Piff the Magic Dragon - Last of the Magiic Dragons Bizarre Bath Krater Comedy Club The Real MacGuffins - Saturday Night Cabaret with Special Guests
7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm
Widcombe Social Club The Huntsman Komedia Widcombe Social Club
1 7 4 1
6 6 6 7
Sun 1st April
Natural Youth Theatre Women on the Make - Performace Workshop Sunday Lunch with Bill Smarme & The Bizness Dan Wright - Michael Jackson Touched Me Women on the Make - Panel Discussion Bizarre Bath Henning Wehn - No Surrender Boothby Graffoe & Nick Pynn The Scat Pack - Lights! Camera! Improvise! Mitch Benn & Max Dickins
Daytime 10:00am 1:00pm 6:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm
Bath City Centre Natural Theatre Studio Widcombe Social Club Assembly Inn Festival Bar Natural Theatre Studio The Huntsman Widcombe Social Club Rondo Theatre Mission Theatre Baroque Comedy Cavern
2 1 9 2 7 1 13 3 10
7 8 8 9 9 8 9 10 10 10
Mon 2nd April
Jarred Christmas - Let’s Go Mofo! New Act Competition - Heat 2 Bizarre Bath The Scat Pack - Lights! Camera! Improvise! Patrick Monahan - Hug Me I Feel Good
7:00pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm
Widcombe Social Club Baroque Comedy Cavern The Huntsman Mission Theatre Widcombe Social Club
1 10 7 3 1
11 11 11 11 12
Tue 3rd April
New Act Competition - Heat 3 Bizarre Bath The Scat Pack - Lights! Camera! Improvise! Wil Hodgson’s Alternative Cabaret with Ash Mandrake & Kitty Ribbons The Funny Farm
7:45pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm
Baroque Comedy Cavern The Huntsman Mission Theatre Widcombe Social Club Ye Olde Farmhouse
10 7 3 1 12
12 12 12 13 13
Wed 4th April
New Act Competition - Heat 4
7:45pm
Baroque Comedy Cavern
10
14
NB: Times shown are when shows start. In most cases the doors will open half an hour or more beforehand.
Map
Page
See venues map on page 31
www.bathcomedy.com Date
Event
Time
Venue
Map
Page
Wed 4th April
Bizarre Bath Instant Wit An Evening with Jeremy Hardy
8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm
The Huntsman Rondo Theatre Widcombe Socal Club
7 13 1
14 14 14
Thu 5th April
New Act Competition - Heat 5 Bizarre Bath Quicksilver Barry Cryer & Ronnie Golden
7:45pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm
Baroque Comedy Cavern The Huntsman Rondo Theatre Widcombe Social Club
10 7 13 1
15 15 15 15
Fri 6th April
Krater Comedy Club Sal Monello’s Hit List - Mickey Sharma & Guests Robin Ince - Happiness Through Science (Star Corpse Apple Child) Bizarre Bath
8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm
Komedia Widcombe Social Club Rondo Theatre The Huntsman
4 1 13 7
18 18 18 19
Sat 7th April
Arthur Smith’s Great Easter Egg Hunt Kef F Sutherland’s Comic Art Masterclass Tony Allen - Attitude: Wanna Make Somthing Of It? (Workshop) The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre Bizarre Bath The Arnold Letinov Outdoor Comedy Show Krater Comedy Club Robin Ince - Happiness Through Science (Star Corpse Apple Child) Arthur Smith’s Easter Eggstravaganza Cabaret w/ The Segue Sisters
11am & 2pm 2:00pm 2:00pm 7:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 8:00pm 9:00pm
Meet at Natural Theatre HQ Bath Central Library St James Wine Vaults Widcombe Social Club The Huntsman Kennet & Avon Canal Komedia Rondo Theatre Widcombe Social Club
2 8 11 1 7 14 4 13 1
19 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 21
Sun 8th April
Easter Sunday Lunch with Earl Okin Tony Allen - Attitude: Wanna Make Somthing Of It? (Workshop) Bizarre Bath Tom Price & Iszi Lawrence
1:00pm 2:00pm 8:00pm 8.00pm
Widcombe Social Club St James Wine Vaults The Huntsman Baroque Comedy Cavern
1 11 7 10
22 22 22 22
Mon 9th April
Natural Theatre Company Backstage Tours Dan Wright - Michael Jackson Touched Me New Act Competition - Grand Final with Phil Kay Bizarre Bath
11:30am + 6:00pm 7:45pm 8:00pm
Natural Theatre HQ Assembly Inn Festival Bar Widcombe Social Club The Huntsman
2 9 1 7
23 23 23 23
Wed 11th April
Mitch Benn
8:00pm
Rondo Theatre
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24
NB: Times shown are when shows start. In most cases the doors will open half an hour or more beforehand.
See venues map on page 31
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WHAT’S ON
Friday 6th April
Good Friday Sal Monello’s Hit List Matt Richardson, Mickey Sharma, Danny Buckler, Bruce Cochrane 7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £10 | 0800 411 8881
MC Sal Monello hosts an evening starring some of the most promising new acts on the circuit. Including two previous winners of the Bath Comedy Festival New Act Competition - Matt Richardson (2011) and Mickey Sharma (2010); also starring Danny Buckler, and featuring Bruce Cochrane.
Krater Comedy Club with Alastair Barrie, Doc Brown, Karl Spain & MC Rich Wilson
6:00pm for 8:00pm show I Komedia I TICKETS: £15.50 - £25/£5 concs I 0845 293 8480 Watch three great stand-ups and enjoy the best comperes in the business, plus eat delicious food served by our Soil Association Gold Standard Award Winning Restaurant. A Meal Deal ticket saves money with a combined reduced entry ticket price plus a main course or platter from our menu.
Robin Ince - Happiness Through Science (Star Corpse Apple Child) 7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Rondo Theatre I TICKETS: £12/£10 concs I 01225 463362
Following a sellout national tour of ‘Uncaged Monkeys’, and as co-presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Sony Gold Award winning series ‘The Infinite Monkey Cage’, Robin continues his comic exploration of the human condition. Can you be happy and rational at the same time? Join Robin in a world of Schrodinger cats, multiverses and evolutionary conundrums. Enjoy an entertaining evening as he orienteers through the craggy landscape of evolution whilst plumbing the depths of his own murky consciousness, all without the aid of a safety net.
www.bathcomedy.com
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath 8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
Saturday 7th April Arthur Smith’s Great Easter Egg Hunt
11:00am and 2:00pm shows I Meet at Natural Theatre HQ I TICKETS: £10 | 0800 411 8881 Famously grumpy old man Arthur Smith is back and combining comedy forces with, amongst others, Natural Theatre Company, New Old Friends, Toby Longworth, Seymour Mace and Women on the Make stalwart Hilary Strong to bring you a chocolaty, feathery egg-on-your face mystery walking tour. Expect laughs, traffic hold-ups, shocked passers-by, prizes and possibly the odd glass of wine on the way. Strictly advance sales only. Sorry, not suitable for children under 14 Duration: 1 hour (and a bit). Accessibility: some stairs on route.
Kev F Sutherland’s Comic Art Masterclass
1:30pm for 2:00pm masterclass I Bath Central Library I TICKETS: £6 I Age: 7+ | 0800 411 8881 Come and enjoy a lively and inspirational two hour masterclass with renowned comic artist Kef F Sutherland. Learn how to draw cartoons and go home with your own comic! Known as the fastest caricaturist in the world, Kev’s the man who draws the Bash Street Kids in the Beano, and designed his own Doctor Who comic book. Now he brings his legendary comic strip workshop to Bath! In the Masterclass Kev F will tell comic strip stories and can teach anyone how to draw comic strip characters. By the end of the session a comic will be produced featuring all of the work, and each participant will also receive a caricature drawn by Kev F Sutherland.
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WHAT’S ON
Saturday 7th April Tony Allen - ATTITUDE: Wanna Make Something Of It?
2:00pm - 7:00pm workshop I St James Wine Vaults I TICKETS: £60 I 0800 411 8881 Stand-up in a weekend comedy workshop with Tony Allen (the ‘godfather of alternative comedy’- Chortle) Ever wanted to try stand-up? Here’s your chance. The key is attitude. In each individual there’s a performance persona that is effortlessly funny - unlocking a lifetime of material! Suitable for complete beginners and up. This is a two day workshop running Sat 7th & Sun 8th April from 2pm-7pm each day. Please contact Jon on jonseagrave23@yahoo.co.uk for more information.
The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre
6:30pm for 7:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £10 I 0800 411 8881 The stars of BBC3’s Comedy Shuffle, MTV, GMTV, 4 whole seconds on The Culture Show - and now BBC1’s The One Show - bring you a brand new show of songs, sketches, socks and violence. BEST SHOW Nominee - Leicester Comedy Festival 2009. Sellout Edinburgh Festival 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 “How on earth does The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre turn out to be so bloody good?” **** Chortle “A show that will rock your socks off - if only all laundry could be this fun.” **** Three Weeks
The Arnold Letinov Outdoor Comedy Show
8:00pm show I Kennet & Avon Canal I TICKETS: £4 on the gate Walk or cycle along the Kennet and Avon canal from Bath to the wooden folly footbridge. Once there you will encounter a night under a trillion galaxies. A unique outdoor comedy show featuring live stand-up, comedy poetry with Johnny Fluffypunk, silent comedy films, music from Arcc, a circus fire show and quite a bit more...
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath 8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
www.bathcomedy.com
Repeat Show
Robin Ince - Happiness Through Science (Star Corpse Apple Child) 8:00pm I Rondo Theatre | TICKETS £14/£12 | For full details see listing on page 18.
Krater Comedy Club with Doc Brown, Karl Spain, Alastair Barrie & MC Rich Wilson
6:00pm for 8:00pm show I Komedia I TICKETS: £14.50 - £27.50 / £5 concs | 0845 293 8480 Watch three great stand-ups and enjoy the best comperes in the business, plus eat delicious food served by our Soil Association Gold Standard Award Winning Restaurant. Krater Comedy Club ticket holders gain free entry to the critically acclaimed Motorcity clubnight.
Arthur Smith’s Easter Eggstravaganza Cabaret with The Segue Sisters, Seymour Mace & Toby Longworth
8.30pm for 9:00pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £12 / £9 concs I 0800 411 8881 Comedian, broadcaster, artist and Grumpy Old Man Arthur Smith comperes a night of cracking cabaret acts. Starring The Segue Sisters: Darlings of the London cabaret circuit, Carrie Marx, Jess Robinson and Kerrie Fairclough combine harmonious singing and unique comic personas to give a fresh take on classic tunes. They are a resident act at The Distraction Club with Mitch Benn, have featured on Rufus Hound’s ‘What’s so funny? (Radio 4 Extra) and recently appeared as the House singers in Ruth Jones’ Christmas Cracker (BBC2). “The funniest and most honest comic singers of their generation” - The List. “Bizarre but tasty, lightning fast wit, flawless harmonies” – Three Weeks. “Kitsch and cute…their charm proves irresistible” – Edinburgh Spotlight. Seymour Mace: Well loved inventive and absurdist comedian, recently seen in ‘Ideal’ with Jonny Vegas. “Always fun to watch, wilfully odd, yet compelling” - Scotsman Toby Longworth: With the aid of an enormous capacity to remember things that others never knew in the first place, and an inevitable Powerpoint presentation, expect an unusual, insightful look at the world as we don’t know it. Toby never fails to entertain. “Toby Longworth is an undiscovered jewel..funny, funny,funny” - Rob Brydon “A terrific natural comedian” - Bill Bailey
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WHAT’S ON
Sunday 8th April
Easter Sunday Easter Sunday Lunch with Earl Okin
12:30pm for 1.00pm I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £18.50 incl 2 course lunch* I 0800 411 8881 Enjoy lunch and a full show from the one and only Earl Okin - Musical Genius and Sex Symbol... There are many stand-ups, but musical comedians are a rarer breed. Earl Okin is one of the best. He has been a headliner since the 80s, the most performed artiste ever at Edinburgh and has performed literally around the world. Indeed, he comes to Bath fresh (or possibly jet-lagged) from a tour of India, Singapore and Cambodia! Totally unique! Totally unmissable! “Multi-talented musical supremo” - TIME OUT * Ticket includes two course lunch including roast beef or vegetarian alternative. Licenced bar. Mrs Chipps’ Kitchen. Limited number of tickets available - book early!
Continued...
Tony Allen - ATTITUDE: Wanna Make Something Of It?
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath
2:00pm - 7:00pm I Comedy Workshop second day - for full details see listing on page 20. 8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
Tom Price & Iszi Lawrence
7:00pm for 8:00pm show I Baroque Comedy Cavern I TICKETS: £8/£7 concs I 01225 312508 The lovable Tom Price and lively Iszi Lawrence are set to bound onto the stage in what will be one of the most fun loving and energetic shows of the festival. Plus guest (new) acts on the bill. MC - Geoff Whiting Tom Price captivates audiences and takes them on a hilarious journey through humorous tales. His interaction with the audience is warm and inclusive and his ability to think on his feet is simply stunning. “Assured and hugely likeable” - The Guardian, “A joy to behold” - The List. “A class act” - The Scotsman With a lot of charm and a lot of talent Iszi Lawrence manages to be both intelligent and silly, a winning combination for audiences worldwide. “Good…really good” - Oxford Mail
www.bathcomedy.com
Monday 9th April
Easter Monday Natural Theatre Company Backstage Tours
11:30am, 2:30pm and 4:00pm prompt I Natural Theatre Company HQ I TICKETS: £2 | 0800 411 8881 Bath’s greatest cultural and comical export, having performed in nearly 80 countries over 43 years, invite you to come and look behind the scenes, view their thousands of costumes, see how a tour is arranged, admire the beautiful new studio, maybe try on a famous flowerpot mask and see videos of the company making people laugh all over the world. Tour host: Artistic Director Ralph Oswick. Tickets include tea, coffee, possibly a biscuit and some surprises…and a chance to win a subscription to the exclusive NATS Supporters Club. Tickets may be available on the door if space permits. Disabled access throughout.
Repeat Show
Dan Wright - Michael Jackson Touched Me 6:00pm show I Assembly Inn “Festival Bar” - for full details see listing on page 9.
New Act Competition - Grand Final with Phil Kay
7:15pm for 7:45pm show I Widcombe Social Club I TICKETS: £10/£8.50 concs I 0800 411 8881 The Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year Competition gathers 35 of the best up and coming comics in the UK to compete in five heats. The Grand Final features the eight best acts from the competition heats that took place at the Baroque Comedy Cavern and tonight’s compere is none other than the multi-award winning Scots legend Phil Kay. “You have to be born with comic talent such as his... It’s a gift from the gods, a freewheeling mind that’s utterly without boundary” - ***** Metro, “One of the greatest comedic odysseys ever witnessed... ‘Hysterical’ in every sense of the word - Kay truly is a mesmerizing headf**k genius” - ***** Time Out
Repeat Show
Bizarre Bath 8:00pm I Comedy Walk - for full details see listing on page 4.
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WHAT’S ON
Wednesday 11th April
Post-Festival
Mitch Benn
7:30pm for 8:00pm show I Rondo Theatre I TICKETS: £12/£10 concs I 01225 463362 From BBC Radio 4’s Sony nominated “Now Show”, BBC1’s “One Show” and BBC1’s “Watchdog” multi-award winner Mitch Benn and his band take to the road in a two hour show packed with new songs and old favourites including “I’m Proud Of The BBC” which reached No 11 in the Official Independent Singles Charts. Described by The Times as “the country’s leading musical satirist”, this is a show for music and comedy fans of all ages. “The country’s leading musical satirist” - The Times, “Song after song of exquisitely crafted satire” - The Scotsman
how to book The easiest way to book tickets is online - visit our web site at www.bathcomedy.com for booking links. Brown Paper Tickets: A lot of tickets are available through this fair-trade ticketing company who offer the best deal for online bookings. Physical tickets can be posted at no extra cost, you can print your own at home & there are other electronic options. You can buy tickets from Brown Paper Tickets when you see this logo. W: www.brownpapertickets.com T: freephone 0800 411 8881 Most tickets are also available online or in person from: Bath Box Office Bath Visitor Information Centre Abbey Chambers, Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1LY T: 01225 463362 W: www.bathboxoffice.org.uk
Other venue box office details: Baroque Comedy Cavern T: 01225 312508 W: www.baroquenightclub.com Komedia: T: 0845 293 8480 W: www.komedia.co.uk/bath
Handmade Cider
A good cider takes top quality fruit, a caring hand and time www.handmadecider.co.uk
WALCOT ARCHITECTURAL SALVAGE LTD.
01225 469557 Buyers & Sellers of: Reclaimed & New Flagstones Bath Stone Ashlar & Rubble Doors & Sanitary Ware Reclaimed Slates & Roofing
The art of building brands
Bricks & Quarry Tiles Old & New Floorboards Gates & Railings Garden & Ornamental Items
Cast Iron & Marble Fireplaces TIMMS CREATIVE COMMUNICATIONS The Duchy
5 Edward Street
T (01225) 464022
Bath
Somerset
BA2 4DT
E ideas@timms-creative.co.uk
W www.timms-creative.co.uk
The Old Timber Yard, Tyning Road Bathampton, Bath BA2 6TQ
info@walcotarchitecturalsalvage.com www.walcotarchitecturalsalvage.com
NATURAL THEATRE STUDIO
A warm welcome awaits you at
The Ram Bath’s new adaptable space with plenty of natural light - perfect for meetings, presentations, conferences, rehearsals and workshops 70 sq metres; capacity 75 seated,100 standing Includes Wifi, chairs and tables; audio/AV equipment hire available on request Additional area with kitchen/bar facilities Outside catering can be arranged as required Disabled access and toilet facilities Guide prices: £27/hour or £180/day incl VAT 01225 469131 info@naturaltheatre.co.uk
Real Ales Traditional Ciders Quality Wines For people who enjoy a traditional pub! 20 Claverton Buildings Widcombe, Bath BA2 4LD 01225 421938
ring
bells
bar - restaurant - venue Bath’s award-winning gastropub
eat
delicious food
meet drink
good friends
great wine & beers
live music function
sunday nights
room for hire
THE WHITE HART INN A perfect base to explore the city 5 minutes walk from Bath Spa railway and bus stations Fully licensed bar & restaurant Affordable dormitory & private rooms
“Great food, amazing service!” “Don’t tell everyone or we’ll never get a seat again!”
ring
Wonderful walled beer garden Recommended in the Good Food Guide
bells
10 Widcombe Parade Bath BA2 4JT 01225 448870
www.ringobellswidcombe.co.uk contact@ringobellswidcombe.co.uk
www.whitehartbath.co.uk
Widcombe Social Club
Widcombe Hill Bath BA2 6AA
01225 425076
www.widcombesocialclub.co.uk
At the heart of its unique local community, Widcombe Social Club is open to everyone - and now it’s going places… Over the next two years this long-standing not-for-profit institution will undergo a complete transformation, bringing brand new design and updated facilities to serve Widcombe and the whole of Bath. Even now the Club is extremely spacious, with many facilities to enjoy, a growing programme of entertainment and function rooms available for hire for public and private parties and events.
The Club is fully open to the public - but, better still, why not join as a member (benefits include concessionary bar prices!) and be part of the myriad opportunities that its changing future will guarantee? Membership fee is only £15 and it’s just £10 to renew each year. Download a membership form from the web site at www.widcombesocialclub.co.uk and check out the site for news about change, events and information on private hire.
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PARAGON
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Widcombe Social Club
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Natural Theatre HQ & Studio
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The Mission Theatre
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Komedia
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Roman Baths & Pump Room
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Bath Box Office
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Bizarre Bath / The Huntsman
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Bath Central Library
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Assembly Inn Festival Bar
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Baroque Comedy Cavern
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St James Wine Vaults
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Ye Olde Farmhouse
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Rondo Theatre
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Kennet & Avon Canal
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Widcombe Hill T: 01225 425076 Widcombe Hill T: 01225 469131 Corn Street T: 01225 428600 Westgate Street T: 01225 489070 Stall Street T: 01225 477785
Abbey Chambers T: 01225 463362 North Parade T: 01225 335124
Northgate Street T: 01225 394041 Alfred Street T: 01225 333639 Bladud Buildings T: 01225 312508 St James Square T: 01225 310335 Lansdown Road T: 01225 316162 St Saviours Road T: 01225 444003 (Towpath off Warminster Road)
BATH Comedy
Festival
2012
www.bathcomedy.com