Harrogate
Comedy Festival Sun 6 - Sat 19 Oct
2013
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:
HARROGATE BOX OFFICE 01423 502 116 BOOK SECURELY ONLINE AT WWW.HARROGATETHEATRE.CO.UK
(*£1.75 BOOKING FEE APPLIES)
WELCOME It’s hard to believe our baby has grown so fast, but this year the Harrogate Comedy Festival is five, so we’re putting up the balloons and baking a cake for this special birthday - we might even have time for a quick game of pass the parcel if you’re lucky. One thing’s for sure: there are a lot of clowns booked for this particular party. When John Bishop first took to the stage as our first act in our inaugural Harrogate Comedy Festival in 2009, I could never have imagined this event becoming such a huge success story in such a short space of time. Over the past four festivals more than 150 acts have performed, watched by audiences numbering in excess of 26,000 people. Not only has this elicited more guffaws than a well-stocked giggle shop in Laughtertown, it’s also put Harrogate firmly on the map as a major destination for topquality comedians. This year in particular I am delighted to be showcasing a great deal of local talent, ranging from comedy writing legend David Nobbs to magician par excellence Ali Cook and new boys on the block Richard Hardisty and Andrew Needle, who together form surreal act Dick Biscuit. I hope you enjoy this year’s line-up. Don your best party outfit and get ready for the merrymaking. Kevin Jamieson Executive Producer
Proud sponsors of the Harrogate Comedy Festival Name our Comedy Festival ale! Daleside are offering you the chance to name a new ale which will be brewed especially for this year’s Harrogate Comedy Festival. Email your entries to nametheale@harrogatetheatre.co.uk by Monday 26th August. The winner will receive a case of their ale and four tickets to the Hyena Closing Gala.
BOOKING INFORMATION HARROGATE THEATRE Oxford Street Harrogate HG1 1QF HARROGATE BOX OFFICE 01423 502 116 BOOK ONLINE www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk (*£1.75 booking fee)
You can now book for all your favourite shows 24/7 with our online ticketing service. Check availability and book up to a few hours before the performance. Your seats will be confirmed immediately. Not been here before? With our ‘view from seat’ feature you will be able to see what your view of the stage will be like. So what are you waiting for? Simply log on to www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk to beat the queues and book a wide range of entertainment from the comfort of your home or workplace.
Please note that some of the comedians may use strong language and line-ups are subject to change. To check age suitability for acts please check the Harrogate Theatre website and talk to the Box Office.
HOW TO FIND US RH MH & ST
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VENUE KEY
RH ROYAL HALL MH MAIN HOUSE ST STUDIO THEATRE J JAKES
BY BUS
Transdev run high quality bus services in and around Harrogate with regular services from Leeds, Ripon and Wetherby. We’re 2 minutes walk from Harrogate Bus Station.
BY TRAIN
Harrogate is located between Leeds and York, with regular commuter train services on the local line between York, Harrogate and Leeds operated by Northern Rail. We’re 5 minutes walk from Harrogate Rail Station.
CONDITIONS OF SALE
Tickets may not, without written consent of Harrogate Theatre, be resold for commercial purposes or at a premium by anyone other than the promoter, venue management or one of their authorised sub-agents. If a ticket is sold in breach of this condition it will become void and the bearer of the ticket will be refused admission. We reserve the right to cancel tickets re-sold or transferred for profit or commercial gain and without prior notice. Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged. The Venue management reserves the right to refuse admission. The Venue management reserves the right to make essential changes to the published programme or casting. Smoking, photography and audio/visual recording of any kind, are all strictly forbidden in any Venues. Latecomers may not be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Harrogate Box Office only accepts responsibility for tickets bought from one of its own managed sales points. Any queries regarding tickets purchased from ticket agents must be directed back to the relevant agent. For a full list of Harrogate Theatre’s Terms & Conditions visit: www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk/terms-and-conditions.
SUN 6 OCT
MON 7 OCT
DAVID NOBBS
ALI COOK
Tickets £12
Tickets £12
Main House | 7.30pm
In this exclusive evening with…, the man behind seminal 1970s satire The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin looks back on 50 years as a comedy writer. He quite rightly has one of the highest reputations as a TV gag writer, having penned lines for iconic Saturday night TV series That Was The Week That Was as well as big name comedians including Frankie Howerd, Ken Dodd, Dick Emery and The Two Ronnies.
“The man who caught the spirit of the seventies suburban commuter with lethal accuracy” Jonathan Coe
Studio Theatre | 7.30pm Star of Penn & Teller: Fool Us (ITV1), the effortlessly funny magician returns to his hometown with his own brand of awe-inspiring trickery and breathtaking illusion.
“Immensely Funny” Daily Telegraph
ALEXEI SAYLE
Main House | 8.00pm Tickets £17.50
JUSTIN MOORHOUSE
Following two sold-out London seasons, the godfather of alternative comedy is back with his first full-length stand-up show in 17 years. Age may have mellowed him, but his splenetic wit remains sublime.
Tickets £12
“A true legend goes back to his roots”
Studio Theatre | 8.00pm
The cuddly, affable Manc exterior belies a sharp wit and deft way with words. When he appeared on Celebrity Mastermind in 2011 his chosen subject was Les Dawson, which proves a fine indicator of Moorhouse’s recognisable, everyday, convivial humour, which also served him well on his eight-year stint as a presenter on Manchester’s Key 103.
Time Out
“He can charm any room” York Press
BOOK SECURELY ONLINE AT WWW.HARROGATETHEATRE.CO.UK
TUE 8 OCT
PAUL FOOT
MORGAN & WEST
Tickets £12.50
Tickets £12
Main House | 7.30pm Foppish madness from a truly original, slightly unhinged mind, Paul Foot’s smart and furious wit has earned him many plaudits and a devoted following of fans he terms ‘connoisseurs’.
Studio Theatre | 8.00pm
Baffling magic, unparalleled precognitive powers and a totally genuine ability to travel through time mark these Victorian magicians out as a family-friendly delight.
“It’s inobstrusively masterful stuff. Then it “I can’t recall the last time my awe was so gets weird, which is surely what we’re all thoroughly struck” here for” The Scotsman
The Scotsman
HARROGATE BOX OFFICE 01423 502 116
WED 9 OCT
HAL CRUTTENDEN
MATT RICHARDSON
Tickets £12
Tickets £10
Main House | 8.00pm
Simultaneously warm and catty, straight and camp, Cruttenden oozes the kind of star quality and strong comic ideas that land comedians a Radio 4 series – his airs in 2014.
Studio Theatre | 8.00pm
Following appearances on MTV, E4, Channel 4 and BBC Radio 2’s Russell Kane’s Whistle Stop Tour, Matt brings his much anticipated debut tour to the Harrogate Comedy Festival.
“Go and see Hal Cruttenden, he’s got “Poised to become the next bright young something to say and he’ll make you laugh sensation of comedy” - a lot” The Guardian
The Daily Mirror
FACEBOOK.COM/HARROGATETHEATRE
THUR 10 OCT
FOUR SCREWS LOOSE Studio Theatre | 7.30pm Tickets £12
Pop culture-obsessed sketches intercut with highenergy songs and musical mash-ups from four bright sparks with three triumphant Edinburgh shows under their collective belt.
“Fantastic… had the audiences rolling in the aisles”
COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: HEAT 1 Jakes | 8.00pm Tickets £7
Our annual talent hunt is back. This is the first heat in our search for the Harrogate Comedy Festival Comedian of the Year. Who will get your vote and progress through to the final?
Broadway Baby
JIMEOIN
JARRED CHRISTMAS
Tickets £15
Tickets £12
Main House | 8.00pm
Studio Theatre | 9.30pm
Hilarious world-class stand-up from internationally acclaimed star of Live at the Apollo, The Royal Variety Performance, Channel 4’s Comedy Gala 2012 and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow. No gimmicks, just great craic.
Instantly recognisable from his Pot Noodle ads, Christmas approaches comedy like a big kid in a sweet shop. His childlike enthusiasm is contagious and his witty set-pieces impossible to resist.
“Stand-up comedy at its best”
“One of the funniest men to pick up a microphone”
The Scotsman
Time Out
@HGTHEATRE
FRI 11 OCT
DANIEL SIMONSEN
PHILL JUPITUS
Tickets £12
Tickets £15
Studio Theatre | 7.30pm
Off-kilter humour delivered in a disquieting monotone Nordic accent, Simonsen’s social awkwardness provides ripe comedy pickings and he was very warmly received as Simon Amstell’s support last year.
Main House | 8.00pm
The big man of comedy takes on three extraordinary characters and, with the help of an inquisitive audience and his sharp improv mind, explores their hilarious worlds.
“The jokes are superb” The Independent
“A talent to keep an eye on” Time Out
PAM AYRES
Royal Hall | 7.30pm Tickets £19.50
Rightly famed for her comic verse, Ayres’ hair-trigger timing, eye for the detail of everyday life and for the absurdity therein combine with her country-bumpkin burr to devastatingly funny effect.
COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: HEAT 2
Jakes | 8.00pm Tickets £7
A second batch of ace comics line up hoping to win your vote and progress through to the final of the Harrogate Comedy Festival Comedian of the Year.
DICK BISCUIT
Studio Theatre | 9.30pm “One of the funniest comics I’ve seen” York Press
Tickets £10
This year’s festival features homegrown talents Richard Hardisty and Andrew Needle and their surreal creation Dick Biscuit, a paradoxical one-man double act about a Kurt Russell-obsessed private eye fighting with his own brain.
BOOK SECURELY ONLINE AT WWW.HARROGATETHEATRE.CO.UK
SAT 12 OCT
MARCEL LUCONT
JEREMY HARDY
Tickets £12
Tickets £14
Studio Theatre | 7.30pm
Witty, acerbic, magniloquent Frenchman seeks willing, intelligent audience for fun, adventure, maybe something more. As seen on BBC3’s Russell Howard’s Good News and Live At The Electric.
Main House | 8.00pm
A brand new show from Jeremy Hardy who is best known for his work on Radio 4, notably on News Quiz and I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue.
“A comic genius” Sandi Toksvig
“Fresh, accessible and hilarious” The Guardian
STEWART LEE Royal Hall | 8.00pm Tickets £20
The acclaimed writer and comedian presents a mixed stew of unrelated ideas in preparation for his 2014 TV series. See it live so you can begin the backlash ahead of transmission.
“He’s the most exciting comedian in the country, bar none” The Times
COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: HEAT 3 Jakes | 8.00pm Tickets £7
It’s the last chance to make it through to the final of the Harrogate Comedy Festival Comedian of the Year. Who goes through? You decide.
EDWARD ACZEL
Studio Theatre | 9.30pm Tickets £12
Edward Aczel is now talking big about quitting showbiz (by mutual consent). Mr Aczel reluctantly presents a stand-up comedy show about giving up (and doing something else).
“Britain’s greatest living anti-comedian” The Guardian
HARROGATE BOX OFFICE 01423 502 116
SUN 13 OCT
MON 14 OCT
SIMON MUNNERY
CARL DONNELLY
Tickets £12
Tickets £12
Studio Theatre | 7.30pm
Studio Theatre | 7.30pm
Multi award-winning comedian Simon Munnery presents a show full of daring and imaginative comedy with sketches all performed and projected live on screen. Don’t miss this master of British comedy in a truly unique and thrilling show.
Big of glasses and masterful of funny, Donnelly’s an engaging storyteller with a propensity to exaggerate and embellish to hilarious effect.
“One of the most consistently original and imaginative minds in comedy”
The Sunday Times
JOSH WIDDICOMBE
JAMES ACASTER
Tickets £13
Tickets £12
“Excellent, fast-rising comic”
The Guardian
Main House | 8.00pm
Star of Channel 4’s The Last Leg, BBC1’s Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week, fresh-faced Josh Widdicombe makes his long awaited Harrogate debut with his brand new show Incidently…, tackling universal issues from an original angle.
Studio Theatre | 9.30pm
Whip-smart observational comedy and deliberately offbeat set-pieces combine in this idiosyncratic and inventive young comedian’s confident show
“Absolutely superb” Time Out
“Well-crafted gags, expertly delivered, at a high per-minute count” The Guardian
FACEBOOK.COM/HARROGATETHEATRE
TUE 15 OCT
TOM DEACON
ANDY PARSONS
Tickets £12
Tickets £10
Studio Theatre | 7.30pm
Main House | 8.00pm
Star of BBC Radio 1, Tom Deacon has undeniable stage presence and slick timing, making him one of the circuit’s brightest young things. As seen on Dave’s One Night Stand and The Rob Brydon Show.
Immediately recognisable from his long-running stint on BBC1’s Mock The Week, Andy Parsons’ standup reveals a man with a bag of well-honed pithy comments and one-liners aimed at British political and public life.
“Looks, confidence, charm and great material. Expect other comics to lynch him”
Andy has chosen his show at Harrogate Theatre to be recorded for an up coming DVD release.
The Sunday Times
ANDREW O’NEILL
“Andy Parsons’ lethal mixture of anger and ridicule leaves the Big Society in tatters” The Times
Studio Theatre | 9.30pm Tickets £12
Comedian, transvestite metalhead, amateur occultist and all-round show-off Andrew O’Neill (BBC2’s Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle, Never Mind The Buzzcocks) is back with assured storytelling and sparky non-sequiturs.
“Definitely a comic worth watching” Chortle
@HGTHEATRE
WED 16 OCT
ARDAL O’HANLON
ROB BECKETT
Tickets £20
Tickets £10
Main House | 8.00pm
Studio Theatre | 8.00pm
Father Ted star, Ardal O’Hanlon is delighted to present his latest stand-up show for 2013. The style is observational, the subject matter is life itself, and the default expression is one of utter disbelief.
Multi award-winning comedian Rob Beckett and his trademark grin offer canny observations and inspired metaphors as seen on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Now! (ITV2) 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4) and John Bishop’s Only Joking (Sky 1).
“Charm, intelligence and fabulous phrase-making”
“He’s got Peter Kay’s knack for finding humour in everyday life”
The Guardian
The Scotsman
BOOK SECURELY ONLINE AT WWW.HARROGATETHEATRE.CO.UK
THUR 17 OCT
FRI 18 OCT
NINA CONTI
DAVID MORGAN
Tickets £18.50
Tickets £10
Main House | 8.00pm Star of BBC’s Live at the Apollo, QI, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and HBO’s Family Tree, groundbreaking ventriloquist and BAFTA nominated filmmaker Nina Conti introduces her daughter, her handyman, her gran, her oldest friend and a stray dog in a show that refuses to go as rehearsed.
“Put simply, Nina Conti is a genius” Mirror
COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: THE FINAL
Studio Theatre | 7.30pm
David Morgan, a performer with an extravagant personality and an equally extravagant quiff, arrives with an impressive supply of great stories about never quite fitting in.
“A joy to behold” Metro
TONY LAW
Main House | 8.00pm Tickets £12
Join the multi award-winning Mr Tony Law for some absurd, shouty and powerful - yet meaningful - nonsense and whimsical surreal buffoonery that will leave you baffled but beaming.
Studio Theatre | 8.00pm
“Playful, mischievous, mercurial”
It all comes down to this, the big one: who will walk away with this year’s title of Harrogate Comedy Festival Comedian of the Year 2013?
VIKKI STONE
Tickets £8.50
The Telegraph
Studio Theatre | 9.30pm Tickets £12
Brassy, ballsy and silly in equal measure, awardwinning comedian Vikki Stone gives musical comedy a good name as she arrives in Harrogate with her hilarious new stand-up show.
“Super funny new girl on the block” The Sun
HARROGATE BOX OFFICE 01423 502 116
SATURDAY 19 OCT
COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS
HYENA CLOSING GALA
Tickets £12/£10 (Family tickets available)
Tickets £15
Main House | 1.30pm
Cracking entertainment for everyone over sixyears-old and under 400-years-old (no vampires or Highlanders). We have the best comedians from the UK and world circuit doing what they do best - but without the rude bits.
Main House | 8.00pm
Harrogate’s longest running monthly comedy club closes the festival in style with a bumper night of comedy.
Jason Cook
Be ready for pretty much anything when Jason Cook (award-winning writer and star of BBC2’s Hebburn) takes to the stage. Behind his cheerful Geordie exterior lurks a dark and sharp comedic mind.
“The fun, rowdy feel of a real comedy club” “Geordie genius” Time Out
COMEDY QUIZ with PAUL SINHA Jakes | 5.00pm
Time Out
Paul Sinha
Toughtful, political, whip-smart and razor sharp, Paul Sinha is an international and UK circuit star. Paul is also nown as one of The Chasers on ITV’s The Chase.
“Intelligent and insightful” Scotsman
Tickets £8
Marlon Davis
Back by popular demand, stand-up Paul Sinha (ITV’s The Chase and the UK’s 18th ranked quizzer) returns to test your grey matter in a fun quiz about funny. Early booking is recommended.
“Like a breath of fresh air”
Marlon Davis is a bright young comedian, improviser and actor who embraces his work with energy and charm Chortle
Ian D. Montfort
Tom Binns performs his award-winning character Ian D. Montfort a spirit medium (as heard on BBC Radio 2), incredibly fusing mind reading and character comedy. FACEBOOK.COM/HARROGATETHEATRE
“A joyful debunking of the genre” The Independent
AT A GLANCE SUN 6 OCT
DAVID NOBBS 7.30PM MAIN HOUSE JUSTIN MOORHOUSE 8.00PM STUDIO THEATRE ALI COOK 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE MON 7 OCT ALEXEI SAYLE 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE PAUL FOOT 7.30PM MAIN HOUSE TUE 8 OCT MORGAN & WEST 8.00PM STUDIO THEATRE HAL CRUTTENDEN 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE WED 9 OCT MATT RICHARDSON 8.00PM STUDIO THEATRE THUR 10 OCT FOUR SCREWS LOOSE 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE JIMEOIN 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: HEAT 1 8.00PM JAKES JARRED CHRISTMAS 9.30PM STUDIO THEATRE FRI 11 OCT DANIEL SIMONSEN 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE PAM AYRES 7.30PM ROYAL HALL PHIL JUPITUS 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: HEAT 2 8.00PM JAKES DICK BISCUIT 9.30PM STUDIO THEATRE SAT 12 OCT MARCEL LUCONT 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE STEWART LEE 8.00PM ROYAL HALL JEREMY HARDY 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: HEAT 3 8.00PM JAKES EDWARD ACZEL 9.30PM STUDIO THEATRE SIMON MUNNERY 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE SUN 13 OCT JOSH WIDDICOMBE 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE MON 14 OCT CARL DONNELLY 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE JAMES ACASTER 9.30PM STUDIO THEATRE TUE 15 OCT TOM DEACON 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE ANDY PARSONS 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE ANDREW O’NEILL 9.30PM STUDIO THEATRE WED 16 OCT ARDAL O’HANLON 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE ROB BECKETT 8.00PM STUDIO THEATRE THUR 17 OCT NINA CONTI 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR: FINAL 8.00PM STUDIO THEATRE DAVID MORGAN 7.30PM STUDIO THEATRE FRI 18 OCT TONY LAW 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE VIKKI STONE 9.30PM STUDIO THEATRE COMEDY CLUB FOR KIDS 1.30PM MAIN HOUSE SAT 19 OCT COMEDY QUIZ 5.00PM JAKES HYENA CLOSING GALA 8.00PM MAIN HOUSE @HGTHEATRE
COMING SOON
ADAM HILLS
JASON MANFORD
Tickets £15
Tickets £22.50
Tue 5 Nov | Main House | 8.00pm
Fri 20 Dec | Royal Hall | 8.00pm
Fresh from his unmitigated triumph as host of Channel 4’s The Last Leg, Australian funny man Adam Hills returns to the UK with his long overdue and highly anticipated new show.
Jason Manford’s new show promises to feature a wealth of comedy anecdotes, comic misunderstandings and audience banter delivered with Jason’s likeable charm and teasingly intelligent wit.
“Comedy sunshine... bask in his glow”
“Effortlessly entertaining”
The Scotsman
Evening Standard
CHRIS RAMSEY
RUSSELL KANE
Tickets £16.50
Tickets £17.50
Sun 16 Feb | Main House | 8.00pm Fresh from a complete sell-out, twice extended 2012 tour, multiple appearances on Celebrity Juice and 8 Out of 10 Cats, and a starring role in BBC Two’s Hebburn, Chris returns to Harrogate with a brand new show.
“Tearing up every stage he lands on” GQ
Fri 21 Feb | Main House | 8.00pm Award-winning comedian Russell Kane is back with a new show. Expect his usual blend of frenetic energy, big hair and razor-sharp thinking.
“A seriously good comedian” The Times
Get your comedy fix every month with...
Hyena Comedy Club For just £12, you can catch the next big thing in comedy, as four stand-out stand-ups take to the Harrogate Theatre stage. The Hyena’s keen eye for comedic talent means that many of the acts have gone on to become some of the biggest names in British comedy, including Alan Carr, Rhod Gilbert, Sarah Millican and Russell Howard. Forget boring Saturday night telly and see stand-up at its best: live.