The Brighton Comedy Festival
Stuart Rolt
Oct 08
|14:01
The Brighton Comedy Festival 7th -22nd October
Fighting off the onset of Seasonal Affective Disorder and worries about the crappy state of the economy is getting tougher. Luckily the Brighton Comedy Festival is coming in October to help us through these darkening times. The organisers of this year’s festival are brightly squeezing some of the freshest and finest comedians available into a solidly packed fortnight of mirth and mayhem. But with such a huge diary of events it’s only fair that we try to pick out some of the prime comedy cuts just for you.
One of the shining lights on this list is professional cockney geezer Micky Flanagan, who brings his Out Out show to the Brighton Dome on Thur 20th. Mr Flanagan has been collecting plaudits and sold-out shows by the bucket-load recently. Maybe it’s because he’s a Londoner.
Renaissance woman Margaret Cho will be gracing the Dome on Sun 16th October. This Grammy nominated (and star of Face-Off) comedienne will be telling us how she did things her way, and of what the ensuing consequences were.
Rock steady improv is going to be delivered from the Phil Jupitus Quartet. Billed as: “Adult content, delivered childishly.” This show features some seasoned performers, all throwing themselves at the mercy of audience suggestions on Sat 8th October at the Dome.
A staple of various Radio 4 comedy shows, Jeremy Hardy will find his left-leaning ideologies going down a storm in front of a Brighton crowd at the Corn Exchange on Tue 11th Oct. but even if you don’t view politics in the same way it’s hard to disagree with his razor sharp observations.
Alex Horne is promising to recreate your entire life in one hour. I’m hoping he won’t mention a certain unfortunate incident I had in Amsterdam back in 2002. The only way to be sure is to check this unorthodox show at the Pavilion Theatre on Wed 12th.
The wonderfully stupid/bizarre Bridget Christie joyfully confuses the Pavilion Theatre on Thurs 13th. After previously being supported by an ant, this self-styled Housewife Surrealist is one of the more imaginative comedians at the festival. This year she is being verdantly supported by Britain’s only weed comic.
Showstopper! has been playing the city to much acclaim for a few years now and as part of the festival this improvised musical is hitting the stage at the Corn Exchange on Fri 14th. Created from audience suggestions and performed in a capricious and hilarious manner it’s easy to see why this show is loved so much.
Rich Hall comes to town to sullenly share with us what makes him angry on Fri 14th at the Corn Exchange. There doesn’t seem to be much in the world that impresses this grumpy Yank, but when you view the world through his eyes you have to admit the guys got a point.
Idiot savant Joe Pasquale might just be the person to lead the country out of these dark times. Then again probably not, but even if he’d made things worse you’d still forgive him. Witness this greatly misunderstood genius on Tue 18th at the Corn Exchange as he performs his Pull My Finger show.
Late Night Gimp Fight are possibly the most under-rated ensemble comedy act around today (2011 Chortle Award Win excepted). These lads irreverent cheeky quick-fire send-up
of current events is consistently fabulous. Surely it can only be a matter of time before they get given a TV show to display their talents on a bigger scale.
Other acts gracing the festival include the now-ubiquitous Jack Whitehall, cake-expert Sarah Millican, Ed Byrne, Reginald D Hunter, Zoe Lyons and the mighty Paul Daniels.
For the lazy or indecisive there are regular Best of the Fest nights at the Dome’s concert hall, which promise to serve up the cream of the crop from the festival diary with a different guest compere each night.
Brighton Comedy Festival 7th - 22nd October
