Every year some of the biggest names in British comedy come to Brighton to try out their shows before they hit the road. We’ve got two tickets to give away for Best of The Fest a comedy showcase held every Saturday during the festival at Brighton Dome. To enter all you need to do is post a joke on our Facebook page here. To make sure we have your details, you’ll also need to join our mailing list.
In the meantime, here’s our pick of this year’s bunch.
Jeremy Hardy Live
Corn Exchange, Sun 11th Oct (Tickets)
Last time Jeremy Hardy came to Brighton it was the relatively optimistic occasion of a pre-election Green Party fundraiser (read all about it). Since then he’s had yet another crushing Tory victory to deal with – which makes us wonder if his dour, deadpan humour can get any grumpier. We’ll be there to find out. (BB)
Dara O Briain: Crowd Tickler
Brighton Dome, 14 & 21 October (Tickets)
Fast talking with razor sharp wit, Dara O Briain brings an intelligence to his comedy that is matched by his knack for audience interaction. He manages to remember and include every little detail of the stories punters share with him, while working them into his performance. You have been warned. (MT)
Frankie Boyle: Hurt Like You’ve Never Been Loved
Brighton Dome, Thurs 15th Oct (Tickets)
Having built a career out of being as controversial as possible, black humorist Frankie Boyle is showing no signs of mellowing. The TV favourite is best known for his appearances on panel shows like Mock The Week and 8 Out Of 10 Cats, but he’s a committed stand-up too, and his semi-improvised skits are known for being even darker and more scathing than his televised material. During this show he’ll be tearing into the (almost) universally loved Kendrick Lamar. (JMM)
The Guardian Live Football Weekly
Brighton Dome, Fri 16th Oct (Tickets)
James Richardson, the heroic charmer who sat outside cafés languidly interviewing Gazza, Vialli, Maldini et al for cult 90s TV show Football Italia, fronts a live version of The Guardian’s deadpan podcast. Still something of a cult, this is football chat for lovers of puns, cake, beer, sarcasm and intelligence. And football. (BM)
Richard Herring: Happy Now?
The Old Market, Fri 23rd Oct (Tickets)
Has Richard Herring finally grown up? We find that hard to believe given the last time we saw him he spent an hour and a half making erudite dick jokes. His latest show is all about having kids and settling down and whether that stops people being funny. If it ever happens to Herring, there’s no chance for any of us. (BB)
Bridget Christie: A Book For Her
Corn Exchange, Fri 23rd Oct (Tickets)
Fresh from an award-winning show at Edinburgh Festival, and with her first book ‘A Book For Her’ to plug, Bridget Christie’s on a high. She’s been writing and touring for a decade, but it’s in the last few years that her comedy’s started to get the recognition it deserves, with awards and press coverage building up in unison. Her new show covers feminist issues with a sharp wit and intimate revelations. (JMM)
Margaret Thatcher: Queen of Soho
Corn Exchange, Sat 24th Oct (Tickets)
As the nation hurtles towards the dystopia Thatcher envisaged, perhaps there’ll be some relief in seeing our former glorious leader reimagined as an ultra-camp drag act, glamorously robed and rattling off lines lampooning the Iron Lady’s most ridiculous utterances. This satirical, theatrical swipe at Section 28 first appeared in 2013. (BM)
Words by Ben Bailey, Ben Miller, Jessica Marshall McHattie and Mike Tudor
