BGT’s Axel Blake, Troy Hawke, Dan Nightingale, improvised Austentatious, free half dayers and more.
Birmingham Comedy Festival is back this autumn with over eighty performances across ten days.
The long-running multi-award-winning festival runs from Friday 7th-Sunday 16th October with a mirth-filled line-up that includes stand-up comedy, improv, theatre, podcasts, magic, and more.
Highlights include appearances from Britain’s Got Talent 2022 winner Axel Blake (October 16th, Alexandra Theatre), the West End production of hit musical Sister Act (October 4th-15th, Birmingham Hippodrome), and Austentatious (October 8th-9th, The Old Rep), the improvised play inspired by the works of Jane Austen, and starring some of the UK’s best improvisers.
Meanwhile, Troy Hawke (October 12th), Dan Nightingale (October 13th-15th), and Helen Bauer (October 12th) all head to The Glee Club, and Birmingham Rep host Tartuffe (October 14th-November 5th), a contemporary update of Molière’s 17th century classic adapted by BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning writers Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto (The Office, Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.42, Citizen Khan), and directed by Iqbal Khan (Artistic Director of Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony).
Other highlights include the return of the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award (October 7th, The Glee Club), the region’s most prestigious comedy prize, and 2x Free Half-Dayers (October 9th and 16th) featuring sixteen acts over consecutive Sundays at two city-centre venues, Cherry Reds and The Victoria. Those appearing include rising star Celya AB, duo Good Kids, Andy Robinson, Mary Flanigan and Aaron Twitchen.
Other acts appearing across the festival include ‘German comedy ambassador’ Henning Wehn (October 7th-8th, Birmingham Town Hall), Brum improv group Jumprov! (October 8th, Birmingham Hippodrome), podcasters A Gay And A Nongay (October 8th, Mockingbird Cinema) and GingerBeardMark (October 16th, Mockingbird Cinema), and Simon Munnery (October 13th, The Irish Centre), while the Kamikaze Club bring a dozen shows to 1000 Trades, including Danny Clives, Tom Mayhew, Alex Hylton and Eric Rushton. And for fans of classic film comedy, there’s a special themed Laurel and Hardy screening at West Midlands Police Museum (Oct 14) too.
A spokesperson for the festival said: “After our hugely successful yet slightly scaled back festival last year, 2022 sees us back to full strength with a fantastic fest’ that features loads of great shows.
“There’s some big names, but the festival also continues to spotlight some of the very best talent coming out of the city and the West Mids. We’re also hosting more free/ pay what you want shows this year than ever before.”
Established in 2001, Birmingham Comedy Festival is the UK’s second longest-running comedy festival, and is one of the largest independent unfunded arts festivals in the West Midlands.
Birmingham Comedy Festival runs from Friday 7th-Sunday 16th October. For more information, see bhamcomfest.co.ukl