cedars hall
car park Rd
Rd nt er y
ver
M
ou
Lo
Ne wS t
d
e Av
ion
Un
ay W
St
Rd
Mil
Qu
market square
the bishop’s palace
St
l St
the venue
St
t
rS
lve
Si
ver
Rd
So uth
hn
d
t
S st We
bus station
sR
Jo St
ce
St
t
nS
Rd
St
ee
Market
wells cathedral
ard e Gu ous e H an L
st
ield stf We y Way
St Cuthbert St
Pr in
gh
Hi
ie Pr
Wells Little Theatre:
tramways
white hart
t
C
er S
ing hit
Strawberr Rd
lain
ber
ham
Main House and Rehearsal Room
r St
St
en
l Gre
edra
Cath
l Sad
W ve yA
a
rtw Po
e Tuck
rty
Libe
Cl
ord
Portway
Burcott
The
alk sW
le R Ho
f els W
y oke Wo
B
Bar, Box Office and Food
ar ’s Vic
ke la
HOW TO BOOK ONLINE
wellscomfest.com
BY PHONE
0844 888 9991 via Ticketline
IN PERSON
The Box Office is open during the festival weekend, located at Wells Little Theatre, where you can buy tickets to all Wells Comedy Festival shows. Tickets for all venues should be purchased at the box office at Wells Little Theatre – they cannot be purchased at each individual venue.
tho
Sou
Pr io
ry
Cedars Hall, 15 The Liberty, BA5 2ST Wells Little Theatre: Main House and Rehearsal Room, Chamberlain Street, BA5 2PS White Hart, 19-21 Sadler Street, BA5 2RR Tramways, West Steet, BA5 2HN The Venue, 42 South Street, BA5 1SL
BOX OFFICE OPENING TIMES
Friday 24 May: 5pm – 9.30pm Saturday 25 May: 10am – 11.30pm Sunday 26 May: 10am – 9.30pm
TICKETS AND SEATING
All shows at Cedars Hall and Wells Little Theatre: Main House have allocated seating. All shows at other venues are unallocated. Please bring along tickets to each individual show, either printed out or on a phone screen, as tickets will be scanned and will not be available to collect from any venue.
ENJOYED THE SHOW? LET US KNOW! WellsComFest
HELLO WELLS! We’re delighted to be returning for the fifth year of our annual weekend-long comedy jamboree, and 2019’s is set to be a fun one. Once again we will be running a lively late-night bar at Wells Little Theatre, so that your evening doesn’t have to stop just because the shows have. We’re thrilled with this year’s programme, and can’t wait to welcome the best live comedy acts out there to the smallest city in England. From famous faces including Nish Kumar, Shappi Khorsandi, Jan Ravens, Mark Watson and Dave Johns, to exciting emerging talents like Ben Target, Olga Koch, Annie McGrath and Rosie Jones, and with tickets from as little as £7 why not take a chance on something new? Take a look at the spectacular line-up, have a brilliant festival and we’ll see you in the bar!
Ben Williams, Festival Director
ACCESS Cedars Hall, Wells Little Theatre (both Main House and Rehearsal Room) and Tramways are wheelchair accessible. Cedars Hall and Wells Little Theatre: Main House have wheelchair spaces available in the auditorium. Wheelchair spaces can also be arranged for Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room and Tramways. Please phone Ticketline to book a wheelchair space ticket on 0844 888 9991. Wells Little Theatre: Main House has an induction loop fitted. Shows at Cedars Hall offer free disabled-only parking allocated in the car park adjacent to Cedars House on The Liberty – to reserve a space please call 01749 834483. Unfortunately, the White Hart and The Venue don’t offer disabled access, as both rooms are up flights of stairs. The White Hart has 15 steps, The Venue has 26 steps.
THANKS The Wells Comedy Festival wouldn’t be possible without a huge amount of help and support from so many people. Thanks to Emmy Webster and all at Mallets Cider, Angela Crowley at Old Mill Group, Andy Vallis at Wells Voice, Sarah Wallbridge at First Buses, David Holland at Glide Media and Steve Wilson at The Square. To Charlie Phillips and Danny Hillard at Storm Productions Group. Thanks to all the festival staff including Ellie Williams, Lyn Jones, Vikki Mizon, Naomi Parnell, John Williams, Clarissa Maycock, Abby Mizon, Jen Pearce, Charlie Mizon and Maddy Lloyd-Jones. To all our technicians in the sweaty venues. To all at Cedars Hall, Wells Little Theatre, White Hart, Tramways and The Venue. Jel Holmes at Dusted Design, Darren Berry and Guy Dawson. All our volunteers – the lifeblood of the festival! To the beautiful city of Wells, its residents and businesses, for their continued support. And finally, thanks to all the incredible comics taking part, and to you lot, the audience, for making sure they don’t play to empty rooms.
PARTNERS Official Cider of Wells Comedy Festival
Festival Partner
Media Partner
Transport Partner
Distribution Partner
Technical Partner
WELLS COMEDY FESTIVAL BAR AT WELLS LITTLE THEATRE OPEN TIL LATE Relax with a drink at the Festival Bar, serving a wide array of local alcoholic and soft drinks late into the evening. We have Mallets Cider from just a few miles down the road, west country beer and much more.
FOOD AND COFFEE
This year, the festival welcomes Wells’s very own Da Luciano’s – serving up freshly cooked pizzas – and The Hatch – bringing its mobile café, offering delicious coffees and cakes. Both are serving outside the Wells Little Theatre. So come enjoy something tasty and to eat and drink.
TRANSPORT BY BUS
The best way to get to the Festival is by bus. First Bus routes 126, 172, 173, 174 and 376 and Buses of Somerset route 29 all stop in Wells. First Bus and Buses of Somerset run regular services from Bristol, Bath, Glastonbury, Street, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare and Cheddar. For a journey planner and full timetables visit www.firstgroup.com/westofengland or www.firstgroup.com/somerset
BY TRAIN
The nearest train stations are Castle Cary (12 miles from Wells), Bristol Temple Meads (22 miles) and Bath Spa (22 miles), where you will find First Bus links to Wells. Trains go more regularly to Bristol and Bath and bus links are quicker and easier from those stations.
TAXIS
Wookey Taxis 01749 678039 Cathedral Taxis 01749 672244
BY CAR
Parking is available for the festival weekend at Mundy’s Meadow (BA5 2QL) on a first come first served basis – access via Mountery Road.
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
4
5
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
FRIDAY 24 MAY
SUZI RUFFELL
IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Tramways, 7pm (60 mins), £9, 14+
JOHN ROBINS WORK-IN-PROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 5.30pm (60 mins), £12, 14+ Perrier Award Winner, Digital DJ, Internet-Based Quiz Show Host yells into a well.
Suzi’s last show was a sell-out, recommended by the British Comedy Guide, Scotsman and Sunday Times. This early preview might be a bit all over the shop but there will be moments you really enjoy! As seen on Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week.
JOHN KEARNS WORK-IN-PROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 7pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ John has booked a suite at the Swan Hotel to celebrate how well this gig will go. Another round of utter bollocks from the faster than he looks, two time Edinburgh Comedy Award winner. What to expect? Very much the same again, a pudding you can rely on. HHHHH Evening Standard
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
6
FRIDAY 24 MAY
PHIL WANG
PHILLY PHILLY WANG WANG
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 7.30pm & 11.30pm (60 mins), £11, 14+ Phil ‘Philly Philly Wang Wang’ Wang comes to Wells for the first time with a new hour of absolute gold all about morality and our modern sense of self. Cool! Phil has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, Taskmaster and in his own mini Netflix special.
STEVIE MARTIN WORK-INPROGRESS
The Venue, 7.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ Sketches. Characters. Normal talking. Stevie Martin brings her ‘so inventive and consistently funny’ (Fest) and ‘hilarious’ (The Guardian) new hour to Wells.
THE ADAM RICHES
OPENING GALA Cedars Hall, 9pm (120 mins), £20, 16+ The 2019 Wells Comedy Festival Opening Gala features a surprise line-up of acts all introduced by one of favourite MCs. What better way to kick off the weekend?
EXPERIENCE White Hart, 7.30pm (60 mins), £10, 16+ Enjoy a unique show of off the wall, absurd and downright hilarious live comedy from Edinburgh Comedy Award winner, Adam Riches. From edge of your seat audience participation to masterful character creations, no two shows are alike. HHHHH Independent HHHHH Telegraph
7
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
FRIDAY 24 MAY
TIFF STEVENSON
WORK-IN-PROGRESS Tramways, 9pm (60 mins), £8, 14+
Tiff Stevenson brings you some of the best bits of her criticallyacclaimed tour shows and works up new material. It’s like a special but more special. ‘This is a heartfelt, hilarious, provocative, important hour of stand-up from one of the best in the business’ HHHHH Sunday Herald
SHAPPI KHORSANDI SKITTISH WARRIOR… CONFESSIONS OF A CLUB COMIC
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 9.30pm (60 mins), £14, 14+ Also on Saturday 25 May, 1.30pm Comedian, author, cultural icon and – most recently – idiot who agreed to be tortured on I’m A Celebrity… Shappi comes bearing a brand new hour of sharp-tongued gags and cultural observation.
LUKE MCQUEEN
I’M ONLY TRYING TO HELP YOU (WORK-INPROGRESS) Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 9pm, (60 mins), £7, 14+ The victim of The Luke McQueen Pilots (BBC3) returns to Wells for this confessional show about something he’ll probably regret mentioning. ‘He really feels like an undiscovered treasure’ Wee Review
AHIR SHAH WORK-INPROGRESS
White Hart, 9.30pm (60 mins), £8, 14+ Double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Ahir Shah presents a new hour of stand-up. Will possibly contain jokes about cigarettes, Mexico, funerals, swimming, and the night sky on the Isle of Wight, in addition to things he hasn’t thought of yet. ‘Intricately crafted, profoundly moving, howlingly funny’ HHHH Telegraph
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
8
FRIDAY 24 MAY
SUNIL PATEL
FIRE & DOVES (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) The Venue, 9.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ Still can’t pronounce my own name properly but still knocking out a load of new jokes cos I got my priorities right. As seen on BBC, C4, C5, Dave, Comedy Central (but not ITV like what is their problem tho right?). Still chill, still grinding, still rolling sucker free. Peace & love xxx
The free community newspaper at the heart of everything local Do you have a news story? Email: news@wellsvoice.co.uk Would you like to advertise? Email: sales@wellsvoice.co.uk Or give us a call on 07906 499655 View every issue online at issuu.com/wellsvoice
COMING SOON AT KOMEDIA...
Fri 22 Mar
Rachel Parris (SOLD OUT)
Fri 29 Mar
Julian Clary (SOLD OUT)
Tue 2 Apr
Tony Law
Wed 3 Apr
Micky P Kerr
Wed 24 Apr
Bert Kreischer (SOLD OUT)
Sun 28 Apr
Kiri Pritchard-McLean
Sun 5 May M
Gyles Brandreth Brand
Wed 12 June
Jerry Sadowitz
Thur 3 Oct
Ellie Taylor
Fri 4 Oct
Luke Kempner
Fri 11 Oct
Sh*t-Faced Shakespeare
Thur 21 Nov
John Robins
WWW.KOMEDIA.CO.UK/BATH/KRATER BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991 9
22-23 westgate street, bath | BOX OFFICE: 01225 489070
SATURDAY 25 MAY
JARRED CHRISTMAS & HOBBIT
AGES
6+
THE MIGHTY KIDS BEATBOX COMEDY SHOW
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 11.30am (60 mins), £8 Hey kids, grab your parents, parents grab your cash! Join these two formidable forces in an upbeat and energetic show packed with brilliant silliness, audience interaction and laughs galore. Great family entertainment from two great blokes who are just crazy enough to pull this kind of nonsense off. Supported by
NICK HELM
MASTERWORKS IN PROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 1pm (60 mins), £10, 16+ Tramways, 5pm (60 mins), £10, 16+ Also on Sunday 26 May, Tramways, 3pm (60 mins), £10, 16+ After a year in the wilderness Nick Helm returns to deliver more truths about life, love and being a living legend with a bod that don’t quit. Go and see it. Enjoy it. Drink it in. But most importantly – grow as a human. ‘Pretty f*cking amazing…’ HHHH Time Out
GLENN MOORE
GLENN, BABY, GLENN, DISCO INFERNGLENN (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) Tramways, 1pm (60 mins), £9, 14+
Edinburgh Comedy Award 2018 nominee Glenn Moore from Mock the Week, Absolute Radio and Stand Up Central, presents a new work-in-progress show full of the distinctive jokes and offbeat gags we’ve come to accept.
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
10
SATURDAY 25 MAY
SHAPPI KHORSANDI
SKITTISH WARRIOR… CONFESSIONS OF A CLUB COMIC
JAYDE ADAMS
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 1.30pm (60 mins), £14, 14+ See page 8
FOXDOG STUDIOS
THE BALLAD OF KYLIE JENNER’S OLD FACE
ROBOT CHEF
White Hart Hotel, 1.30pm (60 mins), £8, 14+
The Venue, 1.30pm (60 mins), £8, 14+
Pop stars, razors and sausage rolls are attaching their brands to important issues. It’s 2019, to be an independent woman you better have something to say and you better wear a Serious Black Jumper™. Putting the sequins and showbiz away, Jayde’s decided that to be a successful woman she must get serious.
Bring your fully charged phone to control Foxdog’s DIY robot chef. Help IT consultants Lloyd and Pete cook dinner by igniting their gas stove, driving a sky tractor and firing the sausage cannon. Nominated for Best Show Leicester Comedy Festival HHHHH iNewspaper
Where parents can relax... and kids can’t! Proud to be sponsoring
Jarred Christmas & Hobbit: The Mighty Kids Beatbox Comedy Show this year
The best way to have fun in Wells during the 11 months the comedy festival isn’t on! BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991 11
01749 677 510
play@thesquarewells.com
www.thesquarewells.com
SATURDAY 25 MAY
SARA BARRON
ENEMIES CLOSER (WORK-INPROGRESS) Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 3pm (60 mins), £7, 16+ Host of US live show The Moth and Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer nominee, Sara’s new show examines kindness, meanness, ex-boyfriends, exgirlfriends, current husbands, all four of her friends, and two of her twelve enemies. ‘Filthy and fearless’ HHHH Telegraph
DAVE JOHNS Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 3.30pm (60 mins), £12, 14+ Dave Johns presents his new stand up hour. Best known for his breakthrough role in Ken Loach’s Palme D’Or and BAFTA-winning film I, Daniel Blake, Dave is one of the UK’s best loved and respected comics. ‘A show of effortless fun… gags and laughs came thick and fast’ HHHH Observer ‘Poignant, warm and very funny. A delight’ HHHH i Newspaper
KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN VICTIM, COMPLEX
Tramways, 3pm (60 mins), £10, 16+ Kiri’s very quietly been going mad for a few years and, to borrow a phrase from Uma Thurman, she’s been ‘waiting… to feel less angry’. So, it’s time to talk about victims, love and lies. You might not believe her, but she’s used to that. HHHH Guardian
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
12
SATURDAY 25 MAY
BEN TARGET IS TRYING (TO MAKE SOMETHING NEW)
The Venue, 3.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ All things new from ‘one of very few comics who manages to do something new with the art form while keeping an audience thoroughly entertained’ (Guardian).
RHYS JAMES
‘Impressively funny’ Scotsman ‘Imagine there was no Ben Target. The world would unquestionably be a darker, less interesting place’ HHHH Chortle
SNITCH (WORKIN-PROGRESS)
White Hart, 3.30pm & 5.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ Rhys James from Mock The Week (BBC2), Roast Battle (Comedy Central), his own Radio 4 series (Radio 4) and Harpenden (Hertfordshire) previews his new show Snitch, which might be called ‘Squib’ by the time this actually happens. Or something else entirely. Snitch feels right at the moment though.
NISH KUMAR
IT’S IN YOUR NATURE TO DESTROY YOURSELVES
Cedars Hall, 5pm (60 mins), £16 Also on Sunday 26 May, 1pm & 3pm Double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and host of BBC 2’s The Mash Report, Nish Kumar is taking his brand new show on tour! There will be jokes about politics, mankind’s capacity for self-destruction and whether it will lead to the end of days.
ADAM HESS
MY GRANDAD HAS A FRINGE (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 5pm (60 mins), £7, 16+ Adam thinks he’s grown an inch this year – his doctor won’t believe him. Join him for normal, everyday stuff like a cracking anecdote about how he got kidnapped on his Silver Duke of Edinburgh hike. As seen on Tonight at the Palladium, Live at the Comedy Store and Stand Up Central.
13
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
SATURDAY 25 MAY
GOOSE WORK-INPROGRESS
The Venue, 5.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ Critically-acclaimed one-mansketch-collective Goose present a work-in-progress. ‘Brilliant’ HHHH Guardian ‘Spectacular’ HHHH Sunday Times
SPENCER JONES
Writing credits include ‘Roast Battle’ and ‘Have I Got News For You’.
THE THINGS WE LEAVE BEHIND (WORK-INPROGRESS)
HAL
CRUTTENDEN CHUBSTER
Cedars Hall, 7pm (60 mins), £15, 14+ Hal’s literally filled our screens recently on Have I Got News For You, The Apprentice: You’re Fired, Bake Off: Extra Slice, and Live at the Apollo. His daughters chose the title of his new standup show. He’s now on a diet!
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 5.30pm (60 mins), £9, 14+ Star of BBC’s Mister Winner, The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk and Upstart Crow Spencer returns with a show about stuff he has found.
‘His finest hour to date’ HHHH Telegraph
Expect the usual mix of visual and physical comedy, some very over the top looped music and family tales.
‘Hilarious’ HHHH Evening Standard ’The funniest he’s ever been’ HHHH Times
FERN BRADY
POWER AND CHAOS (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) Tramways, 7pm & 9pm (60 mins), £9, 14+ Totally unique and completely fearless, Fern tackles sexuality, feminism, power, Brexit, Britishness, Scottishness and nationality all with her caustic wit and exceptional writing. As seen on Live from the BBC, Live from the Comedy Store, The Russell Howard Hour and Live at the Apollo.
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
14
SATURDAY 25 MAY
GEIN’S FAMILY GIFTSHOP & GOOSE PRESENT TAROT
Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 7pm (60 mins), £8, 16+ The twisted minds of Gein’s Family Giftshop and sweaty bodies of Goose combine to bring you something brand new: Tarot. An interactive, fast-paced sketch show inspired by and based on a love of tarot reading. What will the cards hold for you? HHHHH Voice Mag HHHHH Skinny HHHHH Sunday Times
JARRED CHRISTMAS COMEDY
White Hart, 7.30pm (60 mins), £8, 14+ Comedy. Comedy. Comedy. Comedy. Comedy. Comedy. Comedy. Comedy. And some storytelling. ‘Utterly hilarious’ Time Out
ANDREW MAXWELL
‘Likeable, intelligent and full of unpredictable energy’ Scotsman
PAT CAHILL
SHOWTIME
WORK-INPROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 7.30pm (60 mins), £12, 14+
The Venue, 7.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+
Double Edinburgh Award nominee Andrew brings his unique blend of personal stories, astute political observations and the odd surprise foray into character cameos to Wells.
After a tasty little cocktail of entertainment and confusion at last year’s Wells Comedy Festival, Pat returns with more of the same. Expect heavy chunks of absurdism, daft songs and his star guest will be none other than in demand supply teacher and close friend; Cinnamon Brown.
As seen and heard on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News for You and Mock the Week. ‘One of the most significant comedians working in the country today’ HHHHH Independent
15
‘Wonderfully weird’ Guardian
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
SATURDAY 25 MAY
SATURDAY NIGHT GALA Cedars Hall, 9pm (90 mins), £19, 16+ 90 minutes, a surprise line-up of acts – it’s the Wells Comedy Festival Saturday Night Gala.
GARRETT MILLERICK
SMILE (WORK-INPROGRESS)
Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 9pm (60 mins), £8, 16+ Millerick’s breakthrough show ‘Sunflower’ became one of the most critically acclaimed and talked about shows of 2018. He makes his Wells debut with a WIP of his new show ‘Smile’. Chortle Award Nominee 2019 – Breakthrough Act Critics Choice: Guardian, Sunday Times, Telegraph, i Paper, Metro, British Comedy Guide, Chortle and Time Out.
JAN RAVENS
WORK-IN-PROGRESS Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 9.30pm (60 mins), £12, 14+ Star of award winning BBC comedy series, Dead Ringers, Jan’s unique view of our politics and culture makes her one of the country’s favourite impressionists. Following her record breaking 2017 show ‘Difficult Woman’, and a sellout tour with Rory Bremner in 2018, join Jan as she road tests her brand new show for this year.
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
16
SATURDAY 25 MAY
ABANDOMAN
(AKA ROB BRODERICK)
THE ROAD TO COACHELLA (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) White Hart, 9.30pm (60 mins), £9, 14+
Ireland’s finest hip hop musical comedian is coming to Wells. Using his trademark blend of audience interaction and razor-sharp improvisation, Rob will take you on a magical journey, transforming the audience’s likes, loathes and daydreams into hit songs and captivating tales.
MATTHEW HIGHTON
THE HORROR
The Venue, 9.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ Oh, the Horror. Come spend an hour creating dread and laughter as horror maestro Matthew Highton invites you to try and survive the hour. An improvised show in which anything can and will happen. If you’ve been to Wells Comedy Festival before you’ll have seen Matthew heading up the Comedians Cinema Club’s improvised renditions of Hot Fuzz.
LATE NIGHT GALA Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 11.30pm (60 mins), £14, 18+ It’s Saturday night, it’s 11.30pm, it’s time for some late night laughs. A surprise line-up of acts takes you into the early hours – and our bar’s still open afterwards! .
17
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
eat:Weston 13 April eat:Castle Cary 4 May eat:Taunton 11 May eat:Burnham-on-Sea 25 May www.eatfestivals.org BEST FOOD MARKET IN THE SOUTH WEST Western Daily Press Food & Farming Awards
When comedy just isn’t enough... Laughter is good, but everyone needs to talk things through sometimes. We all need a bit of extra help now and again. Whether it’s anxiety, panic attacks, phobia, relationship problems, bereavement, or just that nagging sense that life could be better, I can help.
Faye Blackwell FHS, MNCS (Acc) Hypnotherapy, Counselling and Informal Counselling from Wells, Somerset
To find out about a free initial consultation, please call Faye on 01749 671170 or email
fayeblackwell@counsellingsomerset.com www.counsellingsomerset.com BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
18
SUNDAY 26 MAY
NISH KUMAR
IT’S IN YOUR NATURE TO DESTROY YOURSELVES
Cedars Hall, 1pm & 3pm. See page 13
LAURA LEXX
KNEE JERK (WORKIN-PROGRESS)
Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 1pm (60 mins), £8, 16+ This award-winning star of Live at the Apollo is ‘stomachachingly funny’ (Entertainment Focus). She’s taking on society’s big issues, but come for jokes not answers.
VIKKI STONE
‘A masterpiece’ HHHHH Voice
SONG BIRD (WORKIN-PROGRESS)
‘A stand-up star’ HHHH Telegraph
ED GAMBLE EGG, HAM, BALL
(IF YOU SAY IT QUICKLY IT SOUNDS A BIT LIKE MY NAME) (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 1.30pm & 5.30pm (60 mins), £11, 14+
Tramways, 1pm (60 mins), £8, 14+ Multi award-winning comedian and musician Vikki Stone returns with an all new show of her trademark comedy songs and stand-up. As seen and heard on BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show, BBC One’s John Bishop Show and the BBC Proms Podcast.
Let’s be honest, Ed doesn’t totally know what this show will involve yet. But you can be damn sure it will involve humour of some sort, and maybe the odd sexual swear word. A Q&A? Probably not. You might’ve seen Ed on something, but if you haven’t, I can’t imagine this blurb tempting you. See you all then!
‘The lovechild of Victoria Wood and Tim Minchin’ HHHH The Scotsman
KARL THEOBALD
THE BOOK TOUR (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) White Hart, 1.30pm (60 mins), £8, 14+ Having been out of the ring for nine years, concentrating on TV, film, radio, theatre and his band (Grifter Kid and the Midnight Raiders) Karl Theobald – (Green Wing, Plebs, GameFace) is back in his element, making his long awaited return to the live comedy arena. A stripped-back, one-man, stand-up comedy show.
19
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
SUNDAY 26 MAY
NISH KUMAR
IT’S IN YOUR NATURE TO DESTROY YOURSELVES
OLGA KOCH IF/THEN, A WORKIN-PROGRESS
Cedars Hall, 3pm (60 mins), £16, 14+ See page 13
The Venue, 1.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and self-proclaimed Taylor Swift of the comedy scene Olga Koch is back! The acclaimed storyteller shares a love story the only way she knows how – through the medium of computer programming (which she studied at university and, like, barely ever brings up). HHHHH Broadway Baby
THE HOOVERING PODCAST – LIVE Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 3pm (60 mins), £9, 14+
NICK HELM MASTERWORKS IN PROGRESS
Tramways, 3pm (60 mins), £10, 16+ See page 10
wookeyHHHH ad 74x52_5:Layout 1 30/01/2019 10:35 Page 1 Telegraph
The podcast all about eating: LIVE. Hosted by Jessica Fostekew (The Guilty Feminist, Motherland). Jess will be joined by local star of Great British Bake Off Briony May and some big name comedians being announced soon. Her previous guests have included Rachel Riley, James Acaster and Simon Rimmer.
You’ve got to be joking?!
We’re Not! We print far more than the standard print products you’d expect...
• Foamex Signs • Banners • Large Posters • Fine Art Prints • And much more!
Visit our website or call in to see us. standrewspress.co.uk 01749 672477 St Andrews Park, Princes Road, Wells BA5 1TE
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM WCF Advert - March 2019.indd 1
20
21/03/201
SUNDAY 26 MAY
JOSIE LONG
WORK-IN-PROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 3.30pm (60 mins), £11, 14+ Cult comedian and presenter of Radio 4’s Short Cuts is back with her first show after maternity leave, a silly and warm show about love and tenderness and quietude, to hopefully take your mind off all that current stuff that’s going on out there, (you know, all of that stuff).
LUCY PEARMAN FRUIT LOOP
The Venue, 3.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ Pearman brings her critically acclaimed, sell out 2018 Edinburgh show to Wells. The charming story of a worm who has completely misunderstood her existence.
HARRIET KEMSLEY
‘Sending you out into the evening wondering if you haven’t just seen a star in the making’ HHHH Telegraph
SLUTTY JOAN
White Hart, 3.30 pm (60 mins), £8, 16+ Following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2018, multi award-winning comic Harriet Kemsley pulls her skirt out of her pants and shames slut shaming in a nationwide tour. Independent‘s Best Comedy Shows of the Fringe 2018. Star of Bobby and Harriet Get Married, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Roast Battle.
21
19 10:33
LOST VOICE GUY
I’M ONLY IN IT FOR THE PARKING
Cedars Hall, 5pm (60 mins), £16, 14+ Lee Ridley (aka Lost Voice Guy) – the first comedian ever to win Britain’s Got Talent – is on his first ever UK tour. The winner of the BBC New Comedy Award 2014, Lee has also appeared on BBC’s Live at the Apollo, Channel 4’s The Last Leg, The Royal Variety Show, America’s Got Talent: The Champions, and is the star and co-writer of two series of BBC Radio 4’s hugely popular comedy show, Ability.
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
SUNDAY 26 MAY
ROSIE JONES
BACKWARD (WORK-INPROGRESS) Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 5pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ After a successful sell-out debut hour at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Rosie ‘triple threat’ Jones returns with a brand new show, exploring what it’s like to be the world’s first, and only, disabled, gay, northern comedian with a phobia of cotton wool and a lethal amount of Creme Eggs in her wardrobe.
DESIREE BURCH
WORK-INPROGRESS
Tramways, 5pm (60 mins), £9, 14+
ANNIE MCGRATH
SHEPHERD (WORKIN-PROGRESS) The Venue, 5.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+
The breakout star of Netflix’s Flinch, BBC’s The Mash Report and Live at the Apollo, brings a new hour of authentic and acerbic comedy to Wells.
Deadpan comic Annie McGrath is back with a load of dry jokes and silly anecdotes. Dark and charmingly offbeat, Annie tackles issues of male toxicity, consent and sheep herding. The big three! As seen on ITV2, Channel 4 and BBC3.
HHHHH Scotsgay HHHH Guardian HHHH Scotsman
‘Hilarious’ HHHHH EdFringe Review ‘Smart and smutty’ Evening Standard
JORDAN BROOKES
AMAZING GHOST STORIES AND SOME POEMS AND A FUNNY JOKE (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) White Hart, 5.30pm (60 mins), £8, 16+ Last year Jordan found a book he’d written aged 6. A collection of stories, poems, and one single joke. He’ll be reading from this book and attempting to reconnect with his own childhood to recover some joy and comfort in this ever-crumbling world before it’s too late. Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee 2017
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
22
SUNDAY 26 MAY
MARK WATSON THE INFINITE SHOW
Cedars Hall, 7pm (70 mins), £19, 14+ Cluster-bombed with yoghurt on Taskmaster, half-killed on Bear Grylls’ Celebrity Island, Watson returns to what he’s best at: being indoors. Inspired by the mostly alarming state of the world his children are growing up in, and a genuine, urgent desire to do something about it, this show is about empathy. 99 percent of the world’s population is made up of other people: why can’t we understand them?
SOFIE HAGEN
THE BUMSWING (WORK-INPROGRESS) Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 7pm (60 mins), £10, 16+ A show about the things you know you have forgotten, the things you remember and the things you wish you could forget.
LOU SANDERS
Winner of 2015 Edinburgh Comedy Awards best newcomer, Sofie’s assured, informed and deeply personal comedy has made her a star in the UK and throughout Europe.
THE FACE THAT LAUNCHED A THOUSAND DICKS (WORK-INPROGRESS)
WORK-INPROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 7.30pm (60 mins), £10, 14+
Tramways, 7pm (60 mins), £9, 14+ Some pretty cool subjects thrown around and some hot tips ’n’ tricks revealed. Honestly – this one’s a real giggle fest. As seen on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Taskmaster, QI and more.
23
JAMALI MADDIX
As seen on Live from the Apollo, Hate Thy Neighbour and coming up in his own Channel 4 series, critically acclaimed comedian Jamali Maddix is hitting the stage with nothing prepared. He is working out new material that promises to be edgy, irreverent and typically hilarious.
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
SUNDAY 26 MAY
JESSICA FOSTEKEW
HENCH (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) White Hart, 7.30pm (60 mins), £9, 14+
A new show about big strong strength from absolute powershed Jessica Fostekew. She’s off of The Guilty Feminist and Hoovering podcasts, having starred in BBC’s Motherland and Cuckoo. Watch a feminist try and pretend she likes being called ‘hench’. ‘Wears her smarts on her sleeve, great stuff’ Guardian
COMEDIANS CINEMA CLUB: HOT FUZZ Cedars Hall, 9pm (70 mins), £12, 14+ Yarp. It’s the Wells Comedy Festival tradition – closing the weekend once again are the Comedians Cinema Club with their chaotic, alcohol-fuelled reinterpretation of Wells’ very own Hot Fuzz. The full film, improvised live on stage, by a bunch of comedians, for the greater good (the greater good).
STUART LAWS FLOPS
The Venue, 7.30pm (60 mins), £7, 14+ A new show and a chance for Stuart to tell you about the day his life changed forever and how he ended up on the final table in a poker tournament in Vegas. ‘He’s fantastically funny, leaving you wondering how he possibly comes up with these structural masterpieces’ EdFestMag
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
24
SUNDAY 26 MAY
BOBBY MAIR
WORK-INPROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Rehearsal Room, 9pm (60 mins) £8, 16+ A brand new hour of hilarious stand-up from Bobby Mair. As seen on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, Bobby and Harriet Get Married and many other now cancelled panel shows.
SARAH KENDALL
‘Gleefully profane’ Guardian
WORK-INPROGRESS
TONY LAW
WORK-INPROGRESS
Wells Little Theatre: Main House, 9.30pm (60 mins) £10, 14+
Tramways, 9pm (60 mins), £9, 14+
Abstract, absurdity regarding Identity. An untethered, free form, episodic, discursive look at, from, and under IDENTITY SPLAT. A mind painting by Tony Law. Perfect.
Writer and star of BBC Radio 4 series Australian Trilogy returns to the Wells Comedy Festival with a brand new work-in-progress. Storytelling that’s funny and probably a bit depressing in places.
As seen on Have I Got News For You, The Alternative Comedy Experience, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.
Two-time Edinburgh Best Comedy Show nominee ‘Phenomenal storytelling’ HHHHH Chortle
BRETT GOLDSTEIN
90S PENIS (WORK-IN-PROGRESS) White Hart, 9.30pm (60 mins), £8, 16+ Brett Goldstein returns to Wells with a brand new show about men. What’s wrong with them, what’s the point in them and also how are we going to sort them out? Them, not me. I’m fine. Absolutely fine. Nothing to worry about here. All new stuff about life ‘in the current climate’ and how the best relationship to be in is one where the stories are shit. ‘Sharply written, impeccably delivered, always charming…’ HHHH Telegraph
25
BOOK BY PHONE 0844 888 9991
Thinking of letting? All types of properties required for waiting Tenants! Contact us today to arrange a FREE and no obligation rental appraisal!
01749 672 678 stuartsresidential.com
Financial experts, fuelling ambition Award winning Financial Planning, to help you enjoy life
enquiries@om.uk | 01749 343366 | om.uk
OM_PD19_186868991_V03_TF.indd 1
28/02/2019 09:23
Cedars Hall: proud to be part of Wells Comedy Festival Nish Kumar: Opening night of the Wells Comedy Festival 2018, in Cedars Hall.
http://cedarshall.events
FULL LISTINGS FRIDAY 24 MAY
SUNDAY 26 MAY
5.30pm
John Robins
p6
1pm
Nish Kumar
p13
7pm
Suzi Ruffell
p6
1pm
Vikki Stone
p19
7pm
John Kearns
p6
1pm
Laura Lexx
p19
7.30pm
Phil Wang
p7
1.30pm
Ed Gamble
p19
7.30pm
Adam Riches
p7
1.30pm
Karl Theobald
p19
7.30pm
Stevie Martin
p7
1.30pm
Olga Koch
p20
9pm
Opening Gala
p7
3pm
Nish Kumar
p13
9pm
Tiff Stevenson
p8
3pm
Nick Helm
p10
9pm
Luke McQueen
p8
3pm
The Hoovering Podcast – Live
p20
9.30pm
Shappi Khorsandi
p8
3.30pm
Josie Long
p21
9.30pm
Ahir Shah
p8
3.30pm
Harriet Kemsley
p21
9.30pm
Sunil Patel
p9
3.30pm
Lucy Pearman
p21
11.30pm
Phil Wang
p7
5pm
Lost Voice Guy
p21
5pm
Desiree Burch
p22
5pm
Rosie Jones
p22
5.30pm
Ed Gamble
p19
5.30pm
Jordan Brookes
p22
5.30pm
Annie McGrath
p22
7pm
Mark Watson
p23
7pm
Lou Sanders
p23
7pm
Sofie Hagen
p23
7.30pm
Jamali Maddix
p23
7.30pm
Jessica Fostekew
p24
7.30pm
Stuart Laws
p24
9pm
Comedians Cinema Club: Hot Fuzz
p24
9pm
Sarah Kendall
p25
9pm
Bobby Mair
p25
9.30pm
Tony Law
p25
9.30pm
Brett Goldstein
p25
SATURDAY 25 MAY 11.30am
Jarred Christmas & Hobbit: Kids Show
p10
1pm
Glenn Moore
p10
1pm
Nick Helm
p10
1.30pm
Shappi Khorsandi
p8
1.30pm
Jayde Adams
p11
1.30pm
Foxdog Studios
p11
3pm
Kiri Pritchard-McLean
p12
3pm
Sara Barron
p12
3.30pm
Dave Johns
p12
3.30pm
Rhys James
p13
3.30pm
Ben Target
p13
5pm
Nish Kumar
p13
5pm
Nick Helm
p10
5pm
Adam Hess
p13
5.30pm
Spencer Jones
p14
5.30pm
Rhys James
p13
5.30pm
Goose
p14
7pm
Hal Cruttenden
p14
7pm
Fern Brady
p14
7pm
Gein’s Family Giftshop & Goose
p15
7.30pm
Andrew Maxwell
p15
7.30pm
Jarred Christmas
p15
7.30pm
Pat Cahill
p15
9pm
Saturday Night Gala
p16
9pm
Fern Brady
p14
9pm
Garrett Millerick
p16
9.30pm
Jan Ravens
p16
9.30pm
Abandoman (aka Rob Broderick)
p17
9.30pm
Matthew Highton
p17
11.30pm
Late Night Gala
p17
VISIT OUR FESTIVAL BAR, OPEN TIL LATE! See page 4 for details
BOOK ONLINE WELLSCOMFEST.COM
28