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Lucy Porter: Be Prepared
TV favourite Lucy returns with another fantastic stand-up show.
At Brownies, Lucy thought she’d be prepared for anything as long as she had her emergency 10p for a phone box and knew how to tie a Fisherman’s knot.
Life turned out to be slightly more complicated than Brown Owl let on.
Recent TV includes Would I Lie to You, QI and Impossible, she’s a regular on Radio 4’s News Quiz and The Now Show.
WHY? ‘A treat from start to finish’ The Herald
‘Impeccably punch-lined anecdotes… genuinely delightful‘ The Telegraph
Age Guidance 14+ years.
Courtyard Theatre
£16 (£14 conc)
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Justin Moorhouse: Northern Joker
These days Justin’s not certain about anything apart from his uncertainty – Brexit looms, it appears the Cold War is being rebooted and that’s before we begin to worry about what’s happening in America…..closer to home he’s starting to feel redundant as a parent. One kid is leaving home, the dog is getting older and doesn’t need much walking, and the youngest kid hits thirteen and cancels the family subscription to The Beano.
On top of this the golden age of the Northern straight white male comedian has gone the way of the dinosaurs. How will he adapt if he wants to survive? What next for this Northern Joker? What can he talk to his daughter about now she cares little for Dennis the Menace and the Bash St Kids?
Hang on. Perhaps nothing has changed that much. When he was thirteen, the Russians were scary, the White House was a madhouse and he’d never been to Europe anyhow. Thinking back this was when his reading habits changed too, more Dark Knight than Desperate Dan, more Catwoman than Minnie the Minx. Perhaps our heroes never went away….they just waited for us to pick them up again. Perhaps she just needs a different type of comic.
WHY? 'Comedic tour-de-force… brought a tear to a critical glass eye' The Herald
'Simultaneously down-to-earth and out of this world' The List
'The amount of first-rate comic craft that goes into his deceptively simple routines is worthy of admiration' Guardian
Age guidance: 14+ years.
Studio
£14 (£12 conc)
The Scummy Mummies Show
Join comedians Ellie Gibson and Helen Thorn as they celebrate the scummier side of parenting, from drinking wine at teatime to hiding from the PTA.
Expect stand-up, sketches, songs, and some very scummy stories. Guaranteed to make parents laugh and non-parents happy about their life choices.
Based on the hit Scummy Mummies podcast and best-selling book. As seen in The Sunday Times and heard on Radio 4.
WHY? 'Likeably straight-talking' The Telegraph
'Very funny' The Guardian
'Hilarious' Broadway Baby
Courtyard Theatre
£17
Susie Dent presents The Secret Life of Words
Lexicographer - Best Selling Author – Queen of Dictionary Corner
Take a journey into the curious, unexpected, and downright surreal origins of the words we use every day. Susie will retell the adventures that lie hidden within such words as lasagne (involving a chamber pot) and bugbear (a terrorising monster), and explain such oddities as the silent h in ghost and the mysterious disappearance of kempt, gormful, and ruly (and yes, you really can be gruntled). She will look to the lexicon of the past to fill some of today’s linguistic gaps – such as the frenzied fit of tidying we all do just as guests are about to descend (that’s a scurryfunge).
Alongside such forgotten stories you will hear Susie’s selection of the funniest moments from her 25 years on Countdown and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, as well as some startling results from eavesdropping on a group of waiters.
Each evening will include some of Susie’s favourite words from the towns and regions she visits, and she’ll be asking the audience for theirs. In fact, she’ll be welcoming any questions about word origins, usage irritations, the dreaded impact of Americanization, and the very future of our language in her very own ‘word surgery’.
WHY? 'Funny, fact-filled and delightful' Jonathan Ross
'Wonderfully clever and funny... a national treasury from a national treasure Richard Osman
'Susie Dent is a one-off. She breathes life and fun into words' Pam Ayres
Courtyard Theatre
£20
Stephen K Amos: Everyman
Stephen K Amos is on a mission to bring about world peace.
Or, to at least bring about an evening of peace, one venue at a time. In an age when arguments are started over everything from politics to bendy straws, Stephen is rising above the anger to remind us of what we have in common.
Bringing achingly funny anecdotes, hilarious takes on the everyday and his infectious charm, Stephen K Amos will warm your cold, stiffened hearts. Join together with your fellow man and experience the universal language of laughter.
WHY? 'Comedy at its purest and richest form' ★★★★★ The Advertiser
'Amos has the sort of commanding presence and confidence that could only have come from years of working the circuit' ★★★★ Arts Hub
'One of the most likable figures in British comedy' Radio Times
‘Much loved King of stand-up’ ★★★★ North West End
Suitable for ages 16+ years.
Courtyard Theatre
£18
Ahir Shah & Garrett Milerick
An Avalon Edinburgh Festival preview.
Ahir Shah was an Edinburgh Comedy Award 2017 Best Show nominee. He brings his sharp, intellectual brand of stand up.
‘One of his generation’s most eloquent comic voices’ ★★★★ The Telegraph
Garrett Millerick is an acclaimed stand up comedian, writer and director. In 2018 his show Sunflower became one of the best reviewed shows of the Edinburgh Festival.
‘Wickedly funny’ ★★★★ The Scotsman
WHY? Two critically acclaimed comedians preview their latest work
Studio
£10
An Evening of Burlesque and Vaudeville
Hundred Watt Club return to Norden Farm with their ravishing, risque and ridiculous evening of burlesque, comedy and cabaret!
Prepare to be teased by the cream of the glittering UK burlesque scene, to roll in the aisles at riotous comedy and be awestruck by incredible circus stunts. There’s no dress code but dressing up to the nines is encouraged!
Your dazzling cast for the evening are; glittering effervescent showgirl Athena Beauvoir, award winning comedy magician Christian Lee, neo-drag burlesque Queen Lilly Snatchdragon, and obscene vodka-addled acrobat Velma Von Bon Bon. Hosting your evening is the outrageously funny Chastity Belt!
Age Suitability 18+ years.
WHY? A good old fashioned, bawdy and champagne soaked variety show!
'Harking back to the gin drenched halcyon days of a grimy Berlin nightclub in the 1930s, Hundred Watt Club sparkles, fizzles and shines brightly on a dark night' Fringe Review
Presented by Hundred Watt Club
Courtyard Theatre
£16
Why Mummy Doesn’t Give A **** - An Evening with Gill Sims
Author of online sensation Peter and Jane, Gill Sims is the number one best-selling author behind Why Mummy Drinks, its follow up Why Mummy Swears and the recently announced Why Mummy Doesn't Give a...
Join Gill as she is interviewed about her blog, books, character and much more! There will be readings from her books and also a chance to ask Gill questions from the audience. Books will be available to purchase and sign as well.
Why Mummy Drinks spent over six months in the Sunday Times bestsellers Top Ten and was the number one bestselling debut hardback novel of 2017. Gill's second book Why Mummy Swears, published in early 2018, was a Number One Sunday Times bestseller for seven consecutive weeks and has spent a total of 18 weeks in the Top Ten. Since publication of her first book just over a year ago Gill has sold over half a million books.
Mummy has an idea... when she can get away from all the other ideas, that the world is full of mums who go to advanced yoga classes, get tiddly on a half glass of white wine, and attend polite book clubs.
Mummy does not want to go quietly into that good night, of women with sensible haircuts who live only for their family and stand in the playground trying to trump each other by bragging about their offspring's academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and their latest overseas holidays.
Instead, she clutches a large and full glass of wine, muttering 'FML' over and over again, until she remembers that great idea...
Suitable for ages 16+ years.
Courtyard Theatre
£15
- 27 Jun SOLD OUT
Jack Dee – Work in Progress
Join Jack Dee as he takes to the road trying out new material for his forthcoming UK tour.
'In these difficult and uncertain times people need hope – a ray of sunshine to brighten their day. And that’s very much where I come in' says Jack.
Star of TV sitcoms Bad Move, Lead Balloon and Josh as well as chair of the legendary Radio 4 show I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue.
Other credits include presenting Jack Dee’s Helpdesk on BBC Two and being the star of C4’s, The Jack Dee Show, Jack Dee’s Saturday Night, Jack Dee’s Happy Hour and Jack Dee Live at the Apollo. 'In fact' explains Jack, 'I’ve appeared in every single TV show with my name in the title'.
Courtyard Theatre
£15
- 28 Jun SOLD OUT
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