PRESS RELEASE

THE FIFTH ANNUAL NEWBURY COMEDY FESTIVAL
SATURDAY 5 – SATURDAY 12 July 2008
PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Newbury Comedy Festival is proud to announce some of the highlights of the fifth festival.  Tickets are on sale immediately to Friends of The Corn Exchange and to the General Public and can be booked through www.newburycomedyfestival.com  or by calling 01635 522733.

Newbury Comedy Festival has asserted itself on the comedy festival circuit as in important festival to attend in its five short years and continues to go from strength to strength in the calibre of the acts appearing and also the adventurous and innovative nature of the programming.  Continuing to bring the very best home grown stars to Newbury and being passionate about promoting new and emerging talent here are a few of the festivals highlights:

Everybody’s favourite Grumpy Old Woman and Perrier Award winner JENNY ECLAIR will be making her Newbury Comedy Festival debut at The Corn Exchange with her show “Because I Forgot To Get A Pension”.  Its vintage Eclair.  RHONA CAMERON, award winning comic and Jungle survivor makes her much anticipated return to her stand-up roots after a four year absence.  The brilliant star of BAFTA winning comedy, The Thick of It and his own sitcom Lab Rats, two time Perrier nominee CHRIS ADDISON will be making his festival debut.  For the more politically minded GILES BRANDRETH will be back with his hilarious romp round the corridors of power.  Another Scottish favourite, kilted treasure CRAIG HILL will make his festival debut with his fabulous camp irreverence.

There is also an excellent line up of the very best new talent at the festival, and a whole raft of award winners and nominees including last year’s If.Comeddie awards (formerly Perrier award) nominees DAVID O’DOHERTY  with his unique brand of musical whimsy, and PAPPY’S FUN CLUB, the comedy sketch group of the moment.  Also newcomer nominee the razor sharp ZOE LYONS.  Continuing the excellent selection of fabulous female comics is Best Breakthrough Act of the the NW comedy Awards SARAH MILLICAN whose sweetness hides a sharp tongue. Winner of the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year and Chortle Best Newcomer JAMES BRANCH is in Newbury with his first ever one hour show. Perrier nominee and surreal comic extraordinaire SIMON MUNNERY brings his unique character creations to the festival for the first time.

There is also a strong collection of international perennial favourites including RICHARD HERRING, COUNT ARTHUR STRONG (Radio 4) CRAIG CAMPBELL, MICHAEL MCINTYRE and JIM JEFFRIES

Comedy in a more theatrical setting is represented by a raft of sketch troupes, character comics and comedy double acts including SCRATCH IMPRO, FAT TONGUE, THE PENNY DREADFULS and PLESTED and BROWN and a double bill from JOANNA NEARY and ISY SUTTIE.  TAMEKA EMPSON (3 Non-Blondes) brings her character MARCIA BROWN in her show THE UNSUNG DIVA. For the family there is POTTED PIRATES following on from the success of POTTED POTTER.  For something a little more interesting how about THE EXTRAORDINARY WORLD OF NEW ART CLUB tackling everything from poached salmon to lesbian handbags from a pair of dancer comedians, or the unique talents of Stand-up poet MURRAY LACHLAN YOUNG.

And that’s not all; there is the spectacular MELTDOWN! in the market place created by the WORLD FAMOUS and CARTOON DE SALVO, and the hugely successful WISECRACKERS competition for junior comics across the South of England.  The aspiring comics are mentored and tutored by professional comics including NATALIE HAYNES and RICHARD THOMSON and have got through legions of heats to be at the final in the Corn Exchange as part of the Festival.  The grown-up version, new act competition YOU MUST BE JOKING returns for a fourth year. Add to this the FESTIVAL PUB CRAWL with TOM DEAKIN and LATE NIGHT JONGLEURS at the Corn Exchange and finally, laid back Canadian, TONY LAW will be appearing for the BAD FILM CLUB. All this goes up to make a festival that should not be by-passed.

Vodafone sponsors the Newbury Comedy Festival.