Lincolnista the guide to Lincoln, UK.

Lincoln Comedy Fest 2011

Saturday, 1st October 2011 Written by: Tenacious T

It’s become a staple of the Lincoln calendar and has been called by the Guardian “a young but lovingly crafted comedy feast”, and it’s back beginning the 5th of October.

Yes it’s the Lincoln comedy festival and this year it’s got a blockbuster line up ready to tickle your funny bones and send you home happy.

The festival is in its fourth year and has seen talents such as Russell Howard, Jason Manford, and Frankie Boyle just to name a few top comedy actors on the UK circuit who’ve come to Lincoln as part of the comedy festival.

This year sees another five star line up and we’ll go through each day so you know exactly what you can expect at this year’s comedy fest.

The festival kicks of Wednesday when the New Art Club open their ‘Big Bag of Boom’.  An act you may not have heard of before, meet Roden and Shenton with their unique combination of clever tricks, unique dances, and hilarious set pieces. It’s definitely a unique comedy double act, something you aren’t likely to see anywhere else. Moments you’re likely to see include the inappropriate country dancing to heaven, one of the most twisted games of peek-a-boo you’re likely to see in your lifetime, and if you’ve never seen the New Art Club before you might just find yourself being introduced to a totally new way of looking at the world. Whether that’s a good thing we’ll leave up to you. If you find yourself thinking they aren’t worth a punt then know that they were voted winner of the Edinburgh spotlight best comedy award in 2010.

Show starts at 7:30 PM
Location: Lpac building
Tickets: £12.50 (£10 concessions)

Thursday 6th brings a couple of options for you as far as the comedy festival goes. Your first option is to the Fitzrovia Radio Hour, a unique comedy act who attempt to recreate ‘the unique spirit of 1940’s radio plays’... bear with us here it might sound incredibly odd but a sold out Edinburgh festival run and three critically acclaimed London shows should be enough to convince you that you’re going to have a good time. It’s a blend of recreating and satirising that makes this act so hilarious. To try and explain you watch these comedians recreate a radio play as though the audience wasn’t there. For example part of the comedy is how they create the sounds for radio, a desk fan becomes an aeroplane, and multiple cabbages help create a fight scene believe it or not! This one’s a little difficult to describe so here’s a video link to what the Daily Telegraph described as “an absolutely spiffing show”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dY-L5PtdmZ8

Show starts at 7:30 PM
Location: Lpac building
Tickets: £12.50 (£10.50 concessions)

If that’s not your cup of tea then how about some more standard comedy?  This is the first stand-up event of the Lincoln comedy festival and it features both Mike Wilmot and Sean Walsh. You may have seen Mike Wilmot on BBC one’s ‘Live at the Apollo’ and if you have you’ll know he has a rather intellectual style of comedy. A veteran of the comedy circuit having performed for over a decade, he truly is one of the unsung heroes of British comedy. Chortle calls him ‘howlingly funny’ and he has appeared in comedy festivals across the world in locations like Montreal, Paris, Hong Kong, and South Africa. A man who has many stories to tell which is always a good sign for a comedian.

Much younger but no less funnier Seann Walsh has broken into UK comedy in the past year. It was his appearance on channel fours stand-up for the week that caught the eyes of many and he hasn’t looked back. Appearances on Michael McIntyre’s comedy road show and Mock the Week have propelled him to the top of the comedy ladder.

Here’s a clip of Seann talking about computer games with his razor sharp comedy observations which will have you laughing out loud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJzitvzl5zA

Show starts: 8pm
Location: Lincoln Drill Hall
Tickets: £12

Friday 7th see’s another comedian who’s gained huge exposure over the past couple of years when Jon Richardson along with Shappi Khorsandi come to the Drill Hall but good luck getting tickets because it’s sold out and for good reason.  Richardson described as ‘a comic on the verge of greatness’ by Time Out is now captain on channel four hit show ‘8 out of 10 cats’ as well as a regular on ‘stand up for the week and had a sell out run called ‘it’s not me it’s you’ at the Edinburgh comedy festival . If you haven’t seen Jon perform before it would be best to call him a grumpy young man, but he embraces his grumpy side and delivers a top-notch stand-up routine for the audiences entertainment.
Shappi Khorsandi doesn’t have a bad comedy CV either. Appearances on ‘Friday night with Jonathan Ross’ and ‘Have I Got News For You’ have catapulted her to comedy superstardom. A witty, confident, and charming performance makes her one of the top female UK comedians out there today.
You might not be able to go and see them unless you can somehow secure yourself a ticket so here’s a clip of young Mr Richardson at his very best.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vqUcxg7mYA

Show starts: 8pm
Location: Lincoln Drill Hall
Tickets: £13 (SOLD OUT)

You might not be able to see that show but a great alternative is Arthur Smith at the Lpac. A comedian, writer, broadcaster and an all round British institution he really has done it all when it comes to comedy.  Appearances on top shows like QI, grumpy old men, and have I got news for you mean that this stand up comedian isn’t likely to disappoint and if you’re lucky you might just learn something too.

Show starts: 8pm
Location: Lpac building
Tickets: £15

Saturday the 8th gives you a variety of show you might like to attend. Lincolnista’s top pick is ‘The Boy with Tape on His Face’. The show really is what it says on the tin, a completely silent show that is making waves throughout the comedy world. The Times describes his act as “a deliciously skilful hour, some of the set pieces are simply joyous, sometimes mesmerizing”.  What he can do without uttering a single word is astonishing, a hilarious act that (apologies for the terrible pun) will leave you much like him lost for words.
Here is a video of the boy with tape on his face performing his unique brand of comedy with a full orchestra at the BBC comedy proms.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_i0rslNv4A&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL2577174CF5F809CF

Show starts: 6:30 pm
Location: Drill Hall Lincoln
Tickets: £8

That’s not all for Saturday though, another highlight is well known to fans of radio show ‘Fighting Talk’ as Henning Wehn ‘German comedy ambassador’ comes to Lincoln. A radio comedy specialist, Wehn has appeared on BBC 2’s ‘QI’. Henning made his Edinburgh solo debut in 2010 with ‘My Struggle’ which enjoyed three sell out shows a critical acclaim from all. The Scotsman described him as ‘side splittingly funny’ and Lincolnista definitely agrees with them.

Show starts: 5 pm
Location: Drill Hall Lincoln
Tickets: £8

There’s so much happening on Saturday we’ve only picked a couple of highlights but there’s plenty more going on including Peacock and Gamble, Mike Newall, and Chris Turner.

Sunday 9th is another bumper day of comedy with some great acts coming to Lincoln. Our highlight of the day would have to be Little Howard’s Big Show. A cartoon-human comedy double act is truly one of the most unique things you will ever see. There have been three series of Little Howards Big Question on BBC one and it’s had a nomination for a Perrier award. The stand up show features everything from magic to a cheeky pigeon from Barnsley.

Here’s a clip to give you an idea of what you can expect

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGqkn2cdcmo&NR=1

Show starts: 1:30 pm
Location: Drill Hall Lincoln
Tickets: £10 (£40 for a family of five)

Also on Sunday you can go and see Piff the Magic Dragon, and no that’s not a spelling mistake although you may have heard of his older brother… Steve. A great comedy act that shows how tough life is being a dragon. Accompanied by Mr Piffles, “the World’s First Levitating and Card Trick-Performing Chihuahua” Piff will give you a show you will never forget, maybe cause of the magic, but mainly due to the fact there’s a fully grown man on stage pretending to be a dragon.

Show starts: 5 pm
Location: Drill Hall Lincoln
Tickets: £8

Not only that but there are some great acts performing Sunday including Frisky and Mannish, Loretta Maine, and Tom Stade.

The highlight of the week arguably comes on Monday when Jack Whitehall performs at a sold out Engine Shed. Don’t worry if you haven’t got your ticket though because demand is so high they’ve added a second showing right after the first! In a few short years Jack Whitehall has taken the comedy world by storm, whether it’s acting in his new channel four show Fresh Meat or performing his hilarious brand of stand up on shows like stand up for the week,  live at the Apollo, or even the Royal Variety you know that if you want entertainment Whitehall will deliver. Described as a “stand-up machine” by the Guardian, here’s a clip of Jack at his best

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU2DIRxL_jc&feature=related

Show starts: 8pm
Location: Engine Shed
Tickets: £15 (SOLD OUT)
Show two starts: 10:15pm
Location: Engine Shed
Tickets: £15

And if you haven’t got the funds to pay to see one of these acts then why not try Zing comedy, a completely free event where you can sample a mix of up an coming comedians performing live at the Zing Cafe bar as part of the comedy festival.

Location: Lpac building
Tickets: FREE
Show starts: 8:30 pm

The 2011 Lincoln comedy festival wraps up on Tuesday when Dave Spikey comes to the Engine Shed. His show “examines many more situations in life where words really don’t come easy.” Whether it’s a cringe worthy experience like parent’s explaining the facts of life or using awful chat up lines Dave looks at it all and most obviously hilarity ensues.

Location: Engine Shed
Tickets: £15
Show starts: 8pm

So if you can’t find something there that can’t entertain you then your funny bone must be broken because the cream of the comedy crop will hit Lincoln for what looks set to be the best Lincoln comedy festival yet.