The Latitude Festival has become a mecca for great comedy with crowds often rivalling the music stages.
My first trip to this year’s Comedy Arena was on a sunny Friday afternoon to see the very amusing and original Graham Fellows aka John Shuttleworth. One man and his bontempi organ, all the way from Sheffield, with a show entitled ‘Smells Like White Spirit’, John Shuttleworth pulled a large crowd and his banal musical muses went down well with the Radio 4 listening Latitude comedy fans.
On Saturday morning The Latitude Comedy Arena played host to the first ever live performance of the very popular comedy quiz show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks. Regular team captains Phil Jupitus and Noel Fielding were joined by guests including singer Paloma Faith and guest quizmaster and stand-up comedian David O’Doherty.
As you can imagine the comedy tent was overflowing with fans eager to get a glimpse of this popular show with its more obscene than usual, adult humour. I stood in the rain for 90 minutes as I watched the performance on one of the large screens adorning each side of the Comedy Arena with my two sons. The, allegedly, totally unscripted show was hilarious and had us all laughing as we got drenched in a constant downpour.
One of the comedy highlights of Sunday was Mark Watson who appeared to be delivering an unscripted, anarchic live performance which included chasing a member of the audience through the crowd. He then proceeded to give the majority of his performance from the middle of the audience.
Adam Buxton, of Adam & Joe fame, was brilliant. His show was based on showing mock music promo videos he had produced and uploaded to YouTube and then simply reading some of the more ridiculous real comments people had actually left. The highlight was his video for an NWA pastiche ‘Help The Police’ and a selection of the angry comments fans of the hip hop band had left.
I had previously seen the Boy With Tape On His Face and so knew what to expect. It was still funny the second time but the element of surprise had passed as he ran through the same performance. Not a word is spoken as the Boy With Tape on His Face invites members of the audience on stage to help with his act. But once they are on stage he doesn’t perform a magic trick that needs their help, but simply humiliates them by emphasising their awkward embarrassment for laughs. It’s very original and very funny, but also very limited in its appeal. To hold an audience for 40 minutes is some feat but he’s going to have to completely rewrite his act before venturing out again.
As always, there were more performances than I could see at this year’s Latitude Festival; and come Sunday evening I felt disappointed to have missed the likes of Jon Richardson, Seann Walsh, Brendon Burns & the Early Edition with Marcus Brigstocke & Andre Vincent. But that said it was another great Latitude Festival this year; and the one festival above all others I am already hoping to attend in 2012.
Latitude Festival has announced that the King of sardonic observational humour with a dry yet charming wit – the delightful Dylan Moran joins the Comedy line-up for Latitude this year. This Irish comedy legend rose to fame in the mid-1990’s – winning a string of awards – including the So You Think Your Funny Award at Edinburgh Festival and most notably becoming the youngest winner of the then titled Perrier Comedy Award in 1996. But it was in 2000 that he became a mainstream success when the sitcom Black Books first aired – his portrayal of the hilarious book shop owner Bernard Black as a miserable, unsociable, chain-smoking drunk – delivered this despicable character straight to our hearts.
His acting has also taken him to the big screen featuring alongside Simon Pegg in Shaun Of The Dead, Run, Fatboy, Run as well as a cameo in the film Notting Hill. But it’s his stand-up that sees Moran at his truly brilliant best. Voted Number 14 in Channel 4’s 100 Funniest People in 2010 – his shambolic persona yet precise articulation and fantastical imagery makes for a unique and frankly unmissable performance. Dylan Moran will be joining Latitude on a high from his current UK tour ‘yeah, yeah‘.
American comic, writer and actress Rita Rudner will be joining the all star line-up at Latitude’s Comedy Arena. Now a stalwart of the Vegas comedy scene Rita Rudner has recorded several award-winning comedy specials including ‘Rita Rudner: Born to Be Mild‘, ‘Rita Rudner: Married Without Children‘ and ‘Rita Rudner: Live From Las Vegas‘.
Rita Rudner’s recent work includes her book, ‘I Still Have It… I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It: Confessions of a Fifty something‘ and her stand-up show, which since 2001, has been performed almost exclusively in Las Vegas, selling over one million tickets.
Since its inception in 2006, Latitude has changed the face of festivals forever, with a passion only matched by its ambition. Encompassing all aspects of the art and music worlds Latitude is the only place that brings together the best in music, literature, comedy, poetry, film, theatre, cabaret, art, dance, opera and fashion for one spectacular weekend. With an unrivalled line-up taking shape, Latitude 2011 will be another exhilarating, scintillating and inspirational festival of fun.
Latitude Festival Ticket Information
Weekend tickets £170.00 including VAT, subject to booking fee Day tickets Fri, Sat, Sun £70.00 including VAT, subject to booking fee
Child ticket (5-12 years) £5.00 including VAT, subject to booking fee Campervan Permit £30.00 Weekend tickets prices include car parking and camping
Award-winning stand-up and comedy writer Tobias Persson embarks on his first full Edinburgh Fringe show.
Two things we know about life…
1. We are all going to die
2. We will all sit on a cornflake at some time in our life
In a surprisingly friendly show about music, love and avantgarde women deliberately defiling Swedish opera houses, one of the sunniest, quirkiest faces on the Swedish comedy scene launches into his first full Edinburgh Fringe season. Instantly likeable and warm, Tobias Persson has a way of treating ‘difficult’ subjects like politics and religion with an easy wit – often using physical, almost animated skills. Fast, fun, and good to know.
‘One of the sharpest pencils in Swedish comedy’ (Magnus Betnér, comedian) ‘Thoughts that are likely to strike a chord…concisely and effectively put’ (Steve Bennett, chortle) ‘Quirky, sharp observations and lightening wit’ (Arts Leicestershire Magazine) ‘Sweden’s Best Male Stand-up… incredible energy… very sharp in a cute exterior’ (2008 Comedy Gala judging panel)
London Preview Show: Tobias Persson – Sitting on a cornflake
Humour & Rights: An Evening of Comedy for Reprieve
On July 10, the Comedy Theatre hosts a dazzling night in support of legal action charity Reprieve, as top comedians stand up for human rights hosted by Alistair Barrie and Clive Stafford Smith.
The stellar line up includes Ed Byrne, Andi Osho, Nick Revell, Shappi Khorsandi, Alistair Barrie, Doc Brown, Dan Antopolski, Hal Cruttenden, Tina C and guests.
Reprieve Director Clive Stafford Smith:
“Learning to laugh in the face of adversity is an important skill to possess when faced with the most daunting circumstances – these comedians help us see the silly side of the grimmest of situations. This is a rare chance to see some of the smartest comics on the circuit today, performing for a really great cause!”
About Reprieve
Reprieve uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantánamo Bay. The charity investigates, litigates and educates.
Working on the frontline, Reprieve provide legal support to prisoners unable to pay for it themselves, promote the rule of law around the world, and secure each person’s right to a fair trial. In doing so Reprieve save lives.
Humour & Rights: An Evening of Comedy for Reprieve
The Comedy Theatre
Panton Street, London SW1Y 4DN
10th July
7pm
Friends of the Earth's 'Laugh or the Polar Bear Gets It'
Friends of the Earth’s ‘Laugh or the Polar Bear Gets It‘ makes its debut at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo on Friday 18th November 2011.
Staged by many of Britain’s top comedy superstars, funds raised from the night will benefit Friends of the Earth, the UK’s leading campaigning environmental charity, and will enable them to continue campaigning for solutions to the world’s most urgent environmental problems.
So far the line up includes Dan Antopolski (Hyperdrive, BBC2), Simon Day (The Fast Show), Richard Herring (Fist of Fun, BBC2), Josie Long (Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer), Lucy Porter, Rob Rouse and music from Badly Drawn Boy with many more names to be released shortly.
About Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth is an environmental campaigning charity which aims to protect the planet’s life-supporting systems, such as a stable climate, healthy forests, reliable food supplies and clean water. It’s the only organisation whose main focus is involving people in taking political action together to solve the environmental problems we face.
With 2 million supporters across five continents and more than 75 national organisations worldwide, Friends of the Earth is celebrating its 40th anniversary during 2011.
For more information visit www.foe.co.uk or follow them on Twitter @wwwfoecouk.
Friends of the Earth’s ‘Laugh or the Polar Bear Gets It‘
