Author, broadcaster and film aficionado Samira Ahmed is the latest celebrity to become a patron of Bristol’s annual festival of classic screen comedy, joining a line-up which already includes Oscars winner Nick Park; the multi-talented Rob Brydon and Michael Palin, Aardman’s newly knighted co-founders Peter Lord and Dave Sproxton and Suzanne Lloyd, granddaughter of the silent movie star Harold Lloyd, among others.
Her first appearance at a Slapstick event since accepting the role will be at St George’s Bristol on Sunday 4 October when she opens a trio of back-to-back festival fund-raisers by teasing stories from Graeme Garden about his six decades long comedy career.
Both are regular Slapstick Festival participants and Samira was among the first to interview Graeme after the recent death of his fellow Goodie, Bill Oddie.
The Graeme Garden: Still Clueless After All These Years show (2.30pm start) will be followed by keyboard legend, Rick Wakeman, also a patron, rounding off anecdotes from his years as a rock/ pop icon by playing live to a favourite Laurel & Hardy film.
The day concludes with Rick joining his friend, neighbour and co-host of their hugely popular Sounds of the 70-year-olds podcasts, Griff Rhys Jones for a banter about whatever takes the fancy of them and their audience.
Festival director Chris Daniels says: “Running a festival like ours, combining film, live music and special guests, becomes more expensive year on year due to increased venue hire costs and higher payments for film/TV rights, insurance, specialist kit and so on. This means we’re delighted our patrons are rallying to help us fund-raise for Slapstick 2027 and thrilled, too, for audiences as these will be unique events, repeated nowhere else ever”.
Tickets for all three shows are on sale now, priced from £10.
Personal visitors to the St George’s Bristol box office, Great George Street, BS1 5RR escape the fees charged for bookings via www.stgeorgesbristol.co.uk or 0117 929 4929 with 20% discounts for anyone booking for two or more of the shows.
For more info about the Slapstick Conversations line-up and booking options &/or to join the free mailing list, please visit www.slapstick.org.uk/conversations. Slapstick news can also be found via the festival’s Facebook, Instagram and X accounts.
The next Slapstick festival takes place from 10 to 14 February 2027.
Slapstick is a not-for-profit organisation. The festival’s principal funders are Aardman Animations (www.aardman.com) and BFI (www.bfi.org.uk) awarding funds from the National Lottery.
Pictured: Graeme Garden with Samira Ahmed - picture by David Betteridge
