Lee Mack is coming to Bristol’s annual Slapstick festival of screen comedy in January to host a show at Colston Hall all about his comedy heroes, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
Mack says: I’ve been a lifelong fan of Laurel and Hardy so to be able to present some of their work at the Slapstick Festival is an absolute joy. Hopefully, I will accidentally fall off the stage onto the live orchestra and completely ruin the whole night. I think it’s what Stan and Ollie would have wanted.”
The one-off show will include a full screening of the long-thought-lost, newly-restored, Battle of the Century, accompanied live by the European Silent Screen Virtuosi.
The 14th festival takes runs in Bristol from January 25 - 28. Lee Mack's show takes place at Bristol's Colston Hall on January 27. Tickets here.
Other events include:
A Keaton 100 strand, marking the centenary of the screen debut of silent comedy genius Buster Keaton with films, documentary, talks and a live stage show
Tim Vine hosting a gala triple bill of silent comedy classics starring Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy with live music from the Bristol Ensemble
Jo Brand sharing clips and memories of her favourite comedy moments
Ade Edmondson and Nigel Planer re-uniting to look back at their work together on such 1980s TV hits as THE YOUNG ONES and COMIC STRIP PRESENTS and in the spoof heavy metal band BAD NEWS
Christopher Biggins giving an ‘I was in it’ introduction to a screening of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW and judging an audience competition for best Transylvania costume
Bill Oddie re-opening The Goodies’ songbook and looking back to when songs like FUNKY GIBBON and BLACK PUDDING BERTHA earned the comedy trio pop chart success
Lucy Porter paying tribute to two of the silent era’s best-loved women comedians, as part of a Rare/Rediscovered /Restored strand which also takes in ‘lost clowns’ from Europe.
Barry Cryer remembering The Two Ronnies (Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett). Barry Cryer is on The One Show tonight.
Festival Director Chris Daniels says: “January can be a gloomy month but the next Slapstick festival offers such a wide variety of laugh-out-loud treats from almost every decade since screen comedy began that we’re sure this programme will brighten the mood of every comedy fan.”
He added: “We’re especially happy to welcome such top class entertainers as Jo Brand, Lee Mack, Ade Edmondson, Rowland Rivron and Christopher Biggins to Slapstick for the first time and equally glad that so many audience favourites from previous festivals will be returning, among them Robin Ince, Ronnie Golden, Nigel Planer, Tim Vine and more.”
For full details of the Slapstick 2018 line-up here.
