I thought I had the best job in the world. And then I met Tania Harrison. Tania is head of arts and comedy at Festival Republic, the UK’s leading festival and event promoter. One of her jobs is to organise the comedy for the upcoming Latitude Festival, which runs from July 17 - 20. This year’s headliners, Kevin Bridges, Simon Amstell and Dara O’Briain, really do need no introduction. Nor do Al Murray, Milton Jones, Sara Pascoe and Josie Long. But just to help you arrange your diaries before Latitude frenzy kicks off, here are some of Tania’s personal must-see tips from the line-up. Of course, we should add that Tania loves every act on the bill equally!
Massive Dad
“Massive Dad are a trio of sketch comedy performers who are one of the funniest acts I’ve seen in ages. Brand new and utterly exciting, Massive Dad are Stevie Martin, Liz Smith and Tessa Coates, and are finalists in the Best New Sketch Act 2014 competition, which will be held in Edinburgh this August. Their appearance at Latitude will see them perform a half-hour set of their best sketches to date, and is a great opportunity to see performers I firmly believe are the stars of tomorrow.”
Dane Baptiste
“The original and provocative Dane Baptiste is a comedian from south east London who has fast graduated from the local circuit to the national stage. His razor sharp rants and slick musings on life’s irritations have made him an act to watch, and you might already recognise him from TV spots such as Seann Walsh’s Late Night Comedy Spectacular. His appearance in Latitude’s Cabaret Arena is a chance to catch a performer who’s going places.”
Katherine Ryan
“Katherine is a comedian who’s fast becoming a familiar face on British TV, with appearances BBC 1's Live At The Apollo & Let's Dance for Comic Relief, BBC 2's Mock The Week, QI & Never Mind the Buzzcocks, C4's 8 Out of 10 Cats and more, all under her belt. This year at Latitude, she’s returning to the festival with a brand new show Glam Role Model.
Glam Role Model is in part about the murky world of glamour modelling. There are girls who get their breasts out in Canada, but the UK actually has a name for them. In the same way inuits have several words for snow, Katherine’s problem with glamour models isn't necessarily what they do, but what they DON'T do: speak. Everyone deserves a voice.”
The Only Way is Downton
“Lovers of spoofs, impression comedy and hit period drama will find much to love in Luke Kempner’s new show. It’s coming straight to Latitude from a West End Season in an extended version featuring exclusive new material. This is a spoof tour-de-force from a performer who made his name on YouTube with the original Downstairs at Downton video. The show mashes up the defining TV shows of our time to hilarious effect. As celebrities start appearing at the Abbey, cultures clash and eras hilariously collide in a parody that sees stars from popular TV shows and other modern voices pitch in to save the Downton estate from financial ruin – again.”
Latitude runs from July 17 - 20. To see full line-up and buy tickets click on the advert at the top of this page.
