The Chronicle (UK)

Comics heading north for events

- By BARBARA HODGSON Reporter barbara.hodgson@reachplc.com

WITH the inaugural BBC Comedy Festival all set for its big launch, famous faces including Greg Davies and Charlie Brooker are preparing to head north for a bit of a laugh.

Bafta-winning comic and actor Romesh Ranganatha­n; The Office cocreator Stephen Merchant and the makers of the likes of Car Share and Gavin and Stacey are also on the lineup of the event which gets under way today.

The BBC sparked huge excitement when it announced it had chosen Newcastle to host its first ever comedy festival, with most events taking place at Northern Stage following its launch over the Tyne at Baltic art gallery.

There it will be opened at 4.30pm on its first day by the BBC’S comedy director Jon Petrie who said: “We are excited to be coming to Newcastle, the BBC’S first ‘City of Comedy,’ to celebrate comedy in all its forms and to outline BBC Comedy’s vision for the genre in 2022 and beyond.”

He’ll be joined at Baltic today by the BBC’S director of content Charlotte Moore ahead of an already sold-out evening of comedy favourites, to include Carl Hutchinson and Sukh Ojla, at The Stand in the city centre which is helping to host the festival over its run. Brooker – in conversati­on with Ranganatha­n – and Davies, talking to The Office and The IT Crowd producer Ash Atalla, will be part of tomorrow’s day-long programme at Northern Stage with their hour-long slots starting at 3pm and 6.30pm respective­ly.

The festival is for anyone interested in comedy, from independen­t producers to those starting out in careers in the business or people keen to advance them.

Its last day, Friday, will include a masterclas­s on how to make a TV show and one on Ghosts. The cast of that BBC hit will be attending the festival, as will members of the cast of The Outlaws – and its creator Stephen Merchant – which is to screen a premiere of its second series from 6.30pm to wrap up the festival.

Other names to look out for during the three-day run include Car Share producer Gill Isles; Gavin and Stacey director Christine Gernon plus Anna Thomas, Zoe, Louise Young, Megan Ganz, Holly Walsh, Raul Kohli, Tim Renkow, Spring Day, Leo Reich, Jamie Demetriou, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Tim Renkow, Kat Sadler and Adjani Salmon.

Tomorrow and Friday are the festival’s key days and tickets to the events at Northern Stage are free. The free tickets for The Stand nights are now booked up.

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Lauren Pattison
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Greg Davies

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