Big names join up-and-comers at Key Comedy Festival

Instantly recognisable Romesh Ranganathan has added his name to the line-up at next week’s Key Comedy Festival in Peterborough.

The comedy star will be trying out some new material at the sold out show on Friday, March 8, on the Key Theatre’s main stage, ahead of a new tour.

Back for a seventh sidesplitting year, the festival gets under way the previous evening with Mock the Week and BBC Radio 4 regular Mark Watson. After being cluster-bombed with yoghurt on ‘Taskmaster’, Mark returns to what he’s best at: being indoors. As scrawny and impassioned as ever, Mark showcases his usual notoriously high joke-and-rant-per-minute rate. One liner merchant Gary Delaney returns to the theatre on the Saturday with another onslaught of lean, expertly crafted gaggery. A Mock the Week regular, Gary’s shows are renowned in the business for a near unrivalled volume of high-class gags.

Another big name in the main house, Hal Cruttenden (Sunday), has literally filled our TV screens recently with appearances on Have I Got News for You, Back Off: Extra Slice, and Live at the Apollo.

His daughters chose the title ‘Chubster’ for his new stand-up show. He’s now on a diet.

In the Key Studio, some

award winning names also take to the Key’s more intimate auditorium.

As a comedian, choirboy and host of Sky Sports’ Soccer AM Lloyd Griffith (Thursday) promises jokes, dubious impressions, jokes, a bit of choral singing, jokes, maybe a fact about a cathedral and some more jokes.

Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Nominee 2018 and Live at the Apollo star, Sindhu Vee (Friday) brings her critically acclaimed and Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show, Sandhog - and it is a sell-out at the Key too.

Dave Joke of the Fringe Winner, Cambridge mathematics dropout and professional poker player Ken Cheng (Saturday) stops off on his UK-wide tour ‘Best Dad Ever’ following a soldout, award nominated run at the Edinburgh Festival.

And finally, don’t miss Ahir Shah (Sunday) who returns to the Key with a brand new stand-up show about life and what comes after, death and what comes before, and Bohemian Rhapsody.

The Festival - recognised for hosting big names on the British and International circuit as well as serving as a platform for rising stars hotly tipped to be ‘the next big thing’ - runs from March 7 to 10 and all shows are recommended for ages 16+.

To book for any of the shows go to vivacity.org/ comedyfest