Jen Brister
It’s time to laugh out loud as the Shepherds Bush Comedy Festival rolls back into town.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council – in partnership with the Bush Theatre and PBJ Management – has unveiled the second edition of the popular comedy festival, which will run from 19 July to 29 July.
It will see some of comedy’s top names appear at the Bush Theatre in Uxbridge Road. The festival will also feature a free educational programme for young people in stand up and sketch writing with performances at Westfield London.
This year’s line-up of comedians includes Jen Brister, James Acaster, Helen Bauer, Jessie Cave, Nina Conti, John Kearns, Tim Key, Luisa Omelian and Mark Watson, with more performers still to be announced.
“Following the success of last year’s event, we’re on our way to making Shepherds Bush a key location on the pre-Edinburgh Festival comedy circuit,” said Cllr Andrew Jones, H&F Cabinet Member for the Economy and the Arts.
The comedy festival has been extended to 11 days of side-splitting fun after the success of the inaugural four-day Shepherds Bush comedy festival last year.
Wait! There’s more...
Away from the Shepherds Bush theatre, there will be free events at the Old Laundry Yard on 21, 23, 24 and 25 July, and a masterclass by comedian Doc Brown at Westfield London to name but a few of the attractions over the two-week celebration.
"We're delighted to be supporting the local council in delivering the second - and biggest ever - Shepherds Bush Comedy Festival,” said Madani Younis, Artistic Director of Bush Theatre. “Last year we welcomed over 500 people to the festival - over 75 per cent of whom hadn't visited the theatre before. This year, we're hoping to tempt even more Shepherds Bush residents to try something new and in doing so to support our thriving local arts scene."
The summer comedy festival is also supported by Westfield London, U+I PLC, Dorsett Hotel, and A2Dominion.
Arts Strategy
The comedy festival forms part of the council’s Arts Strategy (pdf) to make H&F an international beacon of the arts.
The council is working towards making the borough’s vibrant arts scene an integral part of a dynamic local economy which fosters local jobs, businesses and economic growth.
“We’re delighted to be able to bring more high calibre comedians and more laughs to the residents of H&F,” Cllr Jones added. “The Shepherds Bush Comedy festival forms part of our aim to make H&F’s vibrant arts scene even better. We want to be one of the country’s leading destinations for the arts.”
Last year’s event
The inaugural festival ran over four days in the revamped Bush Theatre in 2017.
The year-long renovation was made possible by £1m of funding from H&F Council – as well as £2.5m from Arts Council England and donations from generous individuals, trusts and foundations.
For more details, times and tickets, visit: www.bushtheatre.co.uk or call 020 8743 5050.
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