Liverpool to be capital of comedy

May 19 2008 by Philip Key, Liverpool Daily Post

The Royal Court theatre (200)

IT WILL be difficult to escape the sound of laughter on Merseyside next week as comedians take to the streets, buses, pubs and even conventional stages for this year’s Liverpool Comedy Festival.

Organisers claim it boasts more big names than ever before alongside comedy circuit regulars, local performers and some you may never have heard of.

The festival, opening on May 28 and running until June 8, will be stretched across 20 venues.

Paul Merton will head the list of big names with his Paul Merton’s Impro Chums show at the Royal Court.

TV face Rhona Cameron will make her return to the stand-up stage with a show at the Unity Theatre, while Jimmy Carr from C4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats is at the Philharmonic Hall for three nights.

Other comics with television credentials include Frankie Boyle (Mock the Week) at the Royal Court Theatre and Paul Tonkinson (The Big Breakfast and The Sunday Show) also at the Unity.

Local comedians with their own shows include Simon Bligh, Brendan Riley, Steve Gribbin, John Bishop and Chris Cairns.

To launch the festival, there will be a veritable Who’s Who of Liverpool comedians on the Best of Liverpool Night, hosted by Les Dennis. See it at the Royal Court Theatre on May 28. To book, visit www.liverpolcomedyfestival.com