London SketchFest returns for its fourth annual festival on 5th & 6th November 2016 at Hackney House in Shoreditch. The festival showcases the best up-and-coming comedy talent and is becoming the biggest alternative comedy festival for launching new and emerging comedians.

Celebrating the best alt comedy from sketch to character, London SketchFest presents a series of one-off showcases in front of industry judging panels, alongside feature shows with more established acts, a new writing competition and short film competition. 

Comedy duo Raven and Fennell (pictured), who made their Edinburgh Fringe debut with their observational and character-driven sketch show ‘Fan Club’ will be performing on Saturday 5th November at 9pm, along with Short & Curly, a double act who tease the crazy side we are encouraged to mask as adults. Short (Rebecca Shorrocks) and Curly (Paul F. Taylor) go berserk with costumes, props, home-made lighting and stage effects, this show is an exhilarating experience you wouldn’t want to miss.

Lazy Susan, the duo consisting of Celeste Dring and Freya Parker, appear on Sunday 6th November at 9pm, along with this year’s fringe favorites, Norris and Parker, whose show is a sordid soiree of characters and songs weaved within a narrative of underlying sexual tension. The show features live music and an original score composed by the Victorian hipster, Chris Thomson.

Foursome Laughing Stock appear on 5th November at 9pm, along with Bosh and Babs, the runners-up of London SketchFest 2015 who are back with their extreme and bizarre characters.

Comedy group Casual Violence will be at SketchFest for the fourth consecutive year on 5th November at 4.30pm, along with Goose Saturday, a strobe-speed sketch pinball from a corybantic one-man cartoon. Goose is Adam Drake and Ben Rowse.

The main stage on the ground floor will showcase all of the festival’s biggest shows including The Best New Act Competition and The Feature Series (the UK’s hottest comedy groups in 2016).

The second floor will take you to the main bar with a roof terrace and will stage the best new writing and filmmaking talent, alongside some more live shows for a fun and vibrant mix.

This second stage will see talent compete to win Sketch Screen, a competition for the funniest comedy shorts and hilarious films and Sketch Scribe, a new writers competition with scripts performed by a super troupe of sketch comedians.

The Secret Shows, only seen by a lucky few, will be held on the third floor, with some house favourites performing.

Tickets are on sale now and The Secret Shows can be pledged for via a kickstarter raising money to support the independence of the festival and its mission to promote new British comedy talent. For more information on Kickstarter, click here. 

LINE UP 

Saturday 5th November:

16:30: Goose with Casual Violence  

            Sketch Scribe - Writing competition - prize is a script development workshop with a BBC Script Developer

18:40: Competition 1 (best new act)

21:00: Raven & Fennel with Short & Curly

           Laughing Stock with Bosh & Babs

Sunday 6th November:

16:30: Competition 2 (best new act)

18:40: Competition 3 (best new act)

20:00: Sketch Screen - Filmed sketch, the winner will have a sketch produced by Exposure TV

21:00: Lazy Susan with Norris & Parker

Prices:

Festival tickets - £55             

Day tickets - £31                   

Show tickets - £13

More acts to be announced shortly. For tickets and more information click here.