latitude
Susan Calman revealed at the start of her set that she has recently bought a large property. After Trump was elected she thought she might as well go out in style: "If we are going to die we might as well die in a big house." She has latterly developed a fondness for thermostats, and certainly read the temperature of the Latitude crowd well, delivering a punchy set that warmed them up nicely for headliner Dara O Briain.
Reggie Watts had to play an early show at Latitude because he was doing the Royal Festival Hall in the evening. As I walked through the already-pack comedy tent the ratio of bemused to amused faces changed dramatically. Outside the tent where fans were watching his set on the video screens, there was an air of polite dismay. Who was the weird man with an extravagant afro saying “daddy, where is my heroin?” in a childlike voice.
Bridget Christie recently said that she has torn up the script for her latest show and is busily writing a new hour in time for Edinburgh to tackle her shock at the Referendum vote. Al Murray is going out on a UK tour this autumn so it’ll be interesting to see how he addresses an issue, given that “Back off Brussels” and a general air of mock Europhobia has been part of the Pub Landlord’s act for the past two decades. Has the joke bitten him on the bum?
After a short, snappy appearance from Shazia Mirza – “I won’t stay long, I’m being deported in 20 minutes” – Katherine Ryan came on sporting a flowery headdress and some attitude for Latitude. Her boyfriend recently dumped her by text, she explained, tossing in the first of many Pokemon Go references I expect I’ll be hearing over the next few months.
The audience in the Latitude comedy tent can be a bit of a mixed bunch. Families having a picnic, friends sheltering from the sun or the rain or just slackers and stoners flaked out after a hard night. Not necessarily comedy fans. But it was clear by the cheer when Sara Pascoe came on that a lot of people knew her and wanted to hear what she had to say, which always makes a performer happier than confusion or indifference (which seemed to be what Nick Helm was experiencing when I arrived as he was finishing).
The first batch of comedy and cabaret acts for this year's Latitude Festival have been confirmed.
The major headliner is Russell Howard, doing a rare top-of-the-bill show ahead of his next world tour. Two further big comedy names will be announced at a later date but revealed today are lots of other appealing attractions for the comedy and cabaret tents over the long weekend of July 14 - 17 in Henham Park, Suffolk.
The first batch of names for this year's Latitude Festival has been announced today.
There is a big crossover between comedy and theatre this year with stand-up Liam Williams writing a new comedy play which will be performed for the first time at Latitude. Mel Giedroyc will perform at Latitude in the Hammersmith Lyric theatre's the Importance of Being Earnest and award-winning comedian and playwright Mark Thomas will bring his new stand up theatre show Red Shed to the festival.
I wasn’t going to review Jason Byrne. I felt that I’d seen it all and said it all when he ended Kilkenny’s Cat Laughs gig with a jockey on his back earlier this year. But within a minute of him charging onstage I had my pen out again. Once more Byrne went where few comedians dare to go.
The decision to have David O’Doherty close the comedy tent on Saturday night was an interesting one. While he is well known to comedy fans and well loved too he certainly doesn’t have the TV profile of Sara Pascoe or Marcus Brigstocke. There was a definite thinning out in the arena before his set, but those that drifted away missed something special.
Marcus Brigstocke is probably the perfect Latitude comedian. completely in tune with the middle class audience’s dreams, aspirations and frustrations. It was no surprise to hear him say at the start of his set that he has been to every Latitude Festival. If Latitude had a face it would look like Brigstocke.
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