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Press Releases & Clippings from 2012 Festival

REVIEW: Danielle Manning at the opening gig of Southport Comedy Festival

Oct 25 2012 by Danielle Manning, Southport Visiter

BY THE end of the first Southport Comedy Festival special at the Ramada, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
I had chuckled so much for more than two hours that I was actually rather in pain. My boyfriend Tom was the same, and I suspect most of the audience were, too.
Asking anybody to part with cash these days is never an easy task. Combine that with getting them to leave the comfort of their sofas on a freezing weekend and some may consider it Mission Impossible.
But Brendan Riley has yet again taken on the enormous task of organising this mammoth festival for the second time since it was axed due to funding cuts. And it is clear he still knows how to bring in a crowd.
Brendan did a stand-up job of warming up the crowd. He even set up jokes for the second act of the night, Neil Delamere, by gloriously ripping the people sat in the front row (thankfully, we were hidden away at the back!)
Within minutes, the rest of the audience were all acquainted with the poor chaps – a medical receptionist, a hopeful jobseeker and a jolly group of welders. The banter between them and Brendan made for entertaining viewing.
Both Neil and guest Jo Caulfield did a fantastic job of tailoring part of their acts to Southport. Highlights were Neil’s thoughts about which accents you would want to hear while in an emergency situation on a plane, while Jo’s comments about women who love comparing supermarket prices also went down a storm with the guests.
The first Ramada show was the perfect platform to showcase the rest of the festival.


Oct 18 2012 by Jamie McLoughlin, Southport Visiter

Canadian comic Tom Stade looks forward to his appearance at Southport Comedy Festival


HE’S from Canada, he lives in Edinburgh and he’s passionate about Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It’s an intriguing jumble of information which goes some way to explain why the everyman aspect of Tom Stade’s comedy is so appealing.
His love of football saw him involved in an ill-fated attempt to send Blyth Spartans B team on a character-building world tour but he’s just as intrigued with the way the Argos shopping system works and why you always seem to find jeans on the floor in Primark.
“I’ve been playing soccer all my life,” he explained in his warm graveled burr. “I grew up in Canada with a single mom. My dad was a cool guy but he lived in Vancouver while we were in a small village and there wasn’t a lot of money around so I played soccer as it’s seen as a poor person’s sport over there. It’s not like it is here – but it’s always been my sport.”
Tom is 42 years old but the good-natured cheekiness he carries everywhere has done a cracking job at keeping the free radicals at bay. He’s the one in the gang who’ll charm your girlfriend but still have you chuckling most Friday nights down the pub.
You can find out for yourself when Tom appears at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on Saturday, October 27 as part of Southport Comedy Festival with the international flavour of the evening maintained by Ireland’s John Lynn sharing the bill.
“I’m naughty and nice,” says Tom, explaining what our crowd has in store. “I’ve been on television and people have seen me there and then seen me on stage where I’m a lot different and my language is a lot stronger. On TV people see my personality as there a lot of rules about what you can and can’t say, especially on the BBC.
“You see the real me on stage.
He cackled: “That’s when people worry about how older people will react to my act.
“They say to me: ‘You can’t say things like that in front of elderly people, they’ll be so shocked’, then I do my show and it’s the older people in the crowd who are laughing the most.
“They absolutely love it.
“Whatever it is I’m talking about, they’ve probably been doing it for 50 years longer than I have.”
Although a Canada-born comic’s take on British life crops up in parts of his act, don’t expect his show to be an endless stream of comparisons between the two nations. He promises it’s a more reflective show than that and his story-telling style has already won him praise from the likes of Rhod Gilbert.
Our sea air may have an unexpected effect on him, however.
He added: “Britain is an island so I’ve played lots of seaside towns. I’ve played Brighton, I’ve played Wales and now I’m coming to Southport. I suppose it’s all the same seaside, really.
“I do love standing on the shore looking out to sea and your mind goes all over the place and you start to think about stuff that you don’t usually think about.
“It’s that moment when you think, ‘stop doing this now, or this will be the moment Tom Stade thinks about becoming a monk’.”


Oct 18 2012 by Jamie McLoughlin, Southport Visiter

Mrs Barbara Nice’s guide to having a lovely time at the Southport Comedy Festival


IF YOU know Mrs Barbara Nice, you’ll be aware she’s a huge fan of a certain weekly magazine packed with real-life stories and none-too-taxing puzzles.
“I love Take a Break,” the mother of five from Stockport enthused. “I get lovely people who follow me around and they often bring me a copy. I always take a look at the Top Tips.”
Barbara is bringing her five-star Edinburgh Festival show a bit closer to her northern roots during Southport Comedy Festival when she appears at The Fox & Goose on Tuesday, October 23, sharing the bill with Australia’s Micky D.
“There’s no real difference between appearing at the Edinburgh Festival or Southport,” she said in her trademark maternal tones, “It’s a chance for people who didn’t get to see the show up there to see it here. Everything has to start somewhere and Edinburgh was only a tiny festival when it started.                  “Also, you don’t lose as much money at the Southport Festival! It’s very difficult for comedians in Edinburgh.”
Barbara has fond memories of Southport gigs with some of the Phoenix Nights crew (Mrs Nice bears a more than passing resemblance to comedy actress Janice Connolly who appeared in the hugely popular Channel 4 series as Holy Mary as well as a couple of 
memorable appearances in Coronation Street) and is looking forward to making a comeback.
“I had some lovely childhood holidays at Southport,” she recalled. “I remember trying to find the sea as I was so excited about being there I didn’t know where to look.”
She added: “I can promise you that my show will be a good time had by all. We’re just going to have some fun and have a laugh.
“Things are tough at the moment so people enjoy coming out and being entertained.
“It has been bad, we all miss Woolworths, don’t we? Mind you, there were some good bargains in there in the final week.”
If, as expected, the audience at the show enjoys the Mrs Barbara Nice experience, they are advised to keep schtumm about it while in Stockport and its environs. Mr Nice is not aware of his wife’s extra-curricular stand-up activities and she wants to keep it that way. As far as he’s aware, she’s having a lovely time at bingo.
And for those of you still contemplating “the mothering of your life” as one critic describes the show, Barbara has some further sage words for you.
“We must remember that the people who organise comedy festivals like this one in Southport put a lot of hard work in to them and we need as many people out there to come along and support it.
“So come on, people of Southport, get yourself along to one of these shows!”
And with that, Mrs Nice was gone. She said it was to another game of bingo but don’t be surprised if she was really off to Washington DC to advise Mrs Obama on how to get her nets sparkling.


Oct 18 2012 by Jamie McLoughlin, Southport Visiter

Southport Comedy Festival director Brendan Riley prepares for 10 days of giggles and gigs

THE man behind this year’s Southport Comedy Festival is surprisingly calm on the eve of a ten-day celebration of all that is amusing in the world.
As far as Brendan Riley is concerned, the hardest part of the job is now over.
The 45-year-old stand-up comedian from Formby stepped in last year to stop the event grinding to a halt in the wake of funding cuts and – despite a tight deadline – produced an impressive programme which appealed to all tastes.
This year, there’s more of the same.
Brendan told the Visiter: “I feel positive. I remember from last year, this is the phase where we have the shows themselves and that’s the part of the job I’ve been doing for 22 years.
“It’s all the other side that’s new to me, the business end and the management but that part is over now. From here, it’s all about making sure the shows are managed and that people can get tickets.”
With more time available to plan the second staging of the new-look festival, Brendan – who combines his director’s role with comedy gigs all over the UK – has been able to exercise more creativity this time around.
He continued: “This time I’ve got total control and the big difference is that I’ve been able to put shows on at the Ramada Plaza Hotel which has enabled us to drive ticket prices down. It’s about genuinely understanding that people don’t have a lot of money at the moment.”
He continued: “I’m so pleased that Roy Walker is joining us this year. He’s a legend from years ago but he’s still very current. People don’t realise how good Roy Walker is, he is often seen as just as a TV presenter but he is so funny.”
He added: “I want to make this festival inclusive, I’m not interested in it being trendy, or cool. I want this to be for everyone from three to 103.”
And there are some people Brendan is keen to thank. The sponsors.
He said: “I wanted to approach sponsorship in a different way, get people who genuinely wanted to get involved. I have to say a big thank you to them, the people who put their hands in their pockets when money was tight.
“Next year, we want to make it even bigger.”

Brendan takes part in a Comedy Cook Off with chef Adam Franklin at Wayfarers Arcade today (Thursday) at 2pm. Admission is free.
For more information, see our supplement or visit www.southportcomedyfestival.com


Southport Comedy Festival spreads laughs around the town

by Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo Oct 15 2012

THE Liverpool Comedy Festival has just finished but that’s no excuse for putting away your laughing gear – because the 2012 Southport Comedy Festival is just around the corner.


Seven venues will host more than 40 comedians between this Friday and October 28.
There’s also comedy cooking, children’s shows and a free ride on the pier tram.
The festival director is Merseyside funnyman Brendan Riley and comedians from all over the world including Australia, Panama, Canada and Malawi will descend on the town.
They include Jo Caulfield, Neil Delamere, Tom Stade, Patrick Monahan, and Roy Walker and his son Phil.
Plus there will be a Slaughterhouse Live, a comedy magic show, and the final of the Southport Comedy Festival New Comedian of the Year.
Southport Comedy Festival runs from October 19-28. Full details at www.southportcomedyfestival.com



Oct 10th 2012 by Jamie McLoughlin, Liverpool Echo

Merseyrail becomes Mirthyrail as train passengers are treated to gig ahead of Southport Comedy Festival

WHAT’S the difference between the 10.28 service from Formby and a slap in the face with a wet fish?

You get a lot more laughs on the train.

Passengers bound for Southport on Thursday were surprised with an impromptu gig in the rear carriage courtesy of the upcoming Southport Comedy Festival.

Stand-up comedian Brendan Riley, the brains behind the event, clambered on at Formby with a mobile PA system and his comic colleagues who provided the entertainment or the remainder of the journey to Southport.

Brendan, who lives in Formby, led the length of the carriage – now renamed the Mirthyrail Express – through chants supporting the festival as well as a Mexican wave before introducing the performers.

Full Article, Video and Photo Gallery Echo article

Southport Comedy Festival director Brendan Riley on why he wants children to chuckle at this year’s event too

Oct 4 2012 by Jamie McLoughlin, Southport Visiter

 

COMEDY, Brendan Riley observes, should be for everyone.

And that’s why the director of this year’s Southport festival dedicated to keeping our frowns upside down has a programme to suit, in his own words “people from birth to age 103.”
When this year’s celebration of sniggers begins on Friday, October 19, the 10-day programme includes two events geared specifically towards the younger giggle-seekers in attendance.
Brendan, in his second year at the helm of the festival, explained: “This is a festival and that means everybody should be catered for: kids, pensioners, adults, everyone.
“I love going to other events with my family, I’m a dad and these events are even better when they’re free, especially when they’re over the half-term holiday as well.”
Family. Free. Half-term. All three boxes are ticked with the events on the weekends either side of the school hols.

On Sunday, October 21, Wayfarers Arcade hosts a children’s cartoon event.

Paul Hardman, the artist who created the seaside postcard-style festival logo will be there for the drop-in session from 1.30pm to 4pm.
He will give demos on how to create cartoons of your own and answer questions from the audience in a programme sponsored by Panda Liquorice.
Brendan continued: “Paul has been so supportive of the festival since working with us last year.
“He helped out and expected nothing back so I really wanted to do something with cartoons this year, like the children’s event.
“I want it to develop and get bigger and bigger at each festival.”

The second event for junior joke fans is on Saturday, October 27, when event sponsor Giggles Gym, in Weld Road, Birkdale, hosts a family fun afternoon. Admission is £2.50 which allows families to have the run of the place while magician John Harding entertains.

There will also be party games, face painting and places to buy food. This event, in aid of the charity Stick ’n’ Step, is limited to 100 places and tickets are available from Giggles.

It’s been a busy 18 months for Brendan, who is passionate about keeping a comedy festival in Southport – and making it accessible to everyone.
“It should never just be for adults,” he added.
“Kids know more about comedy than adults do.”


Are you our town’s next top comedian? Competition for Southport Comedy Festival begins this weekend

27/09/12 by Danielle Manning, Southport Visiter

THE challenge to find the next New Comedian of the Year will begin this weekend. The competition, which is part of Southport Comedy Festival, starts this Sunday with the first heat at the Fox and Goose.

There will be 30 comedians taking part in three heats on consecutive Sundays and each will perform a 10 minute comedy routine. Six will then go through to the final on Sunday, October 21, as part of Southport Comedy Festival. It is the third year of the highly popular competition and the second time that Josephs Jewellery of Ormskirk will be sponsoring the event.

Organiser Brendan Riley said: “The winner will win the trophy plus a cash prize but more importantly they will take the title of the New Comedian of the Year 2012. Last year the final was sold out so it made for a great atmosphere at the Fox. ” He added: “Acts from all over the North West have inundated me with emails to enter this year’s competition. I don’t have any strict rules but I look for comedians who have been performing for less than two years. I like the idea that this competition will give a new act a leg up the comedy ladder. It really helps you at the start of your career to say you have won an award of this stature. As ever the judges will be looking for stage presence and audience reaction but most of all, originality."

Fox and Goose owner John Ford and landlord Miles Jones will judge the heats. Last year the judges for the final were made up of former Southport Visiter reporter Janine Yaqoob, Val Brady from the Liverpool Comedy festival, John Ford and Helen keeler who won the title in 2011.

The Fox and Goose is at 8 Cable Street, heats take place on September 30, October 7, and October 14, before the final on October 21. Doors open at 7pm and the show is set to start at 8pm.

Tickets for the heats are £3 and tickets for the final are £5.

 


Sep 20 2012 by Danielle Manning, Southport Visiter

Cook-off with a difference planned for Southport Comedy Festival this year as award-winning chef Adam Franklin and comedian Brendan Riley go head-to-head

A COOK-OFF is set to whet the appetite of Southport Comedy Festival fans.
Organiser Brendan Riley will go head-to-head against award-winning chef Adam Franklin for the unique culinary challenge.
It will be held at the Wayfarers Arcade, on Thursday, October 18, at 2pm, and admission is free.
The friendly competition won’t be the first time that Adam and Brendan have battled it out in the kitchen.



Last year, they held a similar event at the Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.
Adam said: “Me and Bren go back years and we’re always up for any opportunity for a bit of a mess-about, especially in front of people! We’ve worked on a couple of other projects together in the past. We’re like two children who like showing off!
“Bren’s a real foodie, I help him out sometimes with recipes when he’s phoning me up in a panic at 10pm!
“But we always have really good fun.
“Although comedians are very difficult cooks to deal with.
“They think they know everything about everything so I have to try and teach them something new, it is such good fun.
“The format will be quite similar to our last one and it will work on the principle of ‘love food, hate waste’ again.
“I will probably get them to go shopping for mystery goods that morning and then I will try to put a recipe together from what they have bought.
“It’s interesting that way because it puts me on the spot too!
“I will teach them techniques and ways to make the most out of ingredients without letting anything go to waste – it will be interesting for the audience, too.”
For a full list of events, details of tickets and comedy news,
visit www.southport comedyfestival.co.uk

 


Sep 13 2012 by Danielle Manning, Southport Visiter

Comedians Jo Caulfield and Neil Delamere will headline the first of three special shows at the Ramada for Southport Comedy Festival.
                 
COMEDIANS Jo Caulfield and Neil Delamere will headline the first of three specials shows at Southport Comedy Festival. Kicking off the event this year, the pair will take to the stage at the Ramada with the first of the shows on October 19.  Jo Caulfield has appeared on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You and, most recently, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.  Jo was nominated as ‘Funniest Woman 2010’ and has previously been nominated as best female comedian 2002 and one of ‘The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups’ on Channel 4. She has appeared at major comedy clubs, both in the UK and overseas, and has completed two solo nationwide tours, as well as supporting Graham Norton and Rory Bremner. For the past nine years, Caulfield has taken a new solo stand-up comedy show to the Edinburgh Fringe.  On the same bill will be Irish comedian Neil Delamere, who has performed all over the world. 

On October 27 Canadian king of cool Tom Stade will headline the show. Tom is known for his appearances at the Edinburgh Festival and has appeared on Lee Mack’s All Star Cast, Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights and in March 2011 he appeared as a guest star on Soccer AM. He also recently appeared on Frankie Boyle’s stand up show The Boyle Variety Performance in August 2012.Tom will be supported by rising Irish star John Lynn.

For the final night of comedy specials, father and son comedy duo Roy and Phil Walker will entertain guests. Roy – presenter of ITV’s Catchphrase – and Phil will close the festival at the Ramada on October 28.

Tickets for Jo Caulfield and Neil Delamere are £12. 

For Tom Stade and John Lynn tickets are also £12
.
It is £13.50 per person to see Roy Walker and Phil Walker. 

Tickets can be bought from the Ramada website, www.ramadaplazasouthport.co.uk.
For a full list of events visit   www.southportcomedyfestival.com




9 August 2012

TV star Roy Walker and son Phil headline Southport Comedy Festival

Comedians from all over the world will descend on the town from October 19-28 this year. Topping the bill will be father and son comedy duo Roy and Phil Walker. Roy – star of ITV’s Catchprase – and Phil will close the festival at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on October 28.

Over 30 comedians will play at 7 venues around the resort during the 10-day festival. Organiser and comedian Brendan Riley decided to resurrect the former Sefton Council-run Southport Comedy Week last year after its funding was cut. The event was such a huge success that Brendan has returned this year with a packed programme of hilarity for all to enjoy. “I’m really looking forward to this year’s festival,” he said. “Comedians from Malawi, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Iran and even the Isle of Wight will be heading to Southport and we’ve got the backing of lots of local businesses. “I have tried again to keep ticket prices down so everyone can afford a laugh.”

Three comedy specials will be held at the Ramada including Roy and Phil Walker’s comedy showcase. Kicking off the festival on October 19 will be the first of these shows, featuring Mock The Week regular Jo Caulfield. On the same bill will be Irish comedian Neil Delamere, who has performed all over the world.
On October 27 Canadian king of cool Tom Stade will be the Ramada. He will be supported by rising Irish star John Lynn.

Other events will take place at the Fox and Goose, Southport Pier, Giggles Gym in Birkdale, Bar Humbug, and the Latin Lounge. For a full list of events and comedy news visit




9 August 2012

Box Office: 0151 928 1919

Southport Comedy Festival 2012

Fri 19 Oct 2012 - 28 Oct 2012

Tickets: -
Comedians from all over the world as far as Malawi, Australia, Panama, Ireland, Canada and even the Isle of Wight will descend on our lovely seaside town for the 2012 SOUTHPORT COMEDY FESTIVAL. Sponsors include Sefton Arts, The Southport Visiter, 97.4 Rock FM, Merseyrail, The Ramada Plaza, Southport College and many more local businesses.

Three Comedy Specials will be held at the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Southport
Fri 19 Oct - JO CAULFIELD a regular guest on Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You and Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Jo is one of the most successful and instantly recognisable comedians in the UK. On the same bill will be Irish comedian NEIL DELAMERE who has performed at comedy festivals all over the world and has featured on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow (BBC1).
Sat 27 Oct - TOM STADE, Canadian king of cool has performed on Live At The Apollo, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, One Night Stand and Ch 4's Stand-Up For The Week, supported by rising Irish star JOHN LYNN, both these shows will be hosted by local boy BRENDAN RILEY.
Sun 28 Oct - ROY WALKER star of ITV's Catchphrase will be closing the festival. As well as his TV fame Roy has won a whole new fan base through his regular Carpark Catchphrase feature on Chris Moyles' BBC Radio1 Breakfast Show and in the last couple of years has appeared at comedy festivals all over the UK. Sharing the stage will be Roy's son PHIL WALKER who has established himself as a massive comic talent in his own right.

Highlights ...
Two shows at Southport Pier - SLAUGHTERHOUSE LIVE and a comedy magic show with magician JOHN HARDING
Sun 21 Oct, The Fox & Goose - The final of the Southport Comedy Festival NEW COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR
Wed 24 Oct, The Fox & Goose - COMEDY CLUB
Thurs 25 Oct, Bar Humbug - BEST OF BAR HUMBUG with headliner PATRICK MONAHAN
Fri 26 Oct, Latin Lounge - ANDY ASKINS debut's his one man show
Plus loads of two hander shows featuring TONY SIMPSON, STEVE SHANYASKI, MICKEY D, DALISO CHAPONDA, CHRIS McCAUSLAND, MUNDO JAZZ and many more.




9 August 2012

TV star Roy Walker and son Phil headline Southport Comedy Festival.

Comedians from all over the world will descend on the town from October 19-28 this year.
Topping the bill will be father and son comedy duo Roy and Phil Walker. Roy – star of ITV’s Catchprase – and Phil will close the festival at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on October 28.
Over thirty comedians will play at 7 venues around the resort during the 10-day festival.

Organiser and comedian Brendan Riley decided to resurrect the former Sefton Council-run Southport Comedy Week last year after its funding was cut.
The event was such a huge success that Brendan has returned this year with a packed programme of hilarity for all to enjoy.
“I’m really looking forward to this year’s festival,” he said. “Comedians from Malawi, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Iran and even the Isle of Wight will be heading to Southport and we’ve got the backing of lots of local businesses. “I have tried again to keep ticket prices down so everyone can afford a laugh.”

Three comedy specials will be held at the Ramada including Roy and Phil Walker’s comedy showcase.
Kicking off the festival on October 19 will be the first of these shows, featuring Mock The Week regular Jo Caulfield. On the same bill will be Irish comedian Neil Delamere, who has performed all over the world.
On October 27 Canadian king of cool Tom Stade will be the Ramada. He will be supported by rising Irish star John Lynn.
Other events will take place at the Fox and Goose, Southport Pier, Giggles Gym in Birkdale, Bar Humbug, and the Latin Lounge. For a full list of events and comedy news visit