NEWS from ’S ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF SILENT & CLASSIC SCREEN COMEDY “Stupid Boy!”: Celebrating Dad’s Army with Ian Lavender SLAPSTICK 2017 BRINGS IN NEW STARS AND PAYS TRIBUTE TO VICTORIA WOOD AND

Diary dates: Wednesday 18th to Sunday 22nd January 2017 Britain’s biggest celebration of silent and classic screen comedy returns to Bristol with a five day programme of archive hilarity that will include tributes to Victoria Wood, Rik Mayall and Pierre Etaix; surprising finds and a star-studded cast of event hosts that will see Roy Hudd, Shazia Mirza, and making their Slapstick debuts Times, dates and venues vary – www.slapstick.org.uk

Victoria Wood and Rik Mayall will be among the comedy giants being celebrated when Britain’s biggest festival of vintage screen comedy - Slapstick - returns to Bristol from January 18 to 22.

Each is to get a special tribute event during a five-day festival that will showcase 100 years of stand-out film and hilarity and see veteran entertainer Roy Hudd, the taboo- busting stand-up Shazia Mirza, HI-DI-HI star Jeffrey Holland and two stars of the UK’s first sit-com making their Slapstick debuts.

Among the events so far confirmed for the Slapstick 2017 line-up are:

• Rory Bremner hosting the festival’s centrepiece Silent Comedy Gala featuring live musical accompaniments by a 25 piece orchestra to films starring Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton and Laurel & Hardy • Marcus Brigstocke joining Nigel Planer and Alexei Sayle on a revisit to the anarchic 1980s series THE YOUNG ONES (much of it shot in Bristol); • Simon Callow hosting an early evening show dedicated to the earliest films of his silent comedy hero, Charlie Chaplin • Barry Cryer recollecting his work and friendship with Tommy Cooper; • Robin Ince introducing the film which paired with Buster Keaton • unveiling a newly-found edition of the COLOUR ME POP series starring the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (led by sometime Bristol resident Viv Stanshall) • Bill Oddie unveiling a treasure trove of silent comedies accidentally preserved on 16mm • Lucy Porter contributing both to Slapstick’s tribute to Victoria Wood and to its salute to an earlier funny lady, Colleen Moore • Colin Sell leading a tour through his favourite film moments in the company of such stars as Hattie Jacques, , and • Matthew Sweet quizzing the legendary Roy Hudd about a showbiz career spanning seven decades before sharing a little known 1966 silent in which Hudd starred.

Festival director Chris Daniels says: “We will be adding more events to the programme very soon but Slapstick 2017 is already shaping up to be our most varied and star studded yet – offering classic comedy for all tastes and ages and celebrating mirth makers from many different countries and periods, including some very remarkable and remarkably funny recent rediscoveries.”

He added: “We’re especially pleased to be offering a tribute to Victoria Wood. She was a great friend to Slapstick, stepping in at extremely short notice to host our Gala in 2013 and later returning to host an event celebrating the comedy work of Gloria Swanson. From what we learned of her then, we’re sure she’ll be pleased that we are remembering her with laughter, and with the help of two women following in her comedy writing and performing footsteps, Lucy Porter and Pippa Evans.

We’re also delighted to be recognising another comedy genius lost too soon: Rik Mayall, first with a round-up of footage most will not have seen before and then by reuniting cast members Alexei Sayle and Nigel Planer and co-writer for a 35th anniversary look- back at the origins and impact of THE YOUNG ONES.”

Venues for the festival are Arnolfini, Bristol Old Vic, Colston Hall and Watershed – all in Bristol city centre. Ticket prices start at £8 and can be booked via the festival’s website: www.slapstick.org.uk. More events are expected to be added shortly. To keep up to date with the plans, please visit www.slapstick.org.uk, find Slapstick Festival on Facebook or follow @SlapstickFest on Twitter.

Slapstick is a not-for-profit venture. The festival’s principal funders are Aardman Animations (www.aardman.com) and the (www.bfi.org.uk).

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Media enquiries For more info/interviews/images, please contact Pam Beddard, (t) 0117 987 0442 or 07767 621207; (e) [email protected]

Notes to Editors

SLAPSTICK 2017 (Jan 18-22) will be the 13th annual edition of Britain’s leading festival of silent, vintage and classic screen comedy. The first Slapstick took place in Bristol in 2005 and it has returned to the city every January since. Its popularity and reputation grows year on year. Last year, ticket sales topped 7000 with visitors attending from all parts of the UK and abroad. As well as being admired internationally for the quality of its screenings, talks and celebrity guest events, the festival is also highly respected for the new musical scores it commissions to accompany silent movies and for its use of live music.

Visual resources For a selection of images relating to Slapstick 2017 please see: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/otyqqqjn86q5vz4/AAB3iZFpX_vPqNF-bzJ84wNia?dl=0