Wells Comedy Festival 2016: full line-up announced for Somerset’s stand-up shindig

More names added to this year’s Wells Comedy Festival, including Mark Steel, Katy Brand, Dane Baptiste and Ed Gamble

The Wells Comedy Festival – which takes place 3-5 June 2016 – has revealed its full line-up, with a whole host of new acts joining the previously announced , Sara Pascoe, Arthur Smith, Robert Newman, Sam Simmons, Bridget Christie and many others.

More than 20 comedians are making the trip to England’s smallest city to play the ‘weekend-long stand-up jamboree’ (). New additions include award-winning Radio 4 star Mark Steel, TV regular Katy Brand (of ‘Big Ass Show’ fame), Foster’s Best Newcomer nominee Dane Baptiste and ‘Almost Royal’ and ‘’ star Ed Gamble. Plus silly stand-ups Lou Sanders and Stuart Laws and ‘QI’ elf, ‘No Such Thing as a Fish’ podcaster and Private Eye writer Andrew Hunter Murray.

Comics already announced include a very special guest who can’t be named here, Bafta-winning BBC star Stewart Lee (who has now added a second show), regular Sara Pascoe, legendary grump Arthur Smith, ‘Infinite Monkey Cage’ co-host Robin Ince and Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award-winners Bridget Christie and Sam Simmons. Plus Robert Newman, Tony Law, Spencer Jones as the Herbert, Pat Cahill and the Comedians Cinema Club performing the Wells-shot cop comedy movie ‘Hot Fuzz’, live.

Ben Williams, Wells Comedy Festival Founder and Producer said, ‘I’m over the moon with the line-up for this year’s fest, and so pleased to have household name comics performing alongside some of my personal favourites, like Lou Sanders and Stuart Laws. It’s going to be one jam-packed weekend.’

Bede Macgowan, Editor of the Wells Journal – Wells Comedy Festival’s official media partner – said, ‘What a brilliant line-up, it looks like being a cracking weekend with plenty of variety on offer. I hear there’s also a big name mystery special guest on the cards. Once again Wells is punching above its weight when it comes to hosting high quality events, it is fast becoming the cultural hub for the South West.’

Tickets for all shows at the Wells Comedy Festival are on sale now from www.wellscomfest.com.

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Full details

Wells Comedy Festival Dates: Friday 3 to Sunday 5 June 2016 Tickets: from £5 Website: www.wellscomfest.com Direct ticket link: www.ticketsource.co.uk/wellscomfest Venues: Little Theatre, Chamberlain Street, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2PS Globe Inn, 18-20 Priest Row, Wells, Somerset, BA5 2PY

Full show listings

Wells Comedy Festival Opening Gala with Arthur Smith, Robin Ince, Sam Simmons, Ed Gamble and Lou Sanders Friday 3 June, 8pm, Little Theatre, £15

Robin Ince is Curious Saturday 4 June, 1.30pm, Little Theatre, £8

Sam Simmons: Not a People Person Saturday 4 June, 1.30pm, Globe Inn, £7

Robert Newman: The Brain Show Saturday 4 June, 3.30pm, Little Theatre, £10

Bridget Christie: Mortal – Work-in-Progress Saturday 4 June, 3.30pm, Globe Inn, £8

Arthur Smith: Mindlessness – A Beginner’s Guide Saturday 4 June, 5.30pm, Little Theatre, £6

Stewart Lee: Content Provider Saturday 4 June, 5.30pm and 11pm, Globe Inn, £8

Special Guest Saturday 4 June, 7.30pm and 9.30pm, Little Theatre, £22

Lou Sanders: What’s That Lady Doing? Work-in-Progress Saturday 4 June, 7.30pm, Globe Inn, £5

Spencer Jones Presents Herbert’s Eggy Bagel: A Work-in-Progress Saturday 4 June, 9.30pm, Globe Inn, £5

Sara Pascoe: Animal Sunday 5 June, 1.30pm, Little Theatre, £9

Andrew Hunter Murray: Round One Sunday 5 June, 1.30pm, Globe Inn, £5

Katy Brand: I Was a Teenage Christian – Work-in-Progress Little Theatre, 3.30pm, £6

Dane Baptiste: Work-in-Progress Globe Inn, 3.30pm, £6

Mark Steel: Work-in-Progress Little Theatre, 5.30pm, £12

Pat Cahill: D.O.T.T Sunday 5 June, 5.30pm, Globe Inn, £5

Tony Law Sunday 5 June, 7.30pm, Little Theatre, £8

Stuart Laws: So preoccupied with whether or not he could he didn’t stop to think whether he should (1hr show) Sunday 5 June, 7.30pm, £5

Comedians Cinema Club: Hot Fuzz Sunday 5 June, 9.30pm, Globe Inn, £8

Official media partner

Wells Journal. www.wellsjournal.co.uk

Wells Comedy Festival is produced by the Long Paws Comedy Club More info about the Long Paws Comedy Club

Deemed ‘Somerset’s sharpest comedy club’ by , the Long Paws Comedy Club was established in 2005, and has been hosting shows at the Wells Little Theatre ever since. Over the last decade dozens of comedians have played the club, including Tim Minchin, Russell Howard, Simon Pegg, Al Murray the Pub Landlord, Jon Richardson, Katherine Ryan, Greg Davies, Milton Jones and Sara Pascoe. www.longpawscomedy.co.uk

Hi-res pictures and logo available from https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dw5wqh8vllqvh9t/AACkuL8Ul595QsYfHAt00pg5 a

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