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MATTHARVEY
Matt Harvey
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Sean Hughes
Dartmouth Comedy Festival 2014
Dartmouth Comedy Festival is back with a vengeance! We are delighted to announce that this year - the eighth year - the line-up boasts some of the best of British comedy including Matt Harvey, Lucy Porter, Patrick Monahan and Sean Hughes and is full of stand up, variety, kids shows and penguins – of course. The Festival runs from Tuesday March 4th to Saturday March 8th at the Flavel Theatre and venues around Dartmouth. Prepare to chortle and laugh your socks off – because as we know laughter is the best medicine possible.
First up, on opening night on Tuesday March 4th a couple of top treats for you, firstly, for those of you who fancy comedy with your meal thrown in, look no further than Totnes writer, poet and enemy of all that’s difficult and upsetting, Matt Harvey, for an evening of comedy and poetry at Café Alf Rescos. Matt’s way with words has taken him from Totnes to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships via Saturday Live, the Edinburgh Festival and Radio 4. Meanwhile kicking the bill off at the Flavel on Tuesday night is another Radio 4 regular,
Lucy Porter, who is a bouncy comedian with impeccable punch-lined anecdotes of the everyday and will tell you why she has never felt like she belongs down south in her show ‘Northern Soul’. She tried moving to Manchester, marrying a Welshman and travelling the world, but she’s still - like the littlest hobo - seeking her spiritual home.
On the Wednesday night March 5th, we are to be entertained by a superb and joy to watch, brilliant double bill with two fresh(ish) comedians from the Edinburgh Fringe, Carl Donnelly and Romesh Ranganathan. They were both nominated for awards at the 2013 Edinburgh Fringe, Carl is a rare and beautiful thing and Romesh is trying to make sense of the world, but cannot make sense of his own house. Plus support from Tommy Rowson.
If you like Downton Abbey, you are in for a treat, on Thursday March 6th, as impressionist Luke Kempner brings his sell-out Edinburgh debut show to the Flavel and performs his parody show ‘The Only Way is Downton’, which will follow the crisis of why the salt and pepper cruets were not straight at the dinner table, as well as what happens when celebrities start appearing at the Abbey, cultures and eras will hilariously clash and collide. A fantastic impressionist, Luke will have you gripped! Stephen Fry effused, “A fine impressionist, giving a splendid display of Downtonry.”
On Friday March 7th, we are so excited to have riotous comedy troupe Slightly Fat Features back. Their show is a cross between Monty Python and Cirque du Soleil, so fasten your seatbelts for laugh out loud entertainment for all the family. Better buy your tickets early though, they will fly out the door, as everyone clambers to witness astonishing physical skills like tiger taming, motorbike madness, bullet catching and knife throwing! An edge of your seat experience like no other.
Also on Friday 7th, there is a comedy and curry night at the Royal Castle Hotel. Carly Smallman, loved by Rob Brydon, will sing silly, and a little bit rude songs, accompanied by her guitar, for your pleasure. Her unique blend of outrageous impropriety and adorable sincerity has established her as a firm favourite on the comedy circuit.
Saturday 8th will be the final day of the festival, sob, sob, and we have Tiernan Douieb presenting his brand new kids show on Saturday afternoon at the Flavel - “All you ever need to know about EVERYTHING!” Do you know everything? Tiernan knows why you can’t run with scissors but hairdressers can wave them in your face and how the bubbles in fizzy drinks are put there. Very silly comedy for kids, adults, robots and things that go 'yargle'…
On Saturday 8th in the evening we are very honoured to have two top comedians at the Flavel, at 7.30pm we will be entertained by one of our favourites, Patrick Monahan, a charming Teesider with a unique and unmistakable brand of humour, who likes hugging and eating cake (not simultaneously!) and is renowned for his superb anecdotes, he has "the charisma of a young Alan Davies”
Top of the bill for Saturday night at 9pm the wonderful Sean Hughes will close the festival with his show ‘Penguins’. Sean takes us back to his Dublin upbringing and the utter awkwardness of teenage life, weaving in family, school days, friendships and tying it all in to the present. Brilliant and multi layered, but what does it have to do with penguins you may ask? Buy a ticket and all will be revealed!
So there you have it – literally something for every funny bone possible.
The Flavel would like to thank the following for their kind sponsorship of the 2014 festival:
Jelf, Royal Castle Hotel, Linden Homes, Simon Drew Gallery and Plugprints Foss St,
Café Alf Resco, Compass Office Shop and Compass Marine and Dart Marina Hotel and Spa.
Comedy diary for the week
Tues 4 Mar Matt Harvey 7pm at Alf Rescos £18 includes rustic supper
Tues 4 Mar Lucy Porter 8pm in the Flavel £12
Wed 5 Mar Carl Donnelly and Romesh Ranganthan, with support 8pm in the Flavel £14
Thur 6 Mar The Only Way is Downton 8pm in the Flavel £12
Fri 7 Mar Slightly Fat Features 7.30pm in the Flavel £12, £10 child
Fri 7 Mar Carly Smallman 8pm in the Royal Castle Hotel £18 includes curry supper (at 7pm or 9pm)
Sat 8 Mar Everything you’ve ever needed to know ever 2pm in the Flavel £5
Sat 8 Mar Patrick Monahan 7.30pm in the Flavel £12
Sat 8 Mar Sean Hughes 9pm in the Flavel £16
For more programme and booking information please call The Flavel on 01803 839530 or email boxoffice@theflavel.org.uk