Liverpool Comedy Festival 2008

The Liverpool Comedy Festival is back to show off the culture of comedy by bringing piles of funny stuff into the city between 28 May and 8 June (and even a couple of shows after that!).

There are more big names than ever before who want to be a part of the Liverpool Festival. People like Jimmy Carr, Frankie Boyle, Simon Amstell, Gina Yashere, Nina Conti, Paul Merton, Dylan Moran, Ardal O’Hanlon and Tommy Tiernan. When you are booking pick shows that you want to see but also take a chance on someone that you have never heard of. If they are in this Festival then they are good enough to have you roaring.

As this is a Liverpool Festival, we are very proud of local talent and as well as shows from Chris Cairns, Silky, John Bishop, Steve Gribbin, Brendan Riley and Simon Bligh. The finest night to celebrate Liverpool Comedy talent is the opening of the Festival – The Best of Liverpool Night. What a line up!

Festival die-hards will also be glad to see the return of many of our favourites from previous years including: Craig Hill, Richard Herring, John Hegley, Reginald D Hunter, Slaughterhouse Live and Daniel Kitson. New names worth looking out for this year include: Mundo Jazz, Pete Firman Hattie Haridge & Norman Lovett, Ivan Brackenbury and Paul Tonkinson. Not forgetting our legendary Drink Up Stand Up and Bus Stop Stand Up tours!

The Comedy Trust is the charity that underpins the Festival and they will be working harder than ever to be a part of the fun. Comedy workshops for 14-18 year olds (and workshops for grown ups too), Stand Out Xtra, The Stand Out Final and its fourth annual conference which studies humour and health – Laughing Matters.

Finally we must thank the people who are crucial to this whole event going ahead – the sponsors. Radio City (along with Magic 1548 and Citytalk), The Liverpool Echo, Capital of Culture and Liverpool City Council have been massively supportive and we love them dearly. If you like what we are doing then you should too.

Comedy is a massive part of Liverpool culture so stuff the ballet and the opera, get your laughing gear warmed up then turn the page and get ready to laugh until you ache.