Inaugural Bristol Comedy Festival promises to fill Old Market with laughter

The inaugural Bristol Comedy Festival was supposed to take place in 2020, and was inevitably scuppered by the pandemic.

Two years later and it is finally set to launch, with a huge day of comedy in the heart of Old Market on May 15.

Organised by local comics Burt Williamson and Andrew White, the event will turn the historic quarter into a hotbed of laughter, with six shows running simultaneously across four separate venues, and 36 hour-long comedy previews in total.

Abi Clarke – photo: B Clarence Photography

Comics who will be appearing include Helen Bauer, Rosie Jones, Sara Barron, Stuart Goldsmith, Jessica Fostekew, Abi Clarke, Pierre Novellie, Harriet Kemsley, Garrett Millerick and Sarah Keyworth.

The event reflects the burgeoning grassroots stand-up scene within Bristol at the moment, where it is possible to see comedy in intimate spaces, with supportive audiences, every night of the week.

Tickets are sold individually, with discounts for advanced booking, and some extra shows have already been added for those that have sold out.

Williamson (BW) and White (AW) caught up with Bristol24/7 for a bit of behind the scenes chat on the festival.

Jen Brister – photo: Idil Sukan

How are preparations going for Bristol Comedy Festival?

BW: “Preparations are going great! Because we’ve sold so well we’ve added extra shows but everything is pretty much sorted so now we’re just excitedly waiting.”

AW: “It’s been a lot of spreadsheets and emailing and occasional panic, but we’re all set now. We’re very happy with how it’s all shaped up.”

What challenges have you faced along the way to getting it off the ground?

BW: “We found that a global pandemic happening right as we were about to launch was definitely inconvenient and having to pull all the 2020 shows was absolutely gutting. Setting it up was pretty intimidating – there were weeks of Andrew and I just talking to each other going ‘oh yeah that’d be awesome – but how would that actually work?’”

AW: “Yeah, there were lots of phone calls, and Google Hangouts (I know, Burt prefers it to Zoom!), trying to work out the best venues to make it viable. The lineup was a lot of back and forth but pretty straightforward; the real challenge was finding and securing venues.”

What is it about the area of Old Market that makes it suitable for a multi-venue festival?

BW: “Old Market really has all the cool venues! I ran a gig at Stag & Hounds for a while and loved the space; there’s a regular comedy gig at To The Moon already too so I sort of twigged that there was a concentration of places suitable for comedy. Throw into the mix the fact that it’s got a vibrant culture and has a distinct identity while still being central and it seemed like a no brainer really.”

Michael Akadiri – photo: BBC

How did you put together the lineup?

AW: “We’re both lucky to be at a place where we have a good working relationship with almost all of the acts, so it was quite easy to contact people and gauge interest. We really wanted a good mix of people; not just stylistically, but profile wise too. There’s some massive TV names, circuit legends, and some homegrown Bristol talent all coming together for one day only!”

BW: “With emails. Lots and lots of emails. As well as performing, both Andrew and I love watching comedy so we just drafted a list of some of our favourites on the circuit and some acts we wanted to bring to Bristol and took it from there.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing perform and why?

BW: “I think Andrew would tell me off if I didn’t say his show but excluding each of ours? This is a tough question. We’ve only booked performers we absolutely love and I’d really struggle to even name a top three. Is that a cop out? It feels like a cop out.”

AW: “Definitely a cop out. I’m excited to see Sarah Keyworth because our show times clash at the Edinburgh Fringe so it might be my only opportunity. As Burt says though, it’s a strong strong group of acts – I hope to see everyone’s shows eventually across the day, future national festivals, and at the Edinburgh Fringe.”

Sarah Keyworth – photo: courtesy of Bristol Comedy Festival

What are your hopes and expectations for BCF going forward? Is this the start of an annual event?

BW: “I think our main hope is for both audience members and acts to have a really good time. It’d be cool to have this in the Bristol comedy calendar as something for people to really look forward to each year – that’s why I asked Andrew if he was up for something like this. We both wanted something like this in Bristol and figured we might as well be the ones to do it. Long term I’d love for this to grow beyond Andrew and I – we’re starting with a one day festival for now but in the future who knows what this might look like.”

AW: “I hope so! Bristol has an amazing comedy scene and is probably the place I gig most regularly. It deserves its own grassroots comedy festival, and once we’ve proved the concept this May, as Burt says, hopefully we can get more people and venues on board and have it grow beyond us.”

Rosie Jones – photo: courtesy of Off the Kerb

Bristol Comedy Festival takes place on May 15, at The Exchange, The Stag & Hounds, To The Moon and The Ill Repute – all within a five minute walk in Old Market. All shows are 1 hour long, running from 1-9.30pm. For details, times and individual ticket links, visit www.ticketsource.co.uk.

Main photo: Matt Crockett

Read more: Laugh a minute: a comprehensive comedy guide

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