Film / News

Martin Freeman announced as Slapstick gala host

By Robin Askew  Tuesday Dec 3, 2024

After months of suspense, Bristol’s Slapstick Festival has finally announced the host of its flagship gala at the Bristol Beacon next February: Martin Freeman. The star of The Office and Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy, Freeman will soon be seen in the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery, which was filmed in part in Bristol.

“We are thrilled beyond words that Martin has agreed to host our 20th birthday gala,” says Slapstick director Chris Daniels. “He is known and loved worldwide for a huge variety of iconic roles, but what makes him extra perfect for the festival is that he is charming, witty and a genuine admirer of the comedies and comedians Slapstick champions.”

Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’. Image: Warner Bros. Pictures.

The event will see Freeman introducing three classic silent comedies starring Laurel & Hardy, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton, with musical accompaniment from prog god Rick Wakeman among others. Also performing will be The Matinee Idles – the a cappella group comprising actor Paul McGann and members of the doo-wop chart toppers Darts – reprising a performance from Slapstick’s very first gala back in 2005.

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Tickets for the gala, which takes place on Friday 14 February, are on sale now from the Bristol Beacon box office.

Main photo: Lionsgate Films

Read more: Ben Elton to receive the Comedy Legend Award at next year’s Slapstick Festival

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