Film / News

Slapstick 2025 reunites the creators and stars of Goodness Gracious Me

By Robin Askew  Friday Nov 8, 2024

In a late addition to the previously announced February 2025 programme, Bristol’s world-renowned Slapstick Festival of classic and silent comedy is staging a special event with Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Anil Gupta – creators and stars of the ground-breaking British Asian comedy series Goodness Gracious Me. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the trio will be in conversation with host Matthew Sweet (BBC Radio 4’s Free Thinking) as they reflect on the show’s impact and legacy, promising fresh insights into how their satire has shaped perspectives on identity, culture and comedy in the UK. Attendees can expect to see some classic clips too.

“This is a real coup for us and something we’ve been working on for a while,” festival director Chris Daniels tells us. “You can’t underestimate the impact that this and The Kumars at Number 59 had on satirical comedy and perceptions of diverse communities within the UK.  We are thrilled to be adding this to our line-up.”

Award-winning sketch show Goodness Gracious Me began on BBC Radio 4, where it ran from 1996 to 1998. It subsequently transferred to television, airing on BBC2 from 1998-2001. The show won several awards in both formats.

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Breaking Barriers: Goodness Gracious Me takes place in the Lantern Hall at Bristol Beacon on Saturday 15 February, 2025. Go here for tickets.

Main image: BBC

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

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