PICTURED: John Moloney & Dave Vickers - festival co-producers
PHOTO: courtesy Balham News
About
BALHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL 2025
BANANA CABARET will mark 42 years of live comedy with their 2025 BALHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL which runs from Friday 4th - Saturday 12th July at THE BEDFORD PUB in Balham.
Now in it’s 13th year the festival will feature masterclass SOLO SHOWS from tour-de-force acts, including Rhys James, Shaparak Khorsandi and Ria Lina alongside hot new talent, Ali Woods putting the final touches to his eagerly anticipated new show, and Finlay Christie working up his upcoming tour.
The BEST OF BANANA CABARET nights will each showcase four superb acts including the mighty Rachel Parris, the inimitable Kae Kurd, the surreal Paul F. Taylor, comic favourite Peter Brush, the bewitching Rachel Fairburn, rising star Kuan-wen Huang, and Eric Rushton, winner of the Sean Locke Comedy Award. A comedy improv troupe will also feature at the festival for the first time.
Shaparak Khorsandi said: “Banana Cabaret is the heartbeat of the London comedy scene.”
Festival co-producer and BANANA CABARET king, Dave Vickers, said: “Imagine trying to cherry pick 24 individuals from the bewildering array of comic talent that’s crossed our stage over the last 42 years! I’m particularly excited this year to bill a full tour show from a comedy great, although that name’s a secret until the end of May!”
The 2025 BALHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL will present 24 acts, across 12 shows, over eight nights. The festival will be tied together by one great compère, industry legend and festival co-producer John Moloney. All shows will take place in the iconic round Club Room at THE BEDFORD in Balham where the legendary BANANA CABARET’s comedy club residency of 42 years is the longest in the UK.
FRIDAY 4 JULY
Door 6.30pm / Meal orders until 7.30pm / Show 8.30pm - 10.45pm / £20 + booking fee
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BEN NORRIS
Renowned for his incredibly relaxed stage persona, Ben is a highly experienced and hugely admired headlining standup. With a razor sharp edge honed over a couple of decades commitment to the craft of which he is a true master, Ben consistently delivers sharply crafted and polished material. His innate, exquisite improvisational skills are the stuff of legend in the comedy fraternity and the envy of his peers. He works an audience like nobody else. Ben has written and performed solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival, and acted in the play The Last Minutes, broadcast on Radio 4, developed with the Comedians Theatre Company. TV credits include Mock the Week, The Comedy Store, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and They Think It’s All Over. Can’t call yourself a comedy fan if you ain’t seen Ben Norris!
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“Unbelievably brilliant.” - JASON MANFORD
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LILY PHILLIPS
With her hilarious brand of feminist comedy, Lily is one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-coming voices in comedy. Runner Up at the 2019 Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year, and Funny Women Finalist 2018, Lily was a part of prestigious Pleasance Comedy Reserve at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2021, she reached the grand final of the BBC New Comedy Awards on BBC One. She is a series regular on The Stand Up Sketch Show and The Stand Up Sketch Show Christmas Special (ITV2), she recently starred in a new hidden camera show for E4 Digital as a fake podcast host. Her credits also include Period Dramas (BBC3), The Joy Of Missing Out (All4), and comedy shorts for Comedy Central Online. She has also debated at the Oxford Union. A talented writer, in 2021 Lily’s script beat over 1,000 applicants to be shortlisted in the final 3 in the Funny Women’s Writer’s Award. Her highly awaited debut hour, SMUT, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022 to rave reviews.
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“A polished performer, exudes a life-affirming joyfulness and makes us laugh out loud.” - FUNNY WOMEN
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MICHAEL ODEWALE
A charming and affable stage presence, Michael’s is a fresh and unfiltered voice delivering sharp and beautifully delivered content. He has well and truly established himself in the comedy world, and takes to the stage with confidence and playful swagger. He’s clever, he gets an audience thinking - no topic is off-limits: politics, economics, racism, pigeons. From one-liners to jokes that slowly build to an eruption of laughter, his versatility, likeability and talent make him very much in demand not only as a performer but also as a writer. Not to be missed if you love great standup, we get him on our stage as often as we possibly can!
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“An arresting knack for storytelling… with grit and relevance.” - CHORTLE
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KUAN-WEN HUANG
Fast-paced and effervescent, emerging Taiwanese performer Kuan-Wen Huang blends the observations of a bewildered immigrant with his bubbly gay persona. Nominated for both the Leicester Comedy Festival Best Show, and Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award, Kuan-Wen stumbled upon stand-up comedy in Berlin, on a break from his corporate career. He caught the itch and swiftly relocated to Britain to pursue a parallel career in comedy. He performed for Comedy Central at the Edinburgh Fringe, going on to record two more series of Comedy Central Live. His debut Edinburgh solo, Ilha Formosa, was critically acclaimed, and featured on BBC Radio 4’s Fresh From the Fringe, with a gag from the show listed in The Guardian’s Top 10 Jokes of the Fringe. The show transferred to a sold-out performance at the Soho Theatre, followed by a European tour. A proud queer performer, featuring strongly in Pride events, Kuan-Wen is a regular host for the LGBTQ+ New Comedian of the Year competition.
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“Taiwanese Force of Nature.” - CHORTLE
JOHN MOLONEY - compere & co-producer
Industry legend and esteemed co-producer of the Balham Comedy Festival, John Moloney has been a professional comedian for more years than he’d care to mention. John epitomises dry, dispassionate delivery and is master of the droll one-liner. He entertains audiences across the globe with his crafted, intelligent and original standup. Twice winner of the Best Live Performer award at the London Comedy Festival, John is one of Britain’s most in-demand comedians and also highly sought-after on the corporate circuit. Delighted to have been nominated Best Live Standup at the British Comedy Awards, he was even happier to win in the category Outstanding Contribution to UK Comedy. His Radio 4 The John Moloney Show has been BBC Pick of the Year and subsequently re-commissioned.
“It is good to know that there is still room for a stand-up comedian as gifted and unpretentious as John Moloney.”
- THE TIMES
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BEST OF BANANA CABARET
Friday 4 July - £20 plus booking fee
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SATURDAY 5 JULY
Door 6.30pm / Meal orders until 7.30pm / Show 8.30pm - 10.45pm / £20 + booking fee
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KAE KURD
Smart, sharp and brilliantly astute, Kae Kurd is recognised as one of the UK’s fastest rising comedy stars. Passionate about making politics accessible to his peers, his comedy presents beautifully crafted slick routines with confident cutting-edge flair. His debut stand up special Kurd Your Enthusiasm received over 200K views on YouTube, with Joe’s Creative Director noting “It’s intriguing – and exciting – that a performer with such a slick mainstream swagger is able to weave so many socio-political issues into his act.” Kae’s follow up 2021 Spoken Kurd Tour was another total sell out success, with his major UK Tour Kurd Immunity 2023 culminating at the world-famous London Eventim Apollo in 2023. Together with a formidable online presence, there are extensive TV and social media credits, and Kae is also hugely in demand as a writer.
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“Delivers joke after rapid joke, to the point where your stomach will hurt from laughing, as well as a fresh perspective on important topics.” - BROADWAY BABY
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ESTHER MANITO
Esther has keen feel for the cosmic joke which is the human condition, and a knack for handling the big issues with humour, insight and skill. Her standup journey began in 2016 while on maternity leave from teaching, in her first year gaining recognition through the BBC Radio 4 New Comedy Awards, and becoming a finalist in the So You Think You're Funny Awards. She is now a regular on ITV’s Stand Up Sketch Show, has appeared on BBC One's Live at the Apollo, features on the major TV comedy shows, and is a familiar voice on BBC Radio 4. Her writing credits are many, including her contribution to the The Sunday Times Best Humour Book of the Year Don’t Panic I’m Islamic. Esther won Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival for her solo show #NotAllMen, and her first solo show, Crusade, is available on ITVX. Her first tour, Hell Hath No Fury, received great critical acclaim.
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“At times it’s like Victoria Wood has taken the mic.” - RADIO TIMES
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PAUL TONKINSON
A sensational live performer, Yorkshire man, marathon runner, and twice Time Out Comedian of the Year, Paul Tonkinson has long upheld his esteemed reputation as one of the finest standups the UK has to offer. With a unique and distinctive style, Tonkinson is noted for his effervescent physicality and skilful impressions, which bring alive exuberant, tender comic reflections on love, family and the day-to-day idiosyncrasies of life. A plethora of first class material, combined with tremendous charm and irrepressible, infectious energy make for a formidable talent. He has toured the UK extensively, being Michael McIntyre’s tour support of choice, and made many TV appearances. But his first love remains standup. He’s in huge demand not only in the UK but across the globe. Paul is also a regular and beloved entertainer for the UK Armed Forces, playing to thousands of troops in 45 degree desert heat.
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“Watching Tonkinson storm is one of the best sights in comedy. It’s like watching somebody fly.”- Seann Walsh
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RACHEL GALVO
Rachel Galvo is a storyteller, a social commentator, and a beacon of authenticity in the comedy world. She has a keen sense of observation and a gift for finding humour in the mundane and the absurdities of contemporary culture. Her unique career journey, with its a blend of humor and vulnerability, allows her to connect meaningfully with audiences in a way that is entertaining and intimate. With each performance she seeks to push the boundaries of comedy, proving that laughter can be a catalyst for change and a source of healing, and to inspire future generations to find their own voices and share their stories with the world.
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“Rachel Galvo does not hesitate to invite the audience into her hilariously honest experience of puberty, intrusive thoughts, and all things involving Irish girlhood.”- EDINBURGH FESTIVALS MAGAZINE
JOHN MOLONEY - compere (as above)
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BEST OF BANANA CABARET
Saturday 5 July - £20 plus booking fee
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SUNDAY 6 JULY
SOLO SHOWS
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LIVEWIRED Comedy Improv
EARLY SHOW - Door 4.30pm / Show 5pm - 6 / £12 + booking fee
This year, for the first time, we are delighted to welcome an improv troupe onto the festival stage. Performing sold out shows since 2015, London based LIVEWIRED Comedy Improv deliver fast, clever, funny comedy, mixed with great acting. Where all suggestion come from you the audience! Players then work their magic to weave together sophisticated stories, sketches and songs on the spot, and neither they nor the audience knows what’s going on to happen! Each show is unique, so why not come along and help inspire a never-to-be-repeated comedy performance? So exciting!
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"Hilarious night out. Had a great time at LiveWired. The laughs come thick and fast, highly entertaining.” - GRACEFUL HEDONIST
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LIVEWIRED Comedy Improv
Sunday 6 July - £12 plus booking fee​
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SPECIAL GUEST - Full Tour Show - to be announced
LATE SHOW - Door 6.30pm / Bowl foods until 7pm
Show 7.30pm - 9.30pm / £18 + booking fee​​
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TUESDAY 8 JULY
SOLO SHOWS
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FINLAY CHRISTIE- "I Deserve This”
EARLY SHOW - Door 6pm / Bowl foods until 7pm
Show 7.30pm - 8.30pm / £14 + booking fee
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The first and only viral comedian Finlay Christie presents the follow-up to OK Zoomer (460k views on YouTube). As seen on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Comedy Central Live and The Stand Up Sketch Show, I Deserve This is an ironic TED Talk that will teach you how to be cool. It’s satirical of class, the generational divide and internet culture. It’s much better than his last show. Come see it or he’ll kill himself.
At 19, Finlay became one of the youngest ever winners of the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny competition, following in the footsteps of Peter Kay, Lee Mack and Sarah Millican. Three years later, his debut Edinburgh show OK Zoomer was nominated for NextUp’s “Best Show” award and released as a special in 2023. His material, based around his experience as a Gen Z, led Chortle to describe him as “the voice of his generation.” His 2024 Fringe show I Deserve This received multiple 5 star reviews, won the Entertainment Now “WoW” award and was nominated for the ISH “Best Show” award. The Guardian described it as “Comedy gold” and Edinburgh Festivals Magazine stated there was “Barely a single joke that wasn’t a fresh zinger.” He is described as a social media phenomenon and can also be seen all over the telly.
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"The future of stand-up comedy.” - BROADWAY BABY
FINLAY CHRISTIE - "I Deserve This"
Tuesday 8 July - £14 plus booking fee
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COMBO TICKET - FINLAY CHRISTIE plus ALI WOODS
Tuesday 8 July - £23 plus booking fee (limited availability)
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ALI WOODS - Work In Progress
LATE SHOW - Door 9pm / NO FOOD ORDERS
Show 9.15pm - 10.15pm / £14 + booking fee
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Join Ali Woods, star of Comedy Central and Stand-Up Sketch Show, after his third sell-out Edinburgh Fringe and sell-out UK tour, for a work-in-progress of his brand-new show. Known for his viral online sketches (@aliwoodsgigs) with millions of views, Ali Woods has supported comedy greats like Russell Kane, Axel Blake, and Adam Kay. With his unique blend of sharp wit and relatable humour, his performances are a must-see.
A regular and much-loved performer on the BANANA CABARET stage, we’re delighted to welcome Ali to the BALHAM COMEDY FESTIVAL stage for the first time with a solo show. He is a half-English, half-Scottish comedian, podcaster and content creator; a refreshing mix of the ‘every man’ and the ‘modern man’, whose sensitivity and genuine interest in men’s mental health gives him a great perspective on the modern ‘lad’ culture which often features in his comedy. Ali is that wonderful blend of comedy with a heart, self-deprecating and endearing, speaking on such topics as football, the environment, and many social causes close to his heart.
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“Ali Woods is a simply brilliant storyteller.” - Everything-Theatre.co.uk
ALI WOODS - Work In Progress
Tuesday 8 July - £14 plus booking fee
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COMBO TICKET - FINLAY CHRISTIE plus ALI WOODS
Tuesday 8 July - £23 plus booking fee (limited availability)
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WEDNESDAY 9 JULY
SOLO SHOWS
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RHYS JAMES - Work In Progress
EARLY SHOW - Door 6pm / Bowl foods until 7pm
Show 7.30pm - 8.30pm / £15 + booking fee
A brand new work-in-progress stand-up hour from professional ‘little brother’ Rhys James. Possibly seen on QI (BBC), Apollo (BBC) and Mock (RIP), but more importantly these days, TikTok and Instagram. Rhys’s Radio 4 series Rhysearch was nominated for a couple of awards and his live DVD Spilt Milk completely sold out in just 94 minutes. There was 1 copy.
Invariably described as giving a masterclass in his craft, Rhys James is an accomplished comedian, writer, and actor, a familiar face on TV and a familiar voice on Radio. Rhys is mesmerising onstage, with a breathtaking rapidity of delivery, a relentless stream of perfect gags and acutely precise observational comedy. He has six sell-out solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe under his belt, to sell-out audiences and critical acclaim, and Rhys has also fronted the BBC Radio 4 series, Rhys James is…, Rhys James Isn’t… and Rhysearch, to the delight of listeners and critics. Real social media savvy, he hosts the podcast Early Work in which he interviews celebrities about the creative writing they did before they were in their current vocation, and is known for his Twitter feed which has been recommended in The Telegraph, The Sun, Huffington Post, The Poke and The Gentleman’s Journal. He’s also all over the radio, covering all things football.”
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Master of the lightning-paced, gag-dense, precision delivered.” - THE GUARDIAN
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RHYS JAMES - Work In Progress
Wednesday 9 July - £15 plus booking fee
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COMBO TICKET - RHYS JAMES plus STEPHEN K. AMOS
Wednesday 9 July - £25 plus booking fee (limited availability)
STEPHEN K. AMOS - "Now We're Talking!"
LATE SHOW - Door 9pm / No food orders
Show 9.15pm - 10.15pm / £15 + booking fee
How good is having a laugh? Stephen K. Amos’ joke book is overflowing and he wants to share it with you. He’ll be telling you what gives him the ick and what makes him tick in his brand new show Now We’re Talking! Stephen will get down to the nitty gritty. No filter, no limits. The gloves are off and he’s packing a punchline. He’ll be free-styling musings and merrymaking to get your belly aching! After all, in jokes we trust… right?
Stephen has charmed audiences all over the world, for many years, with his honest, natural material and his excellent crowd interactions. He regularly tours the UK, and around the world, and he has just finished performing his show Oxymoron to sold out audiences in Australia. Also a gifted actor, Amos has impressed critics with his recent stage performances as Alfred P. Doolittle in the London Coliseum’s production of My Fair Lady, and Benny in My Night With Reg - for which he was nominated Best Supporting Performer at the What’s On Stage Awards. A regular face on TV screens, he has appeared on: QI (BBC2), Pilgrimage: The Road To Rome (BBC2), The Project (ABC TV), Live at The Apollo (BBC1), Prejudice and Pride (BBC4); and a familiar voice on radio: Tinga Tanga Tales (BBC Radio), What Does The K Stand 4 (BBC R4), Life… An Idiot’s Guide to (BBC R4).
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“You’ll laugh until you actually cry.” - SUNDAY EXPRESS
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STEPHEN K. AMOS - "Now We're Talking!"
Wednesday 9 July - £15 plus booking fee
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COMBO TICKET - RHYS JAMES plus STEPHEN K. AMOS
Wednesday 9 July - £25 plus booking fee (limited availability)
THURSDAY 10 JULY
SOLO SHOWS
RIA LINA - “Ria Lina Is Going On Tour” (WiP)
EARLY SHOW - Door 6pm / Bowl foods until 7pm / Show 7.30pm - 8.30pm / £15 + booking fee
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Following her killer debut tour, Riawakening, the wickedly funny Ria Lina returns with a riotous Work in Progress before she hits the road again in Autumn 2025. Expect a relentless stream of hilarity as Ria explores the eternal battle of the sexes, the delight in throwing life up in the air after years of following the rules, and the art of radical indifference. Much loved in the industry, this multi-award winner commands the stage with a whirlwind of energy and leaves audiences breathless with laughter.
Fearless, provocative, and very funny, Ria Lina is a highly accomplished comedian, writer and actor. After a critically acclaimed stand-out debut on Mock The Week (BBC), Ria has quickly become a household name. A hugely admired act on the UK comedy circuit, this multi-award-winning artist commands respect from the moment she walks onstage and delivers with natural ease, energy and fierceness. Ria is the most prominent Filipina comedian in British stand-up. She has a BSc in Experimental Pathology, an MSc in Forensic Science and a PhD in Virology under her belt, so it’s not only Ria’s comedy that’s highly intelligent. Her extensive list of credits includes Live At The Apollo, Have I Got News For You?, Mock the Week, cohosting Pointless, Lovestruck High, Richard Osman’s House of Games, The Last Leg and Celebrity Mastermind.
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''Wonderfully on-the-edge stuff... There isn't a comedy venue in the country that shouldn't be fighting for her.” -THE SCOTSMAN
RIA LINA - “Ria Lina Is Going On Tour” (WiP)
Thursday 10 July - £15 plus booking fee
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COMBO TICKET - RIA LINA plus SHAPARAK KHORSANDI
Thursday 10 July - £25 plus booking fee (limited availability)
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SHAPARAK KHORSANDI - Just Dropping In...
LATE SHOW - Door 9pm / No food orders / Show 9.15pm - 10.15pm / £15 + booking fee
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We’re over the moon to announce that the phenomenal Shaparak Khorsandi will take the very briefest hiatus from her current tour to drop in and strut her stuff on our stage once again. We don’t know what stuff she’ll be talking about exactly (when pressed, she said she’d be along “just as me”) but we do know and love her sensitive wit, her charmingly candid style, and her sharp-as-a-tack delivery.
Comedian, author, columnist, human rights advocate and cultural icon Shaparak Khorsandi is a woman of many parts, although, brandishing her spit-and-sawdust-comic credentials proudly, it might be asserted that the live stage is Shappi’s element. You’ll have seen and heard her on countless TV and Radio shows, like Mock The Week, QI, Have I Got News For You and 8 Out Of 10 Cats but it’s on a live stage where she truly shines. Top comedian and all-round delight, Shaparak is a one-woman rollercoaster of irrepressible fun who never fails to connect with an audience.
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“Makes live comedy thrilling.” - EVENING STANDARD
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SHAPARAK KHORSANDI - Just Dropping In...
Thursday 10 July - £15 plus booking fee
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COMBO TICKET - RIA LINA plus SHAPARAK KHORSANDI
Thursday 10 July - £25 plus booking fee (limited availability)
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FRIDAY 11 JULY
Door 6.30pm / Meal orders until 7.30pm / Show 8.30pm - 10.45pm / £20 + booking fee
RACHEL FAIRBURN
Described by Rolling Stone as “very much the Rock ‘n’ Roll star of British comedy”, adjectives abound in any review of Rachel Fairburn’s comedy. Her stage presence is commanding, even thrilling, her attitude bold, brilliant and bewitching, her gag-laden standup bright, brave and bitterly enjoyable. With 6 critically acclaimed solo shows under her belt, the strength of Rachel’s joke writing is regularly acknowledged in such lists as the Daily Telegraph’s ‘40 jokes of the fringe’ and The Times’ ‘Best Jokes from Edinburgh Fringe’. This is one thoroughly experienced and skilled performer. As seen on Live at the Apollo, Comedy Central Live and more, Rachel is also a popular podcaster, co-hosting and co-writing the worldwide smash hit podcast All Killa No Filla. With a huge international following of over a quarter of a million listeners and growing, she has taken the podcast on several sell-out UK tours and a tour of the USA.
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“Fairburn delivers…with sadistic glee.” - GUARDIAN
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DAVE FULTON
A highly sought-after comedian, Dave started making a living in standup Stateside back in the day, never envisioning that it would lead to living in London and performing the world over. His fast-paced, no holds barred, deceptively laid-back manner pulls an audience into his orbit, whirls them into (sometimes horrified) delight, as often as not taking the roof off. TV credits include Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Live At The Comedy Store, They Think It’s All Over and more, as well as guest appearances on BBC TV and radio news programmes. There are acting credits too, like the character ‘Vinny’ in the UK Comedy Central 8 part sitcom I Live With Models. A series of dark comedy short films, Bad Times5, written and directed by Dave, is available on iTunes. When nothing else is going on he’s building motorcycles, climbing frozen waterfalls and looking after his son.
“Tough talking, risk taking, intelligent, relaxed, and clearly out to create a bit of mischief.” - TIME OUT
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PETER BRUSH
A highly distinctive performer and deft writer of finely crafted jokes, Peter Brush unassumingly takes to the stage with his slight bespectacled frame and scruffy hair, before consummately conquering it with an arsenal of razor sharp quirky one-liners and peerlessly original routines, all delivered in an amusingly awkward fashion. He is one of the UK’s most unexpectedly unique and delightful rising stars, a comedian’s comedian, a comedy buff’s must-see. If you haven’t already seen him then you’re in for a real treat! Peter performs at all the major clubs across the UK, many of it’s biggest festivals, as well as in Switzerland, Norway and Hungary. Formerly a BBC New Comedy Award finalist, he has written for several BBC Radio 4 shows. He has been the support act for an array of stellar names, most recently for Alexei Sayle on tour.
“Killer gags, tripping from his mind one after another with no let up in quality” - FEST MAGAZINE
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PAUL F. TAYLOR
The very funny award winning Paul F Taylor is a one of the UK's most exciting and distinctive stand-up performers, required viewing for all true comedy buffs and wannabe surrealists. His impressively unique brand of humour fuses quirky offbeat one liners with surreal observational flights of fancy to fantastical effect. Paul's persona of a lost bewildered fool sits perfectly alongside his gleefully madcap ideas. He’s enticing, dizzying and both physically and intellectually agile. Appearing regularly at major festivals, together with his solo standup Paul is also half of the double act "Short and Curly" (with Rebecca Shorrocks), and one half of “Helm and Taylor” (with Nick Helm). He has also achieved notable success as a screen writer and performer.
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"Relentlessly daft absurdism.” - THE LIST
JOHN MOLONEY - compere (as above)
BEST OF BANANA CABARET
Friday 11 July - £20 plus booking fee
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SATURDAY 12 JULY
Door 6.30pm / Meal orders until 7.30pm / Show 8.30pm - 10.45pm / £20 + booking fee
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RACHEL PARRIS
Special guest on this bill, Rachel Parris really needs no introduction. An award-winning musical comedian, actor, improviser and presenter, she was nominated for BAFTA for Best Entertainment Performance in 2019, and beat Tiffany Haddish, Ellen Degeneres and Amy Schumer to become Female First’s Comedian of the Year 2018. Her incisive and hilarious segments of the hit BBC2 series The Mash Report, and her Lockdown Lipsync videos, have been worldwide viral smash hits all across social media and firmly established her as a comedy star. A popular voice on Radio 4 panel shows, a founder member of the acclaimed improv show Austentatious, Rachel has taken many critically acclaimed shows to the Edinburgh Fringe, Soho Theatre and on tour. It’s Fun To Pretend (2018-19) was extended due to popular demand and culminated in two sold-out shows at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre. Her next show POISE toured the UK in 2024. Rachel’s first book ADVICE FROM STRANGERS was published by Hodder in 2022.
“Her delivery and timing are as precise and skilled as hand-etched glass. This is classy, clever, controlled comedy.” - THE SCOTSMAN
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ERIC RUSHTON
Gloriously and unpretentiously daft, it’s easy to wax lyrical about the unique comic charm of Eric Rushton. Since his comedy debut in 2014, Eric has been mixing with the best on the comedy scene - boasting that he’s contacted a number of famous people through WhatApp - impressing audiences with his intelligent, unexpected, playful material and likeable, self-deprecating stage persona. And he’s been mopping up awards like there’s no tomorrow, including the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Award, following in the footsteps of previous winners Jason Manford and Johnny Vegas. Then in 2023 Eric was inaugural winner of the Channel 4 Sean Locke Comedy Award. He says they gave him a bunch of money and a bunch of prestige for that and experiences a lot of anxiety about capitalising on that success. A regular performer at the UK's biggest comedy clubs and festivals, Eric got all A*s in his GCSEs, and credits his mum with raising him on comedy.
“Your spider senses tell you someone is special. There’s something properly idiosyncratic yet inclusive about his writing and performance … incredibly exciting.” - CHARLIE PERKINS, Head of Comedy, Channel 4
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JIMMY McGHIE
Hugely likeable Jimmy McGhie, a highly regarded stand-up comedian with a wealth of experience, has consistently captivated audiences at the forefront of the UK circuit, his prowess, versatility and comedic finesse leaving an indelible mark on the UK circuit and global comedy festivals. A finalist in prestigious comedy competitions, he quickly became a standout at the Edinburgh Fringe. He has performed over 10 solo shows at the renowned international festivals. His television credits include BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, Comedy Central, ABC Australia, THREE New Zealand, and Absolute Radio. He is also a highly sought-after entertainer for tour support to heavyweights like Jason Manford, and warm up act, and in great demand for corporate events.
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“Honest, wonderful comedy.” - The EDINBURGH FESTIVALS MAGAZINE
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RUNI TALWAR
Runi Talwar is an accomplished writer, stand-up comedian, satirist and improviser. Having moved from Sydney to London, Runi brings a unique brand of satire and irreverent award-winning comedy. He is also an accomplished improviser, being among the first graduating class of Improv Theatre Sydney as well as training at iO Chicago and Second City. As a writer, Runi has written for ABC Australia, SBS Australia in addition to TV and radio panel shows such as Hypothetical, Have I Got News For You, The Now Show and BBC News Quiz. A regular on the standup festival scene, his debut hour at the Edinburgh Fringe garnered rave reviews.
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“Fluently paced … with charm and ease (offering) fascinating and entertaining insight.” - CHORTLE
JOHN MOLONEY - compere (as above)
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BEST OF BANANA CABARET
Saturday 12 July - £20 plus booking fee
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