Forget the winter blues, Exeter Northcott Theatre will have you rolling in the aisles with some very funny special guests throughout January and February when it welcomes the city-wide LOL (Laugh Out Loud) Comedy Festival.
Family audiences won’t want to miss poet and singer John Hegley with The Adventures of Monsieur Robinet (19 January), a series of talks about a Frenchman with some unusual (but clean) habits, which include burying his dog’s kennel and his own luggage pieces.The stories appear alongside other new works, which include an address to aliens on the subject of transport, a poem about a non-talking parrot, and some animal impersonations with the aid of a handkerchief.
“Typically brilliant songs and stories about a Gallic small-town hero with a dog called Chirac” THE GUARDIAN
The Segue Sisters (21 January) proved a huge hit at the Edinburgh Festival with their harmonious singing and comic take on classic tunes from the past, present and future. Originally taking their influence from 1940?s singing trio The Andrews Sisters, the girls incorporate this classic style of singing to perform a range of repertoire from ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B’ to the more contemporary rock songs of groups such as Nirvana and Alice Cooper – to provide a cheeky comic twist. They have also just made their TV debut on ‘Ruth Jones’s Christmas Cracker’.
“The funniest and most honest comic singers of their generation” THE LIST
Nicholas Parsons ‘A Laugh a Minute’ (22 January) promises to be a wonderful and witty night of entertainment from the popular TV, radio and theatre star. Tonight he’ll be sharing his experiences of an unpredictable and fascinating life in show business. His ability to laugh at himself and see the humor in his early life and struggles to be an actor while serving an Engineering Apprenticeship in the harsh world of Clydeside, combined with his many humorous showbiz anecdotes is a constant joy and proves he is an irrepressible and endlessly enthralling raconteur.
“Effortless rapport with the audience” THE STAGE
For something completely different, our Laugh Out Loud programme also features underground sensation that is Monkey Poet (Sun 29 January). Join us in the Exeter Northcott Theatre Bar for night of entertainment from this unique performer who has won several Fringe awards around the world for his “intelligent and visceral” performances. Enjoy a whistle-stop tour of the world we live in, satire in spiked rhyme. Likened to Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Bill Hicks and Mark Thomas, this is not for the faint-hearted or the dainty eared.
“Comedy with a real viewpoint” THE SCOTSMAN
Things come to a comic climax with Richard Herring: What is Love, Anyway? (Sun 12 February). Having sorted out religion (Christ on a Bike) and politics (Hitler Moustache), the star of the award-winning podcast As It Occurs To Me and Radio 4’s Richard Herring’s Objective seeks to define and destroy love. Expect a heart-warmingly honest and personal examination of the romantic (and not so romantic) adventures and misadventures of the UK’s most prolific comedian.
“A consummate comedian at the top of his game.” TIME OUT
The Laugh Out loud Comedy Festival is now in its third year and boasts an exciting selection of stand-up, sketch comedy and open mic sessions, featuring some of the biggest names in cutting-edge British comedy. The festival takes place in venues right across the city and beyond, including the Exeter Phoenix, Exeter Corn Exchange, Bike Shed Theatre and many more. For more information visit www lolfestival.co.uk
Tickets are available by calling the Exeter Northcott Theatre Box Office on 01392 493493, or choose your seats online at www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
Alternatively buy in person from Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, EX4 4QB.
Tickets can now also be purchased from Exeter Visitors Information and Tickets, Dix’s Field, Exeter, EX1 1GF.