Laughter is the best medicine, literally. Studies show that people with a strong sense of humour have a longer life expectancy. That’s why we don’t like to take ourselves too seriously at Secret Birmingham and will be found LOLing around at the UK’s second longest-running comedy festival, Birmingham Comedy Festival, this October.
Over 150 acts – a mix of big names off the telly and comedy’s hottest up-and-comers – will perform at the 10-day annual arts festival (October 4 to 13). Sarah Millican (13 Oct, Symphony Hall), The Mash Report’s Rachel Parris (10 Oct, Town Hall), and Milton Jones (6 Oct, Town Hall) are three of the biggest names performing. But over 20 venues are hosting comedy shows.
Elsewhere, catch Maisie Adam (8 Oct, Town Hall), Jason Byrne (11 Oct, Town Hall), ‘Instagram dad’ George Lewis (13 Oct, The Glee Club), Hollyoaks and EastEnders actor Richard Blackwood (13 Oct, The Glee Club), Laura Lexx (10 Oct, Old Joint Stock), South African comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout (6 Oct, The Glee Club), and Frank Skinner’s radio co-host Pierre Novellie (9 Oct, The Glee Club).
The always popular Birmingham Comedy Festival Free Half-Dayers (6 Oct & 13 Oct) also return. This sees back-to-back shows at two venues on John Bright Street (The Victoria & Cherry Reds) with acts lined up including Channel 4 Sean Lock Comedy Award winner Eric Rushton, A&E doctor/comedian Kwame Asante, James Cook (with his cult Edinburgh Fringe hit Board Game Smackdown), Breaking Talent 2022 winner Hannah Weetman, and Funny Women Award finalist Tal Davies.
With an eye on comedy’s rich history, there’s also a triple-bill of Laurel and Hardy films (11 Oct, West Midlands Police Museum), while the play Howerd’s End (3-5 Oct, Old Joint Stock) explores the troubled life of comedian Frankie Howerd, and Hancock’s Half Hour: The Lost TV Episodes (4 Oct, The Crescent Theatre) recreates three long lost episodes from the 1950s BBC sitcom.
As always, West Midland’s vibrant comedy scene is well represented with appearances from Jo Enright (7 Oct, Hockley Social), Black Country star Jonny Cole (10 Oct, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall), and Shazia Mirza (11 Oct, Birmingham Hippodrome), plus Richard Dadd, Rachel Baker, Damon Conlan, Hasan Al-Habib, Joe Bingham, Sachin Kumarendran and Harry Jenkins.
Meanwhile, the prestigious Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award 2024 (10 Oct, The Glee Club) continues to celebrate the next wave of West Mids’ comedy talent. Elsewhere, The Comedy Junction Big Improv Night (6 Oct) promises games and on-the-spot larks, with more improvised comedy courtesy of the topical Behind The Headlines, TV-themed Next Time On, Box Of Frogs, and Jumprov!
To learn more about Birmingham Comedy Festival, including purchasing tickets, head here.