The Udderbelly Festival 2015 at the Southbank Centre starts on 9th April and runs through to 19th July. That’s a lot of laughing out loud right?
This year’s line-up includes comedians like Katherine Ryan, Luisa Omielan, Sara Pascoe, Nina Conti and Andy Zaltsman (performing a series of election specials), cult alternative comedy from the Pajama Men and Phil Ellis’ Funz and Gamez and a season of modern circus in A Simple Space, Bromance and Beta Testing.
UDDERBELLY FESTIVAL AT SOUTHBANK CENTRE
Dates: Thursday 9 April – Sunday 19 July
Address: Belvedere Road, London. SE1 8XX
Nearest tube: Waterloo / Embankment
Booking info: www.udderbelly.co.uk / 0844 545 8282
Title: A Simple Space
Dates: 21 April – 24 May (not Mondays, or 04/05-12/05)
Times: Tuesday – Friday 7.30pm
Saturday & Sunday 6pm
Matinees Saturdays 2.30pm
Prices: Previews (21 – 23 April) £14.00 Family rate £11.20
Tuesdays to Thursdays: Full price tickets £17.50; concessions £16.00; child tickets £15; family rate £13
Fridays to Sundays Full price tickets £19.50; concessions £18; child tickets £17; family rate £14.60
Discounted family tickets available for groups of 4 including at least one child
How long can you hold your breath for? How many back flips can you do in one go? Can you stand on your head? Or… could you stand on somebody else’s? Last year’s smash-hit circus show returns to London. One more chance to see these seven young acrobats compete for your laughter, gasps and applause with non-stop, mindboggling feats of breathtaking acrobatics. Get up close and personal with one of Australia’s hottest young circus ensembles, Gravity & Other Myths, as they push themselves to their physical limits and beyond in a captivating show of physicality, skill and daring Age limit: Suitable for all ages
Title: Circus Geeks: Beta Testing
Dates: 26 May – 21 June (not 31 May or 1, 2, 8, 15, 19 June)
Times: Monday – Friday 7.30pm
Saturday & Sunday 6pm
Matinees 30 May and 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 & 21 June 2.30pm
Prices: Previews (26 – 28 May) £12.50
Monday – Thursday £15.50 / £14 concession / £13 child
Friday – Sunday £17.50 / £16 concession / £15 child
Discounted family tickets available (for groups of 4 including at least one child)
Three incredible street jugglers tell you the story of their lives through theatre, comedy, and unbelievable circus skills.
Funny, geeky and super smart, this is the best science lesson you never had. Ever wondered what goes into being a professional performer, marveled at how tricks were learnt or wanted an insight into life on the road? Part Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, part Bang Goes The Theory, Beta Testing is a fascinating and hilarious insight into things you never knew you didn’t know for circus lovers of any age.
Discover the wonder behind juggling as you see these incredible performers throw hoops, achieve dazzling heights and perform skills that’ll make your mind boggle.
It’s juggling, but not as you know it.
Age limit: 8+
Title: Bromance
Dates: 24 June – 19 July (not 29 June or 6, 13 July)
Times: Monday – Friday 7.30pm
Saturday & Sunday 6pm
Matinees Saturday 2.30pm
Prices: Previews (24 – 26 June) £12.50
Monday – Thursday £15.50 / £14 concession / £13 child
Friday – Sunday £17.50 / £16 concession / £15 child
Discounted family tickets available (for groups of 4 including at least one child)
Winner! Total Theatre Award for Best Circus 2014
Winner! Circus Maximus Champions 2013
Bromance – Noun (informal)
1. a close but non-sexual relationship between two men. Early 21t cent.: blend of brother and romance
Frenetic but friendly. Captivating but casual. Audacious but awkward. Prodigal UK circus company Barely Methodical Troupe fuse their inner frats with a dazzling tour-de-force of cutting edge circus prowess and physical theatre mayhem.
Join this multi-award-winning, critically acclaimed company as they walk the line between the pugnacious and the poignant, in this hilarious, bitter-sweet and down-right jaw-dropping celebration of everything blokey – where handshakes become handstands and back slaps become backflips.
Age limit: Parental guidance
Title: Horne Section’s Questions Sessions
Dates: 11 & 21 June, 9 July
Times: 11 June & 9 July 9.15pm
21 June 7.45pm
Prices: £19.50 / £18 concessions
The first band to ever host Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC 2) return to the mother-cow with a brand new show… this time with a quiz twist.
Hot on the heels of their BBC Radio 4 series and four years of sell out shows in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and West End – expect a heady mix of hilarious challenges, spontaneous stand-up and outlandish musical talent led by the brilliant comedian Alex Horne. Special guest contestants to be announced. Previous guests include Tim Key, James Acaster, Ivo Graham and Phil Wang.
Age limit: Suitable for all ages
Title: Abandoman: Hot Desk
Dates: 6-10 May
Times: 6-8 May 7.30pm, 9&10 May 6.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14 weekday concessions £16 Fri-Sun concessions
Ireland’s top comedy hip hop improv team, Abandoman, return to the Udderbelly, fully loaded with a four piece band, for their biggest show to date. Using their trademark blend of audience interaction and razor-sharp improvisation, Abandoman will take you on a magical journey, transforming the audience’s likes, loathes and daydreams into hit songs and captivating tales. Join them at the Hot Desk for the greatest musical party in town.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Andrew Maxwell
Dates: 24 & 25 April
Times: 24 April 7.45pm, 25 April 9.00pm
Prices: £17.50 (Sirloin seats £22.50) / £16 concessions
Acclaimed Irish comedian Andrew Maxwell – star of Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Radio 4’s Andrew Maxwell’s Public Enemies and many more – heralds twenty years as a Londoner with his hilarious, informative and topical sell-out stand-up show that examines and celebrates life in the capital. Expect barnstorming anecdotes, acerbic observations and Maxwell’s own coming-of-age-in-London tale, entertaining for Cockneys, born and bred Londoners and tourists alike. The two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and Time Out Award winner has been parading his critically-acclaimed show across the capital for a year now, and brings it to the banks of the Thames for its biggest performances yet.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Annabelle’s Skirting Board Adventure
Dates: 30 May and 7 June
Times: 4.15pm
Prices: £10.00 (Sirloin seats £15.00)
Annabelle’s Skirtingboard Adventure is a brand new theatre show for young children which combines animation, film and music, all created live before the audience. On stage is the furniture from a child’s bedroom, and Arthur, a boy who’s stuck at home, bored and wants an adventure. With the help of the audience he imagines a tiny elephant called Annabelle, and her friend Icarus the moth. Initially Arthur can’t understand Annabelle. She just sounds like someone trying to talk through a trumpet (to be exact she sounds like the musician Steve Pretty trying to talk through a trumpet). But with the help of the audience Arthur, Annabelle and Icarus start to understand each other. And the best thing is, when you’re as tiny as Annabelle a little bedroom becomes a huge mountain range. So the quest to reach the top of the bookshelf begins! Brought to you by HOWARD READ – creator of the hugely successful LITTLE HOWARD shows. ‘Annabelle’ is ideally suited for ages 3-6 and their big friends.
Age limit: 5+
Title: Arthur Smith – Oh Hazel
Dates: 14 May
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14 concessions
In his last show Arthur Smith sings Leonard Cohen Arthur touched on the subject of dementia and his mother’s struggle with this increasingly common condition. Since then he has found a cache of diaries his mother wrote about her decline which are heart-breaking but funny. Using these diaries Arthur sets off on an emotional and musical journey into the dark night of an old soul. He has done this show only once before but it was met with huge acclaim. This will probably be the last time he does it. He is accompanied on piano by Kirsty Newton.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel
Dates: 18 June, 1 & 15 July
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14 concessions
The show – performed in Regency costume and with live musical accompaniment – features a cast of fast-rising stars including Cariad Lloyd (BBC3’s Crims), Rachel Parris (The IT Crowd) and Joseph Morpurgo (BBC2’s Harry and Paul’s Story of the Twos). Fresh from two sell-out UK tours and featuring on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 Extra, this show is not to be missed. Swooning guaranteed. Book now!
Age limit: 12+
Title: Bec & Tom’s Awesome Laundry
Dates: 11 & 26 April
Times: 11 April 2.30pm, 26 April 4.15pm
Prices: £10.00 (Sirloin seats £15.00)
Oh pants! It’s laundry day! But Bec has other ideas*. Tom literally has to drag her to the laundrette, but she’ll do anything to avoid her chores: storytelling, games, paper puppetry – you name it! Even Tom can’t help but be swept up by her infectious enthusiasm, when he’s not trying to show off how clever he is. But beneath the mischief, Bec hides a secret. Will Tom be hung out to dry, or will it all come out in the wash? Join the daft duo on a journey of friendship, courage and persistence in this award-winning family comedy show starring Bec Hill (CBBC’s The Dog Ate My Homework) and Tom Goodliffe. It’s sixty minutes of good clean fun! *Warning: Ideas may contain awesomeness.
Age limit: 5+
Title: The Brendon Burns Show.com
Dates: 11 July
Times: 7.45pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14 concessions
Brendon is not your everyday comic. Older, wiser, calmer (and after being fitted with a hearing aid, infinitely quieter) this critically acclaimed, multi-award winning comedy alumni’s influence is ubiquitous throughout the stand-up world. Always experimenting and throwing himself new challenges, Brendon’s latest adventures see him traversing the UK with his “Out of the Box” Tour – following in the footsteps of Doug Stanhope and Patton Oswalt in the US and leaving the comedy clubs behind, touring absolutely anything but. From zoos to libraries, from old indy music venues to comic book stores, and even an upside-down purple cow at Southbank! Above all he’s consistently, gut-achingly, thought-provokingly, genuinely funny. For one night only – don’t miss this master of the live standup genre.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Comedy Club 4 Kids
Dates: 3&24 May, 6, 13, 27 & 28 June, 4, 5,11&12 July
Times: 3 May at 02:30pm 24 May – 12 July 04:15pm
Prices: £10.00 (Sirloin seats £15.00) / £14 concessions
Comedy Club 4 Kids has stand-up from grown-up, high-quality acts like John Robins, Stu Goldsmith and Nish Kumar, who perform their usual sets, just without the swearing or rude bits.” (The Independent) True. Our gigs are BOSS. We’ve spent ten years persuading the international circuit’s best stand-ups, cabaret stars and sketch acts to perform for family audiences at our “sterling” (The Guardian) five-star (Fest magazine) shows. These performers have been rewarded with some gloriously baffling heckles, giddy autograph hunters, and – once – a cow full of children all claiming to be called Bob The Chicken. It’s never the same gig twice, which is one shiny reason why the shows are such rollicking good fun.
Age limit: 6+
Title: Circus Maximus
Dates: 14-19 April
Times: 14-17 April 07:30pm, 18-19 April, 6:00pm
Prices: 14-17 April £17.50 (Sirloin seats £22.50) / £16 concessions; 18-19 April £19.50 (Sirloin seats £24.50) / £18 concessions
The UK’s foremost circus competition returns this April – live once more from the giant purple cow. In a week of exciting heats, 20 of the UK’s hottest circus acts perform for your applause, adoration and votes to win a place in the grand final. Sunday is the live grand final where the winners from each heat compete for the title of Circus Maximus 2015, the £4,000 cash prize and the chance to create a new show with Underbelly Productions and The National Centre For Circus Arts. Previous winners include Barely Methodical Troupe, whose show ‘Bromance’ has toured the world, and is now headlining Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre. Presided over by our resident MC, Circus Maximus is an exhilarating and exciting night of spectacular jugglers, daring aerialists and dynamic acrobats. See them all and vote for your favorite in a week of unbridled circus entertainment like no other.
Age limit: 8+
Title: David Mills: Don’t Get Any Ideas
Dates: 18 April
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £12.50 (Sirloin seats £17.50) / £11 concessions
Focus people! David Mills is back with brand new, razor sharp rants delivered with signature cocktail swagger and a biting, acerbic wit. This time his hilarious tirades get a rock ‘n’ roll backing from slash guitarist, The Memes. Celebrity pop culture, ISIS, politicians, London life – Mills gleefully ‘skewers sacred cows with a droll precision’ (Fest). Like a mash-up of Dave Allen and USA political satirist and Letterman successor Stephen Colbert. Expect a smart hour of spikey comedy and irreverent commentary for grown-ups.
Age limit: 16+
Title: English Comedian of the Year Grand Final
Dates: 13 July
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14 concessions
Who will be crowned the English Comedian of the Year 2015, win £1,500 and a trip to perform at Australia’s Adelaide Fringe to do battle against the Scottish and Australian winners? Over 300 comedians entered the competition and now the final ten remain. Over these two hours the best circuit comics in the country will do their utmost to impress the celebrity judging panel with their jokes, good looks and ability to deal with hecklers. The Scottish competition has been going for almost a decade and is now one of the most highly respected comedy awards in the UK. Time for the Sassenachs to show the Scots how it’s done.
Title: Festival of the Spoken Nerd: Just for Graphs
Dates: 30 April, 21 May, 4 June
Times: 9pm
Prices: £15.50 / £14 concessions
The science comedy phenomenon returns, and this time they’re off the chart. Join acclaimed stand-up mathematician Matt Parker, experiments maestro Steve ‘Danger’ Mould and geek songstress Helen Arney for graph-a-minute fun on an unprecedented linear scale. Last year’s smash hit ‘Full Frontal Nerdity’ was ‘great, funny, clever… even the heckles at this terrific show are smart’ **** (Scotsman). Watch as they Excel themselves in a brand new show filled with live experiments, songs, statistically significant laughter and graphs on fire. Will they stay on-trend, or lose the plot completely?
Age limit: 15+
Title: Friday Night Freaks
Dates: 10 & 17 April, 8, 22 & 29 May, 12 June, 3 July
Times: 10:45pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14 concessions
It’s Friday, it’s late, it’s time to let your hair down and…get freaky?! Join this late-night feast not for the faint of heart, where the nation’s naughtiest comics and burlesquers take to the stage with all manner of ‘spesh acts’ to bring London an amusing assault to the eyes and ears. But don’t fret – it’s not all nails-in-faces and shock acts here – just the best in the titillating and twisted.
Age limit: 18+
Title: Frisky and Mannish
Dates: 10 July
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14 concessions
Frisky and Mannish are back my popular demand, with a show packed tighter than Robin Thicke’s crotchal region. Now all grown up (just like Miley and Bieber) their barely-conscious recoupling marks the beginning of a new pop-comedy-mashup-infotainment era. They’ve been everywhere from the Edinburgh Fringe to the West End, from BBC Radio 1 to E4, and from Shepherd’s Bush Empire to the Sydney Opera House.
Title: Funny Peculiar
Dates: 20 April
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £15.00 (Sirloin seats £20.00)
Join us for a fabulous night of comedy and variety in support of The Mental Health Foundation, hosted by Zoe Lyons and featuring the utterly magical Pete Firman, the UK’s favourite Frenchman Marcel Lucont, hilarious musical mayhem from Frisky & Mannish and the very best in stand up from Joe Lycett and Felicity Ward.
Title: Hal Cruttenden
Dates: 19 June
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £17.50 (Sirloin seats £22.50) / concessions £16
You may have recently seen Hal on The Great British Bake Off; An Extra Slice, Live at the Apollo and Mock The Week amongst others – join him as he road-tests his brand new show. “An absolute joy to watch…fabulous” ★★★★ Scotsman. ‘Hilarious!’ ★★★★ Evening Standard.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Jay Foreman
Dates: 11&12 April
Times: 4.15pm
Prices: £10.00 (Sirloin seats £15.00)
Fresh from a total sell-out run at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe, multi-award winning musical comedian Jay Foreman brings his acclaimed children’s show to the South Bank. Charmingly sickable songs, stories, poems and a whole lot more, as heard on BBC Radio 4 Extra, Absolute Radio and seen on London Live TV and Dave Gorman’s UK/Ireland tour. Fun for the whole family, from children to massive children (grownups).
Age limit: 6+
Title: Katherine Ryan: Glam Role Model
Dates: 19 & 20 June
Times: 19 June 9pm, 20 June 7.45pm
Prices: £15.50 / £14 concession
A dude who is fast becoming a recognisable face on British TV with appearances on BBC 1’s Live At The Apollo & Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, BBC 2’s Mock The Week, QI & Nevermind The Buzzcocks, C4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats and more, Katherine Ryan comes to Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre.
The fresh, often dangerously fierce pop-culture obsessed Canadian, was unaffected by publicized death threats and survived the world’s first crack smoking mayor.
Age limit: 16+
Title: King of Tiny Things
Dates: 11-13 July
Times: 11&12 July 12pm, 13 July 4.15pm
Prices: £10.00 (Sirloin Seats £15.00)
One magical midsummer’s night two sisters huddle together, fearful of what the darkness holds, when a mysterious winged creature appears and leads them on a moonlit. Together they rescue juggling slugs, contortionist worms, and a trio of acrobatic baby bats. But while the girls are busy being brave they overlook their winged friend, the King of Tiny Things, who needs their help most of all. Can they save him in time. Starring four of the world’s most exciting circus artists Metta Theatre bring Jeanne Willis and Gwen Millward’s enchanting story spectacularly to life with circus, puppetry and song. Fun for all the family (3 upwards).
Age limit: 3+
Title: Kraken
Dates: 16 July
Times: 11&12 July 12pm, 13 July 4.15pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin Seats £20.50) / £14 Concessions
From award-winning Gaulier-trained clown and creator of smash hit Squidboy (Sold Out and nominated for a Total Theatre Award 2013) comes Trygve Wakenshaw’s new physical comedy, Kraken. Beautifully strange stream-of-consciousness idiocy. Winner: 2014 Edinburgh Underbelly Award. Nominated: Barry Award for Best Show, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, 2014. Nominated: Golden Gibbo Award, 2014.
Title: Lee Nelson Live
Dates: 3 July
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £20.00 (Sirloin seats £25.00)
You may have seen him host Live at The Apollo, caught him singing on The X Factor, or trying to board the plane to the World Cup with the England squad now come at see him perform live at The Udderbelly festival for one night only!
Age limit: 16+
Title: Phil Ellis’s Funz and Gamez
Dates: 31 May, 21 & 21 June
Times: 31 May, 21 & 21 June 16.30pm, 31 May matinee 2.30pm
Prices: £10.00 (Sirloin seats £15.00)
‘Just brilliant’ Guardian
WINNER: Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award Panel Prize 2014 Phil Ellis is coming to the big purple cow to entertain the whole family and he’s bringing along some friends; Jim Elf and Bonzo the dog will be on hand to ensure it’s a giggle-packed hour of family fun where anything could happen. There’ll be prizes, laughter and plenty of Funz and Gamez to put you and the kidz in the weekend spirit.
Age limit: 5+
Title: The Amazing Bubble Man
Dates: 15 – 19 April
Times: 15 – 17 April 12.30pm
, 18 & 19 April 11am & 2pm
Prices: £10 / £32 family ticket (for 4 including at least 1 child)
‘Just brilliant’ Guardian
The international hit show with bubble art, magic, science and LOTS of fun. Louis Pearl is the world’s leading Bubbleologist and has been delighting family audiences with his unique show for nearly 30 years. Fabulously entertaining, he explores the breath-taking dynamics of bubbles, combines comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerized.
Age limit: 3+
Title: Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
Dates: 19 April, 10, 17, 24 & 31 May, 7, 14 & 28 June, 5 & 12 July
Times: 7.45pm
Prices: £16.50 / £15 concessions
The Showstoppers are delighted to be back at Udderbelly Festival for their 6th year! A brand new musical is created from scratch at every single performance of this multi award-winning show. Each night, audience suggestions are instantly transformed into an all-singing, all-dancing production with unpredictable and hilarious results! With seven years as an Edinburgh Fringe must-see phenomenon, four sell-out West End seasons and an acclaimed BBC Radio 4 series to their name, The Showstoppers have delighted audiences across the globe with their ingenious blend of comedy, musical theatre and spontaneity.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Showstoppers’ Fantastical Story Factory
Dates: 24 May, 7, 14 June
Times: 24 May 2:30pm, 14 June 4:15pm
Prices: £10.00 (Sirloin seats £15.00)
Here at The Fantastical Story Factory we make up stories – just for you – from your ideas! We create musical adventures that will have you exploring magical kingdoms, meeting wonderful characters and singing along by the end. You decide where the story is set, what happens next and who the characters are. You can even join in if you want! An improvised musical show for kids of all ages – and adults who act like kids! Everything is made up on the spot entirely from your suggestions. But adults be warned – we ONLY take suggestions from kids! If your children could create their very own dream musical – what would it be?
Age limit: recommended 6+
Title: Knightmare Live – Level 2
Dates: 8, 15, 22 & 29 May, 5 June
Times: 9pm
Prices: £15.50 / £14 concessions
Welcome, watchers of illusion, to Level 2. Following two sell-out Edinburgh runs, national tours and a show in the glittering West End, Knightmare Live returns with more adventure, characters, puzzles and monsters in this critically acclaimed stage adaption of the cult TV classic. Each day one member of the public will be guided through Treguard’s dungeon but will they succeed in their quest, or fall foul to one of Lord Fear’s schemes?
Age limit: Parental Guidance
Title: Andy Zaltzman (& Guests): Satirist for Hire – Election Special
Dates: 16 & 23 April, 7 May
Times: 9pm
Prices: £15.50 / £14 concessions
Andy Zaltzman brings his uniquely interactive satirical stand-up show to Udderbelly Festival for three election specials. As polling day approaches and the nation cowers behind its collective sofa hoping for the least bad outcome, Andy and top guest comedians will address the audience’s queries, complaints, demands and general gripes. This is your chance to have the issues you care about satirised to order by some of Britain’s leading comedians, who will deliver freshly-hewn, individually-tailored comedic responses to your big issues.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Morgan & West’s Utterly Spiffing Spectacular Magic Show – For Kids (and Childish Grown-Ups!)
Dates: 2, 9, 16 & 23 May
Times: 2.30pm
Prices: £10 / £32 family ticket (for 4 including at least 1 child)
Time travelling Victorian magic duo Morgan & West unload another boxful of bafflement and impossibility. Witness a mountain of mysterious magic, a hatful of hyper-reality, and, of course, a truck full of tricks and tea. (Sadly there are no actual mountains or trucks on stage during the show, Mr West simply would not have them.) “Mixing brain busting illusion and good old-fashioned tom-foolery, Morgan & West present a show for all the family, where magic and silliness abound! Fun for ages 5 to 105*.”
*105 is rather an arbitrary upper age limit really – it just seemed to flow well in the prose.
Age limit: 5+
Title: Best of the Comedy Store
Dates: 11, 18 & 25 April, 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 May, 6, 13, 20 & 27 June,
4 & 11 July
Times: 9.30pm
Prices: £19 / £17.50 concessions
The Comedy Store returns with The Best of the Comedy Store, presenting the brightest stand-up talent at the Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre. Hailed as ‘Comedy’s Unofficial National Theatre’, the Store remains the place to see the stars of tomorrow today. Catch the leading stand-ups on the UK and international circuit in this Southbank residency. Simply the best comedy line-ups in town.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Comedy in the Dark
Dates: 13 & 27 April, 11 & 25 May, 8 & 22 June, 6 July
Times: 9pm
Prices: £12.50 / £11 concessions
Comedy in the Dark is an innovative show that features top comedians performing in the dark. It’s the most fun you can have with the lights switched off. Since the show premiered in Leicester in 2008 it has visited Edinburgh Fringe, London and Denmark and toured the UK. The show features a rolling line up and past acts have included Marcus Brigstocke, Dan Antopolski, Jon Richardson, Shappi Khorsandi and Reg D Hunter. At Comedy in the Dark, the audience’s senses are heightened. In addition, the performers are forced to utilise entirely new skills as the gig is performed in the pitch black. Things look and sound very different in the dark.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Pete Firman
Dates: 6 June
Times: 7.45pm
Prices: £15.50 / £14 concessions
The UK’s top comedic conjuror returns to Udderbelly Festival at Southbank Centre with his latest bag of tricks. As seen on BBC1s The Magicians, The Sarah Millican Television Programme and Celebrity Mastermind. Expect Pete’s trademark blend of crowd-pleasing comedy and jaw-dropping magic, this is a show not to be missed!
Age limit: 14+
Title: James Acaster: Represent
Dates: 13 June
Times: 7.45pm
Prices: £15.50 / £14 concessions
James Acaster has quickly established himself as one of the most distinctive and brilliant young comedians of his generation; notching up a plethora of award nominations including Best Comedy Show at the 2012, 2013 & 2014 Edinburgh Fringe festivals and taking home the Best International Show Award at the 2014 New Zealand International Comedy Festival. As well as his glowing stand-up career, James has made several television and radio appearances including a regular guest spot on fellow comic Josh Widdicombe’s XFM show and writing and presenting his own show Findings for BBC Radio 4. On the small screen James has graced the likes of Russell Howards Good News (BBC Three) and Mock The Week (BBC). This June James brings his new show, Represent, to Udderbelly Festival.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Richard Herring Best of (Parts 1 and 2)
Dates: 25 June & 2 July
Times: 9pm
Prices: £16.50 / £15 concession
Richard Herring is one of the UK’s most prolific comedians and an innovator in the world of podcasts. As one half of the comedy duo Lee & Herring, Richard Herring enjoyed phenomenal cult success as a writer and performer with shows such as Fist of Fun (BBC Radio 1/BBC Two) and This Morning with Richard Not Judy (BBC Two). More recently he has created a raft of award-winning podcasts like Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, As It Occurs To Me and Me1 Vs Me2 Snooker. In a career spanning 25 years, Herring returns to The Cow with two best of shows, with completely different material from over 20 years, covering weighty issues such as life, death, love, religion, spam javelins and of course the notorious Hitler moustache.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Foil Arms and Hog
Dates: 12 June
Times: 9pm
Prices: £12.50 / £11 concessions
Irish comedy, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato, potato. You racist. Foil Arms and Hog are Ireland’s top comedy sketch group. They have performed all over the world, including Chicago, Adelaide (Best Comedy Award), Paris, and the Edinburgh Fringe, where they have sold out for the last 6 years.
The best way to describe it is as ‘a fast paced mix between sketch comedy and stand up, with twisted characters, unpredictable scenes and high energy performances’. The best way to understand it is to come along.
This show is a collection of their very best sketches from the last seven years.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Jason Byrne: 20 Years A Clown
Dates: 17 & 18 July
Times: 17 July 7:45pm, 18 July 9pm
Prices: £20.00 (Sirloin seats £25.00) / £18.50 concessions
Byrne’s very own brand of verbose, organised chaos and near legendary stock-in-trade audience participation has seen him coined “the outright king of live comedy” by The Times. It is no surprise that he is the biggest selling comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where he’ll be celebrating 20 years.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Late Night Gimp Fight
Dates: 11 & 17 April
Times: 11 April 7:45pm, 17 April 9pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14.00 concessions
Late Night Gimp Fight have spent years violating the British Comedy Circuit, picking up awards and infections along the way. Now, fresh from making a TV Pilot with Comedy Central, the Gimps are returning to what they do best… dicking about on stage, for your entertainment.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Luisa Omielan
Dates: 26 & 27 June
Times: 26 June 09.00pm, 27 June 7.45pm
Prices: £17.50 (Sirloin seats £22.50) / £16.00 concessions
This is the follow up to Luisa Omielan’s unprecedentedly successful debut stand up show, What Would Beyoncé Do?! It’s a signature party with jokes in, come get me bodied! #AmIRightLadies.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Magical Bones
Dates: 10 & 11 April
Times: 10 April 7.30pm, 11 April 6.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (Sirloin seats £20.50) / £14.00 concessions
You think you’ve seen it all before, but you’re in for a real surprise! One of the most exciting talents to have emerged from the magic industry, breakdancing magician Magical Bones presents the Sleight Of Dance, a 60-minute action packed magic show. Combining his love of magic with incredible moves honed from a career dancing for some of the biggest names in the music industry including Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas and Plan B, this is magic like no one else does it. With stunning visual magic and original dance pieces such as the breakdance straitjacket escape; this cutting edge show promises to revolutionise the traditional magic show!
Title: Max and Ivan: The Reunion
Dates: 9 & 16 May
Times: 7.45pm
Prices: £12.50 / £11 concessions
Class of 2005, assemble! In the decade since they left college, there have been births, deaths and gender reassignments (and that was just Chris Archer. RIP). Now they’re all back in the same room. What could possibly go wrong?
Multi award-winning character comedy double-act Max and Ivan (as seen on BBC 1’s W1A, and soon to be heard on BBC Radio 4’s The Casebook of Max and Ivan) spin a bewitching narrative sketch comedy tale of love, loss and shatterproof rulers, as they bring their Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated show to Udderbelly Festival for two final performances.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Paul Zerdin
Dates: 30 May
Times: 7.45pm
Prices: £15.50 (£20.50 Sirloin seats) / £14 concessions
Paul Zerdin has helped make ventriloquism cool again. From the Royal Variety Performance to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, to India’s comedy circuit, Montreal’s Just For Laughs and UK tours with his shows Sponge Fest, Puppet Master and more recently The Paul Zerdin Show. Paul’s fresh twist on this traditional comedy art has impressed everyone from Her Majesty the Queen onwards.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Shit-Faced Shakespeare
Dates: 6 & 13 May
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (£20.50 Sirloin seats) / £14 concessions
Shit-faced Shakespeare by Magnificent Bastard Productions is the hilarious combination of an entirely serious Shakespeare play with an entirely shit-faced cast member. Having successfully completed multiple sell-out runs at the Edinburgh and Brighton Fringe festivals, Shit-faced Shakespeare is headed to London’s Southbank with their final ever London performances of their smash-hit adaptation of Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Age limit: 16+
Title: Spank!
Dates: 1 May, 5 June, 10 July
Times: 10.45pm
Prices: £15.50 / £14 concessions
The star-studded comedy party night returns to Southbank Centre.
Fresh from sell-out, packed-to-the-rafters shows in London and Edinburgh, Spank! returns to Udderbelly Festival with sketch, character, musical and stand-up comedy and, of course, occasional nudity.
Age limit: 18+
Title: Stephen K Amos
Dates: 4 July
Times: 7.45pm
Prices: £19.50 (£24.50 Sirloin seats) / £18 concessions
The maestro of feel-good comedy is back on tour with his new show. Fresh from sell-out tours of Australia and New Zealand, as heard on BBC Radio 4 Life: An Idiot’s Guide and What Does the K Stand For?
Age limit: 16+
Title: This Is Your Trial
Dates: 24 June
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (£20.50 Sirloin seats) / £14 concessions
A brand new improvised show, where top comedians play lawyers prosecuting and defending charges set against YOU! Appointed Judge, Tim Fitzhigham presides over the proceedings alongside court guest clerk. Previous guests include Al Murray, Marcus Brigstocke, Pippa Evans, Jessica Fostekew, Andrew Maxwell, Phill Jupitus, Tiff Stevenson, Thom Tuck, Trevor Lock, Fred MacAulay, Stuart Goldsmith & Sara Pascoe.
Title: Tim FitzHigham – Gambler
Dates: 22 April
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £15.50 (£20.50 Sirloin seats) / £14 concessions
Multi-award-winning, Perrier nominated comedian, author, explorer, Fullmooners co-thing and air-recycler Tim FItzHigham brings his acclaimed show The Gambler, about the 10 greatest bets in history, to Udderbelly Festival.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Tongue Fu
Dates: 08 July
Times: 9.00pm
Prices: £12.50 (£17.50 Sirloin seats) / £11 concessions
The UK’s sharpest poets, storytellers and comedians perform with jaw-dropping improvised soundtracks and films from the genre hopping Tongue Fu Band and East London design studio CR&D. One of London’s liveliest and largest spoken word shows, it is a riotous experiment in live literature, music, film and improvisation.
Age limit: 14+
Title: Ukeclear Power
Dates: 29 June
Times: 7.30pm
Prices: £12.50 (£17.50 Sirloin seats) / £11 concessions
Back for a second explosive year, turning up the voltage to MAX power! Some may think the Uke’ as purely the plinky-plonky sound set for a Hawaiian island, but join the host of cabaret and comedy stars for UKECLEAR POWER, a night presenting the instrument as the shredding axe of musical glory it really is. Expect ludicrous sing-along rock and pop favourites, musical comedy gems and some nudity, all set to the sweet tune of the tiny machete. If the magical ukulele could turn George Formby into a sex symbol, imagine what it could do for you!
Age limit: 16+
BOOKING INFORMATION
Tickets for the full programme will be on general release from 30 January 2015. There will be a second on sale on 20 February 2015.
Online: www.udderbelly.co.uk | www.londonwonderground.co.uk | www.southbankcentre.co.uk
By Telephone: 0844 545 8282
Lines are open from 9am-8pm, 7 days a week.
In Person: Southbank Centre Box Office
