Preview: Omid Djalili at Barnard Castle Witham Arts Centre

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OMID DJALILI COMES TO BARNARD CASTLE

Omid Djalili

Barnard Castle Witham Arts Centre

Tuesday 1^st March 2016

Comedian and actor Omid Djalili is to visit Teesdale as part of his new tour.

Djalili, whose career has seen him become a fixture on both the comedy circuit and the silver screen, will visit The Witham arts centre in Barnard Castle on Tuesday 1^st March 2016 as part of his worldwide tour.

Following a sold-out four week West End residency and a sold-out season at the Edinburgh Festival, Djalili is now taking his new showIranalamadingdong to venues across Australia, North America and the Middle East before returning to the UK.

With over twenty years under his belt as a stand-up comedian, Djalili is one of the most recognisable comics in the country, notching up countless television appearances including Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, and The Royal Variety Performance.

Armed with cheery observations, uncanny mimicry and old-school showmanship, the award-winning comic has been delighting audiences and critics with his energetic shtick since 1995.

As prominent on screen as he is on stage, Djalili has racked up an acting career as impressive as his comedy CV, with roles in Hollywoodblockbusters such as Gladiator, The Mummy, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Infidel.

He has also enjoyed success as a writer, having penned two series of sketch programme The Omid Djalili Show for the BBC, an episode of popular Sky anthology series Little Crackers, and his autobiography Hopeful, which was released last year.

Peter Dixon, of promoters Funny Way To Be, said: "Omid has a huge array of film, West End theatre and TV credits to his name, as well as a cabinets full of awards.  "It is as stand-up though where he truly comes into his own. Anyone who saw his last tour of major theatres will tell you of his razor sharp wit, boundless energy and expertly crafted cultural observations. We are elated that he has agreed to perform at our relatively small venue in Barnard Castle as part of his brand new tour."

Tickets:

Tickets are £22 and go on sale on Monday 2nd November 2015 from funnywaytobe.com.

VENUE: The Witham, 3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, Durham, DL12 8LY

Preview: Barnard Castle Comedy Festival

MARK WATSON HEADLINES THE FIRST EVER BARNARD CASTLE COMEDY FESTIVAL 

Barnard Castle Comedy Festival

Barnard Castle The Witham Arts Centre

Saturday 18 July 2015

TV star Mark Watson is to headline the first ever Barnard Castle Comedy Festival.

The award-winning comedian, who has a huge array of TV credits including Mock The Week and Never Mind The Buzzcocks, will perform alongside a host of stars at The Witham arts centre on Saturday 18 July for a full day of world class comedy.

Mark Watson Photo: Tom Stanier

The confirmation of Mark Watson as the festival's headliner means the line-up for Teesdale's first ever comedy festival is now complete, with the Edinburgh Festival Award Winner joining Alex Horne (8.30pm), Jo Caulfield (4.30pm), Tony Law (3pm), Lost Voice Guy (1.30pm) and Lee Kyle (12pm) on the bill.

Festival organiser Peter Dixon said: "We are thrilled that Mark Watson is headlining our first Barnard Castle Comedy Festival. His appearance fits perfectly with the line-up that we had already secured for the day.  This is the second time Mark will have performed in Barnard Castle as he was booked to play our first show at the refurbished Witham. Delays to the building work at the time meant we had to find an alternative venue so it's fantastic that we have been able to invite he back to perform on the Witham stage. His performance two years ago in Barnard Castle topped off a very special gala performance.  Anyone who saw that show then will tell you what a what an incredible show it was. Mark's career has gone from strength to strength since he last appeared for us.  He's currently in the process of recording two DVDs of his recent shows, both of which have been huge critical and audience successes."

Mark Watson Photo: Tom Stanier             

 Mark Watson is one of the most talked-about British comedians to emerge in recent years. Not only a regular on hit comedy panels, Mark has been the face of programmes such as BBC Four’s We Need Answers and BBC Radio 4’s Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better.  He has also appeared on Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You? Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Channel 4’s Comedy Gala.

Not only a stand-up, Mark has written four novels: Bullet Points (2004), A Light-Hearted Look At Murder (2007), Eleven (2010), and The Knot (2012). He is also responsible for the now famous day-long comedy shows in aid of Comic Relief.

 The Barnard Castle Comedy Festival is organised by Teesdale comedy promoters Funny Way To Be. You can follow the festival on Facebook by searching 'Barnard Castle Comedy Festival' or on Twitter @BarneyComFest.

Tickets:

The festival takes place on Saturday 18 July 2015 at The Witham arts centre on Horsemarket.

Shows will run from 12pm until late, with Watson's show - a warm-up appearance ahead of his upcoming national tour - taking place at 6pm.

Earlybird day tickets for the festival are on sale now, priced £45.

For more details on the festival, visit barnardcastlecomedy.com.

Preview: Tony Law at Barnard Castle The Witham

LOTS OF LAUGHS WITH LAW

Tony Law
Barnard Castle The Witham
Saturday 18 July.

Following a fourth successive Edinburgh Festival Fringe sell-out run and extensive tour, Canadian stand-up Tony Law crashes down at the Barnard Castle Comedy Festival with a brand new show.  

Alternative comedy hero Tony Law is on his way to Teesdale for the 2015 Barnard Castle Comedy Festival. Teesdale comedy fans will get to see the Canadian stand-up's brand new show first when he performs at The Witham in Barnard Castle on Saturday 18 July.

His show, dubbed Nonsense In Progress, takes place at 3pm, with live comedy running throughout the day in the venue's main hall.

Festival Director Peter Dixon said: "I saw Tony at last summer's Edinburgh Festival and was blown away.  His charismatic performance electrifies a room and we're sure he'll be a big hit at our first ever comedy festival in Barnard Castle."

 

One of the best and most exciting live comics performing in the UK today, Law's cheerfully absurd humour has endeared him to both live and TV audiences around the world.

His  recent TV and radio credits include Have I Got News For You (BBC1), Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Heading Out, The Culture Show, Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe (BBC2), 8 Out Of 10 Cats (C4), The Alternative Comedy Experience (Comedy Central), Tony Law’s Surreal Guide To Surreal Comedy (Radio 4 Extra), Loose Ends and Infinite Monkey Cage (Radio 4). 

The Canadian stand-up is a three-time Chortle-award winner and was a Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Award 2012 nominee. 

Law comes to the North East as part of the first ever Barnard Castle Comedy Festival.

It was announced last week that Radio 4 star Alex Horne would close the festival on Saturday 18 July, with more huge names to be announced in the coming weeks.

Earlybird day tickets for the festival are on sale now, priced £45.

For more details on the festival, visit barnardcastlecomedy.com.

On The Web:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/barnardcastlecomedyfestival

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarneyComFest

Tickets & Festival Details:

·        12pm - 1pm TBA

·        1.30pm - 2.30pm TBA

·        3pm - 4pm Tony Law: Nonsense In Progress

·        4.30pm - 5.30pm TBA

·        6pm - 7pm TBA

·        8.30pm - 10.30pm Alex Horne: Monsieur Butterfly

DATE: Saturday 18 July 2015

VENUE: The Witham, 3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, Durham, DL12 8LY

Preview: Lucy Beaumont, Katie Mulgrew, Hayley Ellis at The Witham

Three Northern Ladies 

Walk Into A Bar...

Funny Way To Be Comedy Club's new season gets underway with three of the UK's most exciting female comics - and they all hail from the North of England.

The 2015 programme, based at The Withamin Barnard Castle, kicks off on Saturday 10 January, with a headline appearance from award-winning comedian Lucy Beaumont.

Hull hero Beaumont has a clutch of awards to her name. She’s a 2014 Fosters Best Newcomer nominee, winner of the BBC New Comedy Award in 2012, and a former Chortle Award winner for Best Newcomer. 

Lucy has made appearances on TV in BBC Three's Live At The Electric, and has recently been commissioned to produce her own show for BBC Radio 4, To Hull and Back.

Described by comedy legend Arthur Smith as 'the next Victoria Wood in the making', Beaumont is one of the future stars of comedy.

Lancashire comedian Katie Mulgrew gigs all over the place in the country's best comedy clubs.  She can also be seen on the TV on the CBBC show, The Dog Ate My Homework.

A regular MC around the UK, including her native Manchester, Hayley Ellis' warmth and girl-next-door charm make her hard to dislike, something which has become evident in her success in new act competitions throughout the UK.

In 2014 she presented her debut hour show, We Need To Talk About Kevin, at the Edinburgh Fringe to great success.

Peter Dixon, of Funny Way To Be Comedy Club, announced the show, saying: "A lot has been talked about this last year about the hidden talents amongst many female comedians in the UK. In this show we set out to present an evening that brought together three of the brightest up and coming female comics in the UK today. All three will be presenting highlights from their 2014 sell-out Edinburgh Fringe shows."

Tickets for the show are on sale now from funnywaytobe.com, priced £10.

Tickets

Saturday 10 January: Northern Ladies - Lucy Beaumont, Katie Mulgrew & Hayley Ellis, £10 advanced/£12 on the door, 8.00pm

 Wednesday 21 January: Steve Bugeja, with support, £5, 8.00pm

Saturday 7 February: Alex Edelman, Felicity Ward, Jamali Maddix and Peter Brush, £10 advanced/ £12 on the door, 8.00pm.

Saturday 28 February: Tony Law, £12 advanced/ £14 on the door, 8.00pm.

 Wednesday 11 March: Carl Hutchinson, with support, £5, 8.00pm.

Saturday 28 March: Ray Peacock & Ahir Shah, £10 advanced/ £12 on the door, 8.00pm

Venue: The Witham, 3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, Durham, DL12 8LY

Preview: Romesh Ranganathan at Barnard Castle

Mock The Week Star to Headline

Barnard Castle Xmas Show

Romesh Ranganathan & Suzi Ruffell

One of the stars of hit panel show Mock The Weekis to perform at a special Christmas show in the North East.

Comedian Romesh Ranganathan will bring his 2014 Edinburgh Best Show Comedy Award-nominated show, Rom Wasn’t Built In A Day, to The Witham in Barnard Castle on Saturday 13 December.

You might recognise Romesh from his many TV appearances, which include Mock The Week, Live At The Apollo, Russell Howard’s Good News, Sunday Night At the London Palladium, and a regular slot on Channel 4’s weekly topical show, Stand Up For The Week.

He’s comedy’s next big star, and you can see him live in Teesdale for one night only. Peter Dixon, of promoters Funny Way To Be, said: “I saw Romesh's Best Newcomer Nominated Edinburgh show in 2013 and along with many others recognised he was a comedian heading for the top. “We had hoped he would come to Barnard Castle last year but TV commitments prevented that, so we are thrilled that he agreed to perform this autumn as the only North East date on his debut UK tour.”

In 2014, over 2,200 tickets have been sold for Funny Way To Be comedy shows in Barnard Castle. Founded by Peter Dixon in 2010, Funny Way To Be is the home of comedy in Barnard Castle. Previous acts include Russell Howard, Russell Kane, Jason Cook and Chris Ramsey.

And to thank Teesdale comedy goers for their support over the record-breaking year, Romesh will be joined by a comedy headliner in her own right, rising stand-up and Alan Carr’s tour support, Suzi Ruffell. In her hotly anticipated second show, Social Chameleon, the 'stand-up gem' (The Guardian) questions why she spent 27 years trying to make anyone and everyone like her. Turns outs it takes a fat bully from Swansea, a too-honest mother and searching a Parisian graveyard for someone she has never heard of to give up trying and just be herself. 

Lee Nelson

The show marks the end of a star-studded autumn season of comedy the market town, which sees Lee Nelson and Susan Calman visit Funny Way To Be in the coming weeks. Peter added: “This show rounds off a fantastic year for us, back for a full twelve months in the redeveloped Witham. 

Susan Calman

 With our proven track record and the fabulous facilities at the Barnard Castle arts centre we are able to attract some of the UK's very best comics. It's a far cry from our humble beginnings over four years ago.  During all this time the audiences have been wonderful and that's a key reason why comedians love to come and play for us.”

Tickets for all shows are on sale now from funnywaytobe.com.

Tickets

•       Wednesday 29 October: Lee Nelson: Work-In-Progress, £17.50, 7.30pm

•       Wednesday 19 November: Silky with support, £5, 8.00pm.

•       Saturday 29 November: Susan Calman: Lady Like, £14/£12 concessions, 8pm

•       Saturday 13 December: Romesh Ranganathan and Suzi Ruffell, £12/£10 concessions, 8pm

Venue

The Witham, 3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, Durham, DL12 8LY

Preview: Stand Up in Barnard Castle

Stand Up Stars Bring Laughs

To Barnard Castle

 

Susan Calman

Award-winning comedians, TV stars and rising stand-up talent will perform at a top North East comedy club this autumn.

Teesdale comedy promoters Funny Way To Be, based at The Witham in Barnard Castle, has unveiled its line-up for the remainder of 2014 today.

Lee Nelson

Kicking off the comedy club’s brand new season is star of BBC Three’s Well Funny People, Lee Nelson, who brings his wonderful character-driven stand-up to The Witham on Wednesday 29 October.

 

Susan Calman

Prepare yourself for a night of jokes, legendary audience interaction, games and banter as Lee shows you a side of himself you’ve never seen him before.

Award-winning comedian Susan Calman is next up at Funny Way To Be, as she embarks on her first ever stand-up tour of the UKfollowing rave reviews at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Calman, a regular on TV panel shows including QI and Have I Got News For You?, brings her Lady Like tour to Teesdale on Saturday 29 November.

Romesh Ranganathan

While the season finale, on Saturday 13 December, sees two of comedy’s rising stars make their Barnard Castle debuts.   

Romesh Ranganathan, winner of the Leicester Mercury New Act Award in 2013 and star of Channel 4’s hit comedy show Stand Up For The Week, brings his latest show, Rom Wasn’t Built In A Day, to The Witham.

 

While Suzi Ruffell, tour support for Alan Carr, Kevin Bridges and Josh Widdicombe, rounds off Funny Way To Be’s autumn season on the same night with her brand new show, Social Chameleon. 

 

Romesh Ranganathan & Suzi Ruffell

The full programme is:

·         Wednesday 29 October: Lee Nelson: Work-In-Progress, £17.50, 7.30pm

·         Saturday 29 November: Susan Calman: Lady Like, £14/£12 concessions, 8pm

·         Saturday 13 December: Romesh Ranganathan and Suzi Ruffell, £12/£10 concessions, 8pm

Peter Dixon, of Funny Way To Be Comedy Club, said: “All four comedians in our autumn season are playing Barnard Castle for the very first time so we’re very excited in that respect.

“Their styles are varied but all have one thing in common in that they are tremendous talents and greatly respected in their fields. 

“Lee [Nelson] is arguably the top character comedian on the comedy circuit, Susan Calman has vast standup, TV and radio experience behind and is embarking on her debut tour and the double-header show of Romesh [Ranganathan] and Suzi [Ruffell] brings two of comedy's rising young stand up stars as they also embark on their first UK tours. These are shows not to be missed."

Today’s announcement coincides with a sold-out appearance from Chris Ramsey, who visits The Witham on Thursday ahead of his limited run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Tickets

Tickets for all shows are on sale now from funnywaytobe.com.

VENUE

The Witham, 3 Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, Durham, DL12 8LY