Once again, Larmer Tree has unveiled some of the best and brightest comedy acts confirmed to perform in the ARC Comedy Club at this year's festival. Laughing yourself silly at the comedy on offer has always been an integral, not to mention hugely popular, part of the Larmer Tree experience – and that is certain to continue with this year’s line-up!
2013 will continue with a great line up over four nights. Julia Safe, Larmer Tree's Co-Director and comedy programmer said: "We are very excited to have such a fantastic line-up this year and have a unique mix of well-known names and impressive emerging talent."
Heading up the comedy line-up and headlining at The ARC Comedy Club on Thursday is the wonderful Dylan Moran. Perrier winner Moran is a talented comedic actor and writer, finding fame for his BAFTA winning Channel 4 sitcom Black Books, and a film career including the hit UK comedies Shaun of the Dead and Run, Fat Boy Run. One of the best stand-ups of his generation, he has been referred to as 'The Oscar Wilde of Comedy' – a reference to the unkempt wordsmith's interesting take on everything from “vegetarians, middle-aged decline, Van Morrison and Tesco."
Saturday night will see the Nation’s favourite impressionist Alistair McGowan return to his stand-up roots. Best known for The Big Impression on BBC 1, he started his stand-up career at London's Comedy Store in the early nineties and went on to provide voices for Spitting Image. McGowan’s public profile has increased in many ways since then with appearances in Bleak House and Skins, stints as an author, playwright and journalist and appearances on TV shows such as Have I Got News for You, Live At The Apollo and A Question of Sport.
The comedy talent is international this year with the third headliner Rich Hall, master of absurd irony, bringing his Hoedown show to Larmer Tree for the first time on Sunday night. A regular on shows such as QI and Have I Got News For You?, Hall’s Hoedown is a mixture of music, comedy, liquor and ‘spent dreams’ – Larmer Tree cannot wait to see him in action!
Topping off the headliners, performing on Friday night, are the fast paced sketch comedians Idiots of Ants. The four-piece formed in 2007 and one the highlights of their career was performing at the prestigious Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal alongside legends such as Bill Cosby, Jimmy Carr, Ross Noble and John Cleese (who even appeared in one of their sketches!) They are favourites on YouTube where their Facebook in Real Life and Wii Breakfast sketches are two of the most viewed comedy clips of all time.
Other performers to make sure you mark in the programme include Chortle 2013 Best Club Comic and Best Show Award winner Tony Law who brings his sense of the absurd to Larmer Tree on Friday, following his sell-out UK tour. Saturday night will see Doc Brown on stage. Rapper, actor, musician and authority on the hip hop scene, Doc Brown is a name to watch. He is hugely talented – he recently supported Ricky Gervais around the world, appeared on The Inbetweeners, Rev and Miranda and has worked with Mark Ronson, Lily Allen and the Kaiser Chiefs. His inspired show is a "seamless mix of truly inspired hip hop and stand up."
Rounding off the exiting comedy line-up for 2013 are: Ray Peacock, Patrick Monahan, The Noise Next Door, Jarlath Regan, Kieran Boyd, Mark Cooper-Jones, Paul Currie, Tommy Rowson and Matt Richardson
There is also cracking comedic entertainment for children at the Comedy Club 4 Kids – held at The Social during the day, Larmer Tree have the best comedians performing brilliant comedy without the rude bits! What more could you possibly ask for?!
As always, comedy is just one part of the varied and eclectic programme of performances at Larmer Tree. Headline performances from Van Morrison, Dexys, Seasick Steve, Imelda May and Bellowhead are confirmed, together with some enduring Larmer Tree favourites such as the carnival, workshops and events such as the ever popular Marc Kermode's Film Club, which has Time and Time Travel as the theme this year. Larmer Tree’s favourite film critic presents a selection of his much-loved films in The Playground, where he will introduce many of them, providing some fascinating insights into the films and their makers.
2013 Comedy Line-up to Include:
Dylan Moran, Alistair McGowan, Rich Hall’s Hoedown, Idiots of Ants, Tony Law, Doc Brown, Ray Peacock, Patrick Monahan, The Noise Next Door, Jarlath Regan, Kieran Boyd, Mark Cooper-Jones, Paul Currie, Tommy Rowson, Matt Richardson, Comedy Club 4 Kids.
2013 Music Line-up to Include:
Van Morrison, Dexys, Seasick Steve, Imelda May, Bellowhead, Richard Thompson Electric Trio, KT Tunstall, The Beat, Johnny Flynn & the Sussex Wit, The Bombay Royale, Gentleman’s Dub Club, Clinton Fearon, Sam Lee & Friends, Lau, Larkin Poe, Molotov Jukebox, Treetop Flyers, The Ben Waters Band, Blair Dunlop, Curtis Eller, Grupo Lokito, Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids, Megson, Moscow Drug Club, The Severed Limb, Marc O’Reilly, Keston Cobblers Club, Trevor Moss & Hannah Lou, By the Rivers, Three Cane Whale, The Kilcawley Family, Cowbell, Phil King We Used to Make Things, Nuala Honan, Thomas Ford, Ruth Theodore, Fran Smith, Maniere des Bohemiens, Disco’s Out (Murder’s In), Pachango, Tinderbox, The Woodland Creatures, Chris Woods, Pronghorn, Stone Donkey Pilots, Head North!, Flats & Sharps and Still Moving DJs.