milton jones

Comedy lineup additions for this years Latitude Festival

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Today, Friday 17th June, the UK’s finest multi-arts festival Latitude is delighted to announce further names joining the Comedy Arena line up at this year’s event, which takes place from Thursday 14th to Sunday 17th July 2016 in the stunning grounds of Henham Park, Suffolk.

 

Latitude is thrilled to announce that one of Britain’s most celebrated comedians Bill Bailey will headline at Latitude this year. Known for the astounding musical knowledge that saw him become a panel show staple on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, as well as starring in Channel 4’s sitcom Black Books – Bill Bailey is an internationally acclaimed stand-up comedian, renowned for his trademark intelligence and wit. Bailey will be delighting Latitude audiences with his uproariously funny blend of show-stopping musical comedy as his famous Limboland world tour makes a stop at Henham Park next month. 

 

Also performing this year will be Silver Sony Award winner Milton Jones. The pun-loving comedian is best known for delivering “beautiful one-liners so skilfully sculpted, you don’t know whether to laugh or put them on your mantelpiece” Guardian. Milton Jones is regularly on Mock the Week (BBC2), has appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC1), Live at the Apollo (BBC1) and has headlined Dave’s One Night Stand (DAVE).

 

Katherine Ryan will be entertaining audiences with her acerbic, razor sharp critique of pop culture. Originally from Canada, Katherine is a stand-up who has taken the UK television and live comedy scene by storm as a team leader on comedy roast show Safeword and a presenter on Heir, alongside being a regular fixture on panel shows, including appearances in Mock the Week, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and Have I Got News For You.

 

Creator, writer and actor of the multi-award-winning The League of Gentlemen, Reece Shearsmith, and comedian, actor and presenter Rufus Hound will be the special guests for Robin Ince & Josie Long’s Festival Shambles: a very special take on their hit podcast, Book Shambles. Previous guests and topics have included quantum physics with Charlotte Church, Charlie Chaplin and Eddie Izzard, and what to read when you’re in outer space with astronaut Chris Hadfield. 

 

With over 12 million YouTube hits to his name, Piff the Magic Dragon has performed to hundreds of thousands in Shakespeare’s Globe, the O2, London and Sydney Opera House. Along with his Chihuahua, Mr. Piffles, Piff’s mixture of magic tricks and deadpan comedy has received high critical acclaim from the likes of Sir Ian McKellan, who called him “the hit of the party” and a “hugely entertaining hour of grumpy magic” from Time Out.

 

Also performing this year is Radio 4 stalwart and one of Britain’s finest comedian’s Marcus Brigstocke, who will host Prince Fest, a performance in tribute to an artist who changed the world. Join Marcus and special guests for an evening of conversation and celebration, culminating in a fittingly eclectic, flamboyant finale.

 

Hot on the heels of his new BBC 3 sitcom Sunny D, Dane Baptiste has had incredible success with his stand up shows Citizen Dane and Reasonable Doubts, and is already being hailed as one of the most exciting acts to break through in years. 

 

American comic and New York Times bestselling author of I Can Barely Take Care of Myself, Jen Kirkman will also be performing, following the release of her Netflix comedy special I’m Gonna Die Alone (And I Feel Fine) – which was named one of the top ten stand-up specials of 2015 by The Atlantic and Time Out New York. 

 

Further acts include musical comedy duo Jonny & The Baptists who will be delivering their seemingly light-hearted yet satirical take on right-wing politics and media hysteria; Jonathan Pie will bring a cutting parody of broadcast journalism, performing as a UK News reporter with brutally honest views on the world of politics; plus technophobe Jimmy McGhie, who has just finished a string of sell out shows during his second tour of Asia, following a welcomed return to Edinburgh Fringe.

 

Award-winning comedian and warm-up for The Graham Norton Show Joe Bor will be performing as Jasper Cromwell Jones, a hapless climber who retells the story of a treacherous climb, including a video cameo by TV favourite Jack Whitehall. The hugely talented Lou Sanders will be performing this year, having been featured in The Times ‘Witty Women To Watch 2014’, along with hopeless romantic comedic poet Micky P Kerr, the unpredictable risk-taking Luke McQueen, and Joey Page, who has been named by Chortle as  “one of comedy’s most unique and exciting new talents”. 

 

Finally, Thom Foole’s Shed Party will be delighting the Latitude crowd this year, providing an evening of clowning, comedy, storytelling, mischief and party games in the Shed of Stories, hosted by absurd character comedy acts, cabaret performances and DJ’s. 

Reading & Leeds 2015 Announce Alternative Stage And Transgressive Takeover

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With eight weeks to go until the Festival gates open, the line-up for the Alternative Stage at Reading & Leeds has been announced. With tickets for both sites still available there’s never been a better time to buy a ticket. On top of the already huge line-up including headlinersMumford and Sons, Metallica and The Libertines comes a host of the best in comedy and alternative talent from the UK and beyond plus the annual after-hours takeover from Transgressive Records.
 
Heading up proceedings on the comedy front is TV favourite Milton Jones, whose regular appearances on ‘Mock The Week’ along withmultiple Radio 4 shows has made him the leader of the pack when it comes to deadpan comedy. With sidesplitting one-liners aplenty, his Reading & Leeds performance is not to be missed. Bringing the jokes outside of the 140 character limit, Rob Delaney will also be making appearances at Reading & Leeds, proving his worth as an acclaimed stand up comedian after finding fame through making jokes on Twitter. Also heading for Leeds will be Adam Buxton of BBC6 Music fame who will perform his BFI London show BUG. TV joker Russell Kane will also be bringing his hugely popular brand of comedy to the festival, offering a rare chance to see the funnyman outside of the huge venues he’s already playing around the country.
 
With a line-up also including the brilliant ‘Stand Up For The Week’ regular and star of BBC’s Twenty Twelve Sara Pascoe and Canadian Comedy star Katherine Ryan who was a breakout star on Live At The Apollo both of whom who you’ll have seen on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, QI, Have I Got News For You and Mock The Week. They are joined by wild haired standup and Virtually Famous TV star Seann Walsh, fast rising UK star Daniel Sloss and ‘Show Me The Funny’ finalist Tiffany Stevenson, The Alternative Stage is truly one of the must see parts of the festival.
 
The comedy bill expands even further with the delightfully cutting Stephen K Amos, the hugely inventive Abandoman, Radio 1 star Tom Deacon, the man from TV’s Uncle and Heavy Entertainment; Nick Helm, panel-show favourite the hilarious Holly Walsh, the fearlessly funnySuzi Ruffell, metalhead Andrew O’Neill, comedian and captain of ITV’s Reality Bites Joel Dommett, online superstar, fantastic comic and Beyoncé enthusiast Luisa Omielan, impractical joker Paul McCaffrey,Viral Tap and Xtra Factor star Matt Richardson, Edinburgh 2014 Best Newcomer Award winner Alex Edelman, BBC regular and break out star Dane Baptiste, Magician and Comic just returned from dazzling Las Vegas the side-splittingly funny Piff The Magic Dragon, sketch icons Wit Tank, fast-rising star David Morgan the newly announced co-host of ITV’s SafeWord, and finally everyone’s favourite from Channel 4’s Mr Drew’s School for Boys teacher and rapper, Mark Grist.
 
The famous Alternative Stage is far more than just another festival comedy tent though, as it bills some of the best in forward thinking music and spoken word. Fast gaining a name as one of the UK’s most vital talents after appearing on the BBC Sound of 2015 longlist, George The Poet will be bringing his incredible, realistic, unafraid hybrid of spoken word and hip hop to the festival, which is sure to be an unforgettable moment of the weekend. Another huge name joining the bill is Jaguar Skills who will be spinning some of his most notable, eclectic, multi-genre mixes, alongside London-based electronica and Techno producer Max Cooper who is making his Leeds Festival debut. 
 
On top of this, Transgressive’s annual takeover brings together another hotly anticipated late-night line-up to Reading & Leeds. Fresh after celebrating their 10th anniversary at the festival last year, the independent label is bringing another specially curated bill that is their biggest yet. Hi-jacking the Saturday and Sunday nights in Leeds, the stage will run from 9.30pm until late, featuring a host of emerging and established talent throughout the weekend. Grime hero Wiley will be bringing his fantastic and ferocious live show to the tent in the wake of his critically acclaimed album Snakes and Ladders, released at the end of 2014 to huge fanfare. Looking to the future stars of the genre, Novelist will be also be making an appearance, while the likes of Jackmaster, Madame X and DJ Target will get crowds moving throughout the weekend.
 
Transgressive will be taking over Reading by bringing Dj-ing talent to a Silent Disco in the Alternative Stage courtesy of Alt J, Palma Violets,Peace and BBC Radio 1's Huw Stephens and Jen Long, which looks set to be nothing short of spectacular.
 
All of this sits alongside parties from Buttoned Down Disco and a series of extra special DJ sets from The Libertines’ Gary Powell and The Kooks’ Hugh Harris for Propaganda.

The comedians come to Camp Bestival

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One of the years family friendly summer festivals Camp Bestival brings together a top lineup of comedians to keep everyone laughing throughout the weekend.

Everyone loves a laugh, so we are particularly please that top comedian Milton Jones will be leading a side-splitting line-up of clowns at this year’s Camp Bestival. Renowned for his deadpan delivery and surrealistic flights of fancy, all encapsulated in the most sublime one liners, Milton is a regular star of Mock the Week, as well as a stalwart of BBC Radio 4s comedy output and he has a natty line in very loud shirts too, so don’t miss him. There will also be funny business throughout the weekend with comedy sets from The Pajama Men, Nat Luurtsema, Ben Norris, Markus Birdman, Colin Hoult, Matt Reed, Jim Smallman, George Egg, Sarah Bennetto and the amazing Comedy Club 4 Kids!

We’ve also got even more incendiary live music to get you and the kids jumping from intergalactic punk rock hip-hoppers Pop Will Eat Itself, cutting edge producer and Gorgon City and Rudimental collaborator MNEK, British Jazz legend Courtney Pine, Northern Irish 90s pop behemoth D:Ream, New Orleans hip-hop Brass Band Hot 8 Brass Band and internet sensation Brushy One String, whose Chicken in the Corn video was a worldwide phenomenon earlier this year. There will also be sets from Ady Suleiman, Beans On Toast, Bo Saris, Rory Mcleod, Indiana, Lucky Elephant, Too Many T’s, Dream Themes, Coco And The Butterfields, Cut A Shine and Feckless.

Joining our ever-growing throng of DJs will be cut & paste genius DJ Yoda, Top Ten gracing drum n basser Wilkinson, wide-screen hip-hopper Cholombian, family-friendly rave experts Big Fish Little Fish and Camp Bestival ringmaster Rob da Bank who will be teaming up with our favourite funky dread Tayo, to present Purple Rave: A Prince Tribute!

There’s still plenty more circus charms and enchantments coming your way, so keep your eyes peeled for all the latest news.