READING Indi Comedy Fest is back this year with a new roster of acts to bring the laughs to venues across town.
The four-day festival sees household names and fresh acts alike take to the stage for stand-up, sketches, improv, and all-out comedy competitions, sponsored by Penta Hotels.
On Thursday, May 15, Reading Comedy Showcase will return for the opening event of the festival, bringing a selection of home-grown comedians as well as headline act Jake Lambert to Reading Biscuit Factory.
Friday, May 16, will see the festival begin in earnest with the Reading New Comedian of the Year competition.
The Purple Turtle will welcome eight box-fresh comics battling it out to take the top spot, which will win them a paid spot with Mates Rates Comedy and a cash prize.
Hasan Al-Habib will also explore his relationship with Birmingham and Baghdad, as well as racism, sectarianism, and metabolism, in his stand-up show Death to the West Midlands at The Roseate.
On Saturday, May 17, The Purple Turtle will welcome The Hat and The Tash, a one-two punch of Reading’s own resident raconteurs Nick Byard and Carl Richard.
This will be followed by stand-up sets from the multi-award winning Matt Richardson and previous festival alumnus and Edinburgh Best Newcomer nominee Sara Barron.
The Outlook will see performances from Darren Harriott, the first Black British stand-up to be nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, and Sam Serrano, host of the Twink 182 podcast, and the Taproom will host Edinburgh Award nominee Sean Walsh.
On Sunday, Mary 18, Sam Michael brings his debut solo stand-up hor World’s Oldest Man to Milk Bar, followed by Leicester Comedy Festival’s Best Show award winner Esther Manito.
Sunday will also see the return of the Sunday Roast, where comedians perfect the art of smack-talk under the watchful eye of judges to decide who has the most cutting comedic comebacks, taking place at Milk Bar.
The Purple Turtle will welcome the returning What’s the Game Improv show, hosted by Alexander McWilliam and Seamus Allen, followed by sets from Matt Rouse and Nicole Harris.
Pentahotel will round out the evening and close the festival with a double-headline show from The Chase and Taskmaster alumnus Paul Sinha, and star of King Gary and Murder in Successville star Tom Davis.
Tickets are available for individual shows and full-weekend festival passes are available via: fatsoma.com/p/reading-comedy-festival
More information is available via: thereadingcomedyfestival.co.uk
