Birmingham Comedy Festival
birmingham comedy festival annual art festival city birmingham festival take place throughout city day october primarily focused standup comedy also includes film theatre cabaret visual art spoken word music dance birmingham comedy festival drawing attention city vibrant often unsung comedy scene since debut festival hit road running thanks appearance peter kay sean lock since festival grown one largest independent art festival region bbc birmingham reported people attended festival year michael mcintyre headlined run show city national indoor arena year festival attracted biggest name comedy including lenny henry michael mcintyre lee evans peter kay jimmy carr sarah millican act city surrounding area key focus festival repeat appearance local comic joe lycett janice connolly aka mr barbara nice jo enright james cook josh pugh gareth berliner andy white others key venue include glee club birmingham town hall symphony hall birmingham mac birmingham old rep old joint stock theatre cherry red victoria pub electric birmingham comedy club around city regular event include birmingham comedy festival breaking talent award birmingham comedy festival free halfdayers introduced running across two venue john bright street festival whats reader award best midland art cultural festival covering west midland county warwickshire shropshire staffordshire worcestershire best birmingham art festival festival retained award responding pandemic festival shifted emphasis online activity programme consisted series unique intervention excursion included various streamed show radio series podcasts participant included musician dan whitehouse created new soundtrack charlie chaplin vagabond film nightingale laura lexx acclaimed birmingham street artist foka wolf birmingham comedy festival breaking talent award introduced open new emerging early career act west midland inclusion invitationonly competition take place first friday festival glee club annual competition aim recognise support breaking talent region offering winner vital stepup comedy career ladder josh pugh title went crowned english comedian year award temporarily paused due covid pandemic returned winner follows andrew mcburney josh pugh harvey hawkins kai samra laura monmoth celya ab award due covid hannah weetman hasan alhabib tom towelling following act also commended good kid mary flanigan dom bant whats reader award best midland art cultural festival best birmingham art festival winner two category whats reader award best midland art cultural festival winner whats reader award best birmingham art festival winner whats reader award best midland art cultural festival best birmingham art festival shortlisted two category whats reader award best midland art festival winner whats reader award best festival birmingham runner whats reader award best art festival runner festival company performed scriptinhand stage adaptation goon show featuring two script spike milligan phantom head shaver brighton canal company revived goon midland tour included two sellout performance midland art centre birmingham tour focused two milligan episode house teeth jet propelled guided naafi centenary west midsborn goon show cowriter larry stephen celebrated performance two cowrites seagoon memoir moriarty murder mystery written maurice wiltshire among cast talksport presenter ian danter year second goon show run company premiered two lost radio script written tony hancock comedy writer larry stephen lost hancock vacant lot genteel comedy described wonderful express star performance followed including sellout appearance british library among cast actress janice connolly impressionist james hurn festival launched first podcast great larry stephen mystery forgotten black country writer changed british comedy forever miniaudio documentary exploring life larry stephen featuring audio recorded live vacant lot performance official website birmingham comedy festival facebook