Slapstick Festival 2017: SATURDAY
Sat 21 Jan 2017
Silent Comedy: A Century Ago | A Fairbanks and Chaplin Double Bill
Watershed | 9.30am | Tickets: £8.00/£6.00
Join us for a taste of the ‘flickers’ from a century ago – Saturday morning pictures circa 1916. A classic silent comedy double bill featuring two of the biggest stars of the silent era featuring:
The Matrimaniac (1916)
dir. Paul Powell | US | 44mins
An early Fairbanks outing showcasing his flair for charm, comedy and athleticism.
PLUS
The Count (1916)
dir. Charles Chaplin | US | 24mins
The first outing at Slapstick for this little known Mutual film from Charlie’s happiest years of film-making.
Introduced by Kevin Brownlow with live piano accompaniment by John Sweeney.
Sat 21 Jan 2017
Join the legendary music hall authority, comedian and actor Roy Hudd as he discusses not only his extensive contribution to comedy through The Hudd Lines (1975-2001), but also his love of Max Miller and his passion for Jacques Tati and Charlie Chaplin.
Radio 3’s Matthew Sweet (Night Waves) hosts this unique opportunity to hear Roy in conversation, before a complete screening of practically unknown and underrated ‘silent’ comedy, the excellent Maladjusted Busker (1966).
Sat 21 Jan 2017
Robin and Not Josie’s Book Shambles: The Goodies
Watershed | 1.20pm | Tickets: £9.00/£6.50
The hugely popular podcast ‘Robin and Josie’s Book Shambles’ comes to Slapstick to interrogate Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie on the books they made as two thirds of the TV comedy trio The Goodies (1970 – 1982). They’ll also be talking about the making of The Goodies Disaster Movie and about the books and the authors that have inspired them.
Sadly, Josie Long is showing off in New York. Michale Legge will be filling her shoes.
STOP PRESS: Due to last minute unforeseen circumstances, Bill Oddie will no longer be appearing at this event. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Sat 21 Jan 2017
Neil Innes presents Unseen Bonzos
Watershed | 3.40pm | Tickets: £9.00/£6.50
A chance to see the Bonzo Dog’s holy grail of lost performances, a newly restored complete episode of Colour Me Pop, a special featuring the Bonzos from 1968, which will be screened in completely restored glory.
Joining us will be Bonzo founding member Neil Innes who’ll be in conversation with BFI TV Consultant Dick Fiddy.
With thanks to the BFI and Chris Perry.
Sat 21 Jan 2017
Simon Callow Presents Chaplin’s Greatest
Comedy Shorts
Colston Hall 17:30pm | Tickets: £10.00/£18.50
Simon Callow who acknowledges the two greatest Londoners, Dickens and Chaplin, as major influences on his own glittering and wide-ranging creations in performance on stage, screen and in literature – presents his personal tribute to Charlie Chaplin and introduces a selection of Chaplin’s finest onscreen short comedies.
Three Mutual masterworks, The Vagabond (1916), Easy Street (1917) and The Pawn Shop (1917) will be accompanied live by the European Silent Screen Virtuosi featuring Günter A. Buchwald (piano and violin), Frank Bockius (percussion) and Romano Todesco (double bass) plus special guest players.
A unique event and a highlight of Bristol’s Slapstick Festival 2017.
Sat 21 Jan 2017
Charlie Chaplin in The Great Dictator (1940)
Colston Hall 20:30 pm | Tickets: £11.50 (incl. booking fees)
If 2016 was your annus horribilis, what better way to spend January 21, the day after America’s presidential inauguration, than in the company of comedians and musicians proving that satire lives and that only comedy can save a world on the brink!
As Simon Wiesenthal put it, “Humour is the weapon of unarmed people” and that weapon was never better used than in Charles Chaplin’s great classic comedy-satire, THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940).
Chaplin has an almost mystical way of becoming ever more relevant as history moves on, and there was never a more fitting time than now for this great satire, with its plea for a world of peace, without totalitarianism, despotism, intolerance and racism.
Charlie will be enthusiastically supported, live, by present-day comedians and musicians including Ronnie Golden, Neil Innes and Grace Petrie.
With special thanks to Kate Guyonvarch and the Chaplin Estate.
Doors open 8 PM.
Film Running Time 125mins (Show ends approx 11.15pm).