Weds 14 Feb – Sun 18 Feb 2024
Slapstick Festival Returns

Thurs 16 Feb (15:30)
Joining us Live From New York. Steve Massa & Ben Model host one of Raymond Griffith’s finest onscreen comedy performances.

Sunday, 19th February 2023
Seven Events at Bristol Old Vic. Featuring Michael Palin, Stephen Merchant , Stephen Mangan, Rob Brydon, Cheryl Knight, Robin Ince, Chris Grimes and more

We’re excited to announce that tickets for Slapstick 2021, possibly our best festival ever, are now on sale.

Please support Slapstick’s Big Comedy Night In and help save Slapstick 2021! We are delighted to announce that a stellar line-up of the UK’s best-known comedians and entertainers will take part in an online comedy show on Sunday 27 September (7.30 pm start) as part of efforts to stave off the financial crisis facing Slapstick Festival … Read more

Those of you who are old enough, cast your minds back to the evening of the 8th of November 1970.

Silent Comedy Spectacular with Barry Humphries at the London Palladium Step inside the iconic London Palladium to be enthralled and entertained by your all-time favourite big-screen comedy stars from yesteryear, accompanied by a live orchestra. A trio of silent comedies from comedy giants Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Laurel & Hardy, will be presented by … Read more

The Goodies – VIP Competition We have an amazing prize for one die-hard fan of The Goodies! Win VIP passes for The Complete Goodies at Bristol Old Vic on January 19th and meet Graeme Garden, Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie after the show. Finally! The last, great unreleased DVD box set has seen the light … Read more

WIN A PAIR OF VIP TICKETS INCLUDING BACKSTAGE ACCESS! We’re giving away an amazing prize to one die-hard fan of The Inbetweeners! Join us for a special double bill at Bristol Old Vic on January 19th, featuring actor Joe Thomas AKA Simon Cooper and the show’s creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris. Fresh off the … Read more

Young Slapstick Reviewers Six young people attended a fantastic Young Slapstick reviewing workshop with the brilliant Lynn Barlow and then wrote reviews of the Slapstick Gala. Huge thanks to Lynn Barlow for teaching the reviewing workshop, to Cathy Poole for facilitating it, and to all our amazing Young Slapstick reviewers! Slapstick Silent Comedy Gala: Review If you’re not familiar with Bristol’s annual comedy celebration … Read more

Pordenone Diaries – Day 3 So, finally, I am writing about our last day at the festival! Sorry about the delay… but here it is! Monday the 2nd of October was our final day in Pordenone and I planned to make the most of it! I’ve decided that three days at the festival is not … Read more

French & Saunders:Comedy Legends For one night only, the Aardman Slapstick Awards present a unique opportunity to see comedy legends Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders in conversation. Celebrating 30 years since the launch of their award-winning TV Series French & Saunders (1987-2007) this is a rare chance to see the pair together on stage as they discuss … Read more

Field Trip Two weeks ago, I spent a few days in Berlin. They were very rainy days… but I did get to do quite a bit of sightseeing. I always try to seek out interesting places to visit when I am new to a city. One of the highlights of Berlin (at least for me), … Read more

A Summary of Slapstick 2017 A summary of Slapstick 2017 from Chris Daniels I feel incredibly proud! When deciding the programme for the 2017 edition of Slapstick, our thirteenth, I hoped that it would bring light and laughter to Bristol after a year that seemed doomed to be defined by the unprecedented and untimely loss … Read more

Granddad Defies Odds to Attend Slapstick Festival Every Year Tony has only missed the 10th anniversary celebratory show, when he unfortunately suffered heart failure. He said, “It was midday and I was breathless and dizzy. I was rushed to Southmead. I was really sad to miss it, but it was very much unavoidable. But I am … Read more

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Michael Crawford: Visual Comedy Legend Sun 23rd October | St. George’s | 1:00PM Tickets: £8.00/£16.00/£22.00  (plus booking fee) As the accident-prone yet loveable Frank Spencer in BBC TV’s classic comedy Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (1973-78), Michael Crawford captivated 16 million viewers a week and turned “Ooh, Betty” into a national catchphrase. The role also earned … Read more

JollyWood! The Golden Age of Mancunian films Cert: PGPerformer Mike Livesley (Sir Henry at Rawlinson End/Bonzo Dog-Doo-Dah Band) Thur 21st Jan | Watershed | 4:00PMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 A whistle-stop charabang ride through the almost mythical world of Mancunian Film studio known affectionately as ‘Jollywood’. In 1932 a meeting took place between film distributors James Blakeley, his … Read more

Here Come the Double Deckers: Re-united! Cert:U UPDATE! See below. Sun 24th Jan | Watershed | 11:10AMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 ‘Come on board’ for the ride of your life and meet members of the original cast of The Double Deckers. Meet Debbie Russ (Tiger) and Dr Gillian Bush-Bailey (Billie) as they discuss the phenomenal success of the slapstick … Read more

Rediscovered and Restored! Cert: PGwith Serge Bromberg Wed 20th Jan | Watershed | 8:30PMTickets: £6.50/£9.00  The days of watching old flickering images from faded silent film prints are almost gone. In their place comes the glorious parade of meticulously restored prints from the world’s finest film archives. Witness the talents of one of Europe’s finest … Read more

Chaplin’s The Kid: The Inside Story Cert: PGwith David Robinson Fri 22nd Jan  | Watershed | 5:40PMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 Chaplin authority David Robinson offers fresh insights on Chaplin’s THE KID – presented later this evening with live performance of Chaplin’s own musical score.   One of the world’s great comedies, at the same time achieving a … Read more

Mack Sennett: King Of Comedy Cert: Uwith David Robinson Fri 22nd Jan | Watershed | 11:30AMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 David Robinson* film critic, author and Chaplin’s official biographer will be celebrating the mastermind of early slapstick comedy, the actor and producer, Mack Sennett. David will take you on a journey through his best comedy shorts from the … Read more

THURSDAY NIGHT SPECIAL EVENT Chicago (1927) with Denise Coffey Cert:PGWith live accompaniment by The European Silent Screen VirtuosiCecil B DeMIlle US Thur 21st Jan | Arnolfini | 8:00PMTickets: £7.50/£10.50 Starring Phyllis Haver in an understated comic appearance, this is the original version of the subsequent global musical and Hollywood film Chicago. Based on a true … Read more

Laurel & Hardy: Way Out West (1937) Cert: U introduced by Bill Oddie UPDATE – Programme Change…See Below!  Sunday Morning Slapstick With Bill Oddie: Laurel & Hardy Sun 24th Jan | Watershed | 9:15AMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 Like most Slapstick comedy, best laid plans do sometimes go awry. Due to unforeseen circumstances relating to rights clearances, please … Read more

Way Out West: Douglas FairbanksWild and Woolly (1917) Cert: PGDir John Emerson US Fri 22nd Jan | Watershed | 3:30PMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 Starring the King of Hollywood, Douglas Fairbanks, Wild and Woolly is one of the best action packed comedy Westerns of the silent era. Jeff is a rich Easterner who always wanted to live in … Read more

Laura La Plante: Home James (1928)With Kevin BrownlowDir William Beaudine US Fri 22nd Jan | Watershed | 09:30AMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 “It got bad reviews at the time but old films often mature on the shelf like fine wine. When I finally saw this picture, 70 years after it was made, I thought it hilarious. Laura la … Read more

SOLD OUT Cary Grant:  The Awful Truth (1937) Cert: PGintroduced by Lucy PorterDir: Leo McCarey US Thur 21st Jan | Watershed | 5:50PMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 THIS EVENT HAS NOW SOLD OUT. Bristol’s legendary Cary Grant teams with screwball comedy’s most underrated actress, Irene Dunne, in the film that broke him as a romantic lead. Named as … Read more

Silent Comedy Westerns Cert: PGWith Kevin Brownlow Thur 21st Jan | Watershed | 2:00PMTickets: £6.00/£8.00 Oscar winning director and film historian Kevin Brownlow shares some of his favourite and lesser known Western comedy shorts. With impersonations of famous Western stars, and gags that mock the best cliché’s of the genre, Kevin will take us on … Read more

Matt Lucas’ Banana SkinSlapstick Pre-Festival Launch Event Fri 4 Dec | St George’s | 8:00PMTickets: £19.50/£15.00/£7.00 (plus booking fee) Matt is one of the UK’s best loved comic actors. From Shooting Stars to Come Fly with Me via the extraordinary global success of Little Britain, Matt’s body of work is full of visual comedy and … Read more

Tim Vine: Why I Love SGT Bilko Sat 23rd Jan | St. George’s | 2:40PMTickets: £10.00/£7.50/£5.00 (plus booking fee) Award winning punster and stand up comedian Tim Vine shares his admiration and passion for Phil Silvers. In particular his longrunning sitcom, The Phil Silvers Show known fondly to most as simply ‘Bilko’. From its initial … Read more

SOLD OUT! Stephen Merchant’s Top Comedy Moments Sun 24th Jan | St George’s | 5:15PMTickets: £7.00/£15.00/£19.50 (plus booking fee)   THIS EVENT HAS NOW SOLD OUT We are delighted to welcome Bristol-born Stephen Merchant to the Slapstick Festival as he chooses his top visual comedy clips. An accomplished stand up comedian, actor, writer and director … Read more

Danny Baker: Why I Love Ben Turpin Sun 24th Jan | St. George’s | 12:40PMTickets: £15.00/£7.50/£5.00 Under 12s £6.00 (plus booking fee) For over a quarter of a century Danny Baker has delighted and entertained us as one of UK’s finest and funniest radio and television presenters. Recently Danny has received well deserved praise for … Read more

Passionate About BusterWith Ian Lavender and Robin Ince UPDATE: Please see below. Sat 23rd Jan | St. George’s | 8:00PMTickets: £19.50/£15.00/£7.00 (plus booking fee) As mutual admirers of the great ‘stone-face’ Ian Lavender and *Robin Ince will delight the audience telling us how they’ve been inspired by Keaton’s stunt work and comedy. This will be followed by a superb double … Read more

Marcus Meets the Goodies Sat 23rd Jan | St. George’s | 5:00PMTickets: £15.00/£12.00/£6.00 (plus booking fee) Satirist and comedian Marcus Brigstocke (God Collar, The Brig Society) meets the UK’s finest comedy trio reunited at Slapstick Festival for a rare public screening of their western comedy classic ‘Bun Fight at the OK Tea Rooms’ (1975) Dir … Read more

Barry Cryer & Ronnie Golder: Past Masters Sun 24th Jan | St. George’s | 8:00PMTickets: £15.00/£12.00/£6.00 (plus booking fee) Live music and classic comedy from this exceptional pair as they close the weekend Slapstick Celebrations. Expect comedy songs and gags galore from the well-loved duo, just back from the Edinburgh Fringe and proving they are … Read more

SOLD OUT! Ken Dodd OBE: Comedy Legend Mon 25th Jan | St George’s | 7:30PMTickets: £22.00/£16.00/£8.00 (plus booking fee) THIS EVENT HAD NOW SOLD OUT! We are absolutely tickled pink to be giving the fourth annual ‘Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award’ to none other than comedy icon and national treasure, Ken Dodd. He is unrivalled … Read more

It’s Shaun the Sheep!With the Writers/Directors in Conversation with Marcus Brigstoke. Sat 23th Jan | St. George’s | 12:30PMTickets: £10.00/£7.50/£5.00 Under 12s £6.00 (plus booking fee) Aardman’s latest movie has been a huge box office success and attracted rave reviews from all over the world. Shaun’s fame is such that the TV series is broadcast … Read more

Last Friday Slapstick Festival, in partnership with Bristol Festival of Ideas and Aardman Animations, awarded Barry Cryer OBE with the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award. In accepting it Barry became the third winner of the award, joining Barry Humphries CBE (2014) and June Whitfield CBE (2013). More information about the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award … Read more

NEVER MISS A LUBITSCH! The neatest recent assessment of the films of Ernst Lubitsch is that of the Chicago critic Michael Wilminton: they are, he says, “at once elegant and ribald, sophisticated and earthy, urbane and bemused, frivolous yet profound. They were directed by a man who was amused by sex rather than frightened of … Read more

by Steve Massa Take one hapless tramp that dreams of bathing in bathtubs of beer, suffers from tenacious hookworms, and regularly undergoes reconstructive surgery with blunt instruments but always lives totell about it in the next episode, and you have The Mishaps of Musty Suffer. Done as a comedy serial where each chapter chronicles the … Read more

June Whitfield CBE and Nick Park CBE to become Festival Patrons The Slapstick Team are thrilled to be able to announce that veterancomedy actor June Whitfield and Nick Park, the multiple Oscar-winningcreator of Wallace and Gromit, have agreed to become patrons ofSlapstick. We are delighted to be in such distinguished company andto have support from … Read more

Slapstick Supports The Grand Appeal Jan 2014 Slapstick is proud to be supporting The Grand Appeal by donating 10% of our proceeds from the Gromit: Silent Comedy Canine event. Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal is the only charity fundraising exclusively for the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and St Michael’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Special … Read more