Sunday 18th February
19:30 Studio, Bristol Old Vic
Lucky Dog Theatre Productions return to Slapstick with a follow-up to their internationally loved and award-winning ‘Hats Off To Laurel And Hardy’ with a new show recreating favourite Stan and Ollie movie sequences plus sketches and song and dance routines performed by the duo during their 1940s/50s theatre tours, including on their visit to Bristol Hippodrome.
Sunday 18th February
16:30 Studio, Bristol Old Vic
Taking Mark Twain’s advice “Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story”, humourists Barnaby Eaton-Jones and Robert Hammond offer up an illustrated lecture delving into comedy’s history and introducing a hilarious cast of overlooked, and possibly spoof, comedians who never quite made it.
Sunday 18th February
13:30 Studio, Bristol Old Vic
Actor/impressionist Colin Elmer, who has played the unique and much beloved Kenneth Williams in many touring stage productions, including of Round The Horne, brings his one-man show to Bristol – telling the star’s story, using Williams’s own writings, anecdotes about him and re-enactments of routines and catch-phrases.
Sunday 18th February
20:30 – 22:00 Bristol Old Vic Theatre
from £15-£35 plus fees
He is feted as one of the UK’s most versatile actors – justly praised for his performances in dramas, thrillers, biopics, musicals and Shakespeare plays on stage, film and TV.
Robert Lindsay’s comedy credentials are equally impressive, thanks to long-running roles in acclaimed series’ such as My Family and Citizen Smith and cameo appearances in a wide range of sitcoms, including Absolutely Fabulous, Extras, The Office and in Victoria Wood Xmas special.
Here, he shares favourite stories from his outstanding career in comedy before receiving the Aardman Slapstick Award for Comedy made especially for him by Aardman model-makers and inspired by his portrayal of Wolfie ‘Power To the People’ Smith. Hosted by journalist/broadcaster Matthew Sweet.
Sunday 18th February
5.30pm Bristol Old Vic
from £15 -£32 plus fees
With a General Election looming, cast leaders Sir Michael Palin and Robert Lindsay join Alan Bleasdale to take a timely look back at his highly controversial dark comedy about political divisions and abuses of power.
First shown in 1991 this acclaimed series attracted the attention of fraud police and threats of libel suits while also earning multiple Best Actor awards for Robert Lindsay and BAFTA nominations for Sir Michael and Lindsay Duncan.
Also featuring Dame Julie Walters, Anna Friel and Coronation Street’s Jane Danson and a compelling Elvis Costello soundtrack. Illustrated with extracts hosted by series superfan Robin Ince.
Sunday 18th February
9.30am Watershed
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
It has been called ‘the lost great sit-com’, ‘an unsung masterpiece’, ‘a delight’ and ‘ahead of its time’ but now you can enter the world of this lamentably short-lived Made In Bristol series – set in a 1950s seaside town where a building firm foreman Big Jim and his team are forever finding new and hilarious ways to avoid doing any work!
Cast members David Beckett, Sylvester McCoy, David Beckett and series producer Colin Rose share anecdotes and clips from the production, their memories of working with Bob Hoskins and Sir Tony Robinson, and explain why slapstick comedy played such an important role in every episode.
Saturday 17th Feb
21:45 Lantern Hall, Bristol Beacon
Dir: Brian De Palma USA 1974 1hr 32m
£8.50 (£6.50/£5.00 concs)
Step into a world where music, mystery, and mayhem collide in “Phantom of Paradise,” a cinematic masterpiece that transcends time and genre.
A film that defies conventions and dances on the edge of fantasy and reality. It is the hauntingly beautiful tale of Swan, a music tycoon with a sinister agenda, and Winslow Leach, the disfigured composer seeking redemption.
With an amazing soundtrack and avant-garde visuals, this cult classic pushes boundaries and celebrates the magic of the unconventional. Introduced by Harriet Taylor , producer, writer and director of SWITCH.
This event is brought to you in partnership with SWITCH and Queer Vision Film Festival
Saturday 17th Feb
19:45 Lantern Hall, Bristol Beacon
£16.00 (£12.00/£8.00 concs)
Celebrating Sylvester McCoy, an actor probably best known now as the darkly clown-like 7th incarnation of The Doctor in the BBC TV series DOCTOR WHO, a role he has returned to several times, including in the reboot’s 2022 The Power of The Doctor episode.
He made his screen debut in 1965 playing silent characters in the cast of the Bristol-made VISION ON (which also kickstarted the careers of Aardman Animations founders Peter Lord and Dave Sproxton) and has been displaying his flair for physical/ visual comedy ever since, including in stage portrayals of Stan Laurel and Buster Keaton.
Join Matthew Sweet as he quizzes Sylvester about his career, comedy heroes and favourite stage and screen memories ahead of the handing over of the Slapstick Legacy Medal – honouring performers who keep slapstick traditions alive.
Event running approx time 100mins
Saturday 17th Feb
17:45 Lantern Hall, Bristol Beacon
£16.00 (£14.00/£8.00 concs)
Dir: Harry Hill UK 2023 52mins
Step into the hilarious and heartwarming world of Harry Hill’s THE LAST CAVEMAN, a cinematic experience that will leave you smiling! It’s a lonely life being a caveman, especially if you believe you’re the last one on Earth. Bear fights, love, death and new life as the last caveman finds out that maybe he’s not as alone as he thought.
A chance to see The South West premiere of Harry’s latest innovative onscreen project as he showcases his unparalleled talent and unwavering passion for silent comedy. Introduced by Harry Hill. Plus, Harry makes a special appearance as the Caveman, bringing the character to life right before your eyes! + Q&A.
AGE ADVISORY 8+:
Suitable for audiences aged 8 and above, making it the perfect family-friendly outing
Saturday 17th Feb
16:00 The Lantern at Bristol Beacon
£16.00 (£12.00/£8.00 concs)
Tim Vine shares video clips from his life and career where he falls over or does something physical in search of humour. As well as moments from Tim’s TV appearances this show includes previously unseen footage of Tim aged 18 being deliberately visual.
Come along and enjoy an avalanche of joyous nonsense in a physical vein.
Saturday 17th Feb
14:00 The Lantern at Bristol Beacon
£12.00 (£10.00/£7.00 concs)
Join us for a laugh-out loud afternoon as Mike McCartney hand picks his favourite Keaton short films, reminiscing from childhood. In conversation with a special guest host (TBC), Mike shares stories of his own comedy mischief from his time in chart topping band The Scaffold and reveals why he so admires the great stone face performer.
A rare chance to celebrate this master of onscreen silent comedy.
With live piano accompaniment from John Sweeney.
Event running approx time 75mins
Saturday 17th Feb
11:30 The Lantern at Bristol Beacon
Dir: Tim Vine UK 2016 82 mins
£14.00 (£11.00/£8.00 concs)
A giant moth begins to attack the small town of Hazelpocket and the manager of the local Lightbulb shop is blamed. It doesn’t help that he also has a fear of the dark (the manager, not the moth) and that his son has only one functioning eye. Adding an element of absurdity to Slapstick’s Comedy Horror strand, Tim introduces his latest passion project.
This is only the second public big screen showing of FEARMOTH. Written, directed and starring Tim Vine and supported by John Archer and Mona Al-Habib Nmeir. After the film Tim will be taking questions, many of which he won’t be able to answer.
Event running approx time 100mins
Saturday 17th Feb
09:45 Watershed Cinema 3
Dir: Charles Barton USA 1948 1hr 28m
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
A fun-for-all-the-family ‘relaxed screening’ of comedy horror masterpiece in which one of the USA’s most popular Slapstick comedy double acts takes delivery of new items for a horror museum only to find themselves besieged by dangers from Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and a werewolf.
Starring comic legends Bud Abbott and Lou Costello alongside some of the best known horror film actors including Lon Chaney Jnr, Bela Lugosi and Vincent Price.
Saturday 17th Feb
09:30 Watershed
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Whether it was Harold Lloyd accidentally blowing a few of his own fingers off, death by ostrich attack, or a chariot accident during Ben-Hur, the actors and stuntmen of early motion pictures had a lot to complain about when it came to ‘health and safety’ — or lack thereof.
Join Christina Newland, lead film critic at the i Newspaper and contributing editor at Empire, in an hour long story-telling session about the hijinx, dangers, and sometimes not-at-all death-defying adventures in the early days of silent comedy and beyond.
If you’ve ever wondered about the old ‘I must have killed more men than Cecil B. DeMille’ joke in Blazing Saddles, this one’s for you. Age Advisory 15+
Friday 16th Feb.
19:30 Beacon Hall Bristol Beacon
DOWNTON ABBEY, THE GOLD and PADDINGTON films star Hugh Bonneville introduces a triple bill of laugh-out-loud silent comedy classics, back in the auditorium where Slapstick began and with each showing on a giant screen with live musical accompaniment.
Topping the film bill at the Slapstick’s 20th gala will be the double Oscar-nominated THE GOLD RUSH (1925), written and directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin as a lone Klondike prospector who discovers it is easier to find trouble than gold, and featuring a real bear and dancing bread rolls.
Joining it in the line-up will be the 1922 short COPS which finds an impressively acrobatic Buster Keaton being chased by a city’s entire police force, and BIG BUSINESS (1929), starring Laurel & Hardy as hilariously incompetent Christmas tree salesmen.
Providing the live musical accompaniment for THE GOLD RUSH will be the 16-piece Bristol Ensemble, conducted by Günter A. Buchwald, with pianist John Sweeney accompanying COPS and Günter and Frank Bockius playing for BIG BUSINESS.
There will also be pre-interval entertainment from Cheryl Knight, giving excerpts from her Joyce Grenfell tribute show which proved such a hit at Slapstick 2023 and, in the foyer before curtain-up, the Bristol-based Shanghai Shuffle jazz band performing tunes from the silent film era.
Foyer entertainment from 6pm from Shanghai Shuffle
Friday 16th Feb.
16:45 Watershed Cinema 3
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Keaton researcher Polly Rose hosts a live conversation direct from New York with Dana Stevens, author of the best-selling, rave reviewed, book Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema and the Invention of the Twentieth Century’ about the dazzling new insights it offers into Keaton’s life and work by viewing his story alongside what was happening at the same time in entertainment, journalism, law, technology, social change, attitudes to addiction and more.
Friday 16th Feb.
13:30 Watershed
Dir: Clarence Brown USA 1926 1hr 48m
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Norma Talmadge is best-remembered for silent melodramas but she was a fine comedy actor, too, as proved by this Paris-set romcom. In it, she plays a street waif angling for a singing and dancing job in a theatre and for the heart of its handsome manager (Ronald Colman).
Her ruses involve sparky battles with his fiancée (Gertrude Astor), barricading herself into his bedroom and terrorising his valet (George K. Arthur). With an introduction from Lucy Porter and Daan van den Hurk accompanying on piano.
Friday 16th Feb.
11:40 Watershed
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Charlie Chaplin once confessed Lloyd Hamilton was the comedy film actor he most envied; Charley Chase confessed to handling difficult scenes by asking himself “How would Lloyd have done it?”; according to Buster Keaton, Hamilton was “one of the funniest men in pictures.”
So why is someone so admired by his peers virtually forgotten now, and is this deserved? Find out from Graeme Garden and an array of clips. With live piano accompaniment from John Sweeney.
Friday 16th Feb.
09:30 Watershed
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Slapstick patron Marcus Brigstocke joins an enthusiastic panel of Stan & Ollie admirers hosted by Robin Ince as they revel in the global effort which has gone into finding and restoring the films made by Stan and Ollie in 1927 – the first full year of a comedy partnership that would go on to enjoy enduring popularity.
This event will include screenings of DUCK SOUP (directed by Fred Guoil) and BATTLE OF THE CENTURY (Clyde Brookman/ Leo McCarey) with live piano accompaniment by Daan van den Hurk.
Approx event running time 90mins
Thursday 15th Feb.
20:30 Lantern Hall at Bristol Beacon
£16.00 (£12.00/£8.00 concs)
Broadcaster Samira Ahmed quizzes Graeme Garden on whether it is time to re-appraise the hit 1970s/80s TV series The Goodies – co-created and performed by Graeme with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Bill Oddie.
Back then, the series was often seen as ‘kids stuff’. But with the help of hand-picked extracts, Samira Ahmed argues that the series has been overlooked as a catalyst for social change – making ground-breaking challenges to prevailing attitudes of the time by defying gender stereotypes and boldly addressing still topical issues, including censorship, apartheid and more..
Approx event running time 90mins
Thursday 15th Feb.
£15.00 (£12.00/£8.00 concs)
18:00 Lantern Hall at Bristol Beacon
Dir: Matt Holt UK 2023 35 mins
Comedian, actor, broadcaster and writer Marcus Brigstocke introduces the South-West premiere of a truly charming film in which photographer Andy Hollingworth takes Stan Laurel’s touring hat from Stan’s birthplace in Cumbria to the County Cork harbour town which gave Laurel & Hardy such a joyous welcome in September 1953 both always recalled it as the greatest day of their lives. Plus a screening of their favourite Stan & Ollie short and all followed by an ‘in conversation’ with Andy and Matt the film’s director/ cinematographer.
Approx event running time 90mins
Thursday 15th Feb.
16:00 Watershed
11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Halloween is past, but Ben Model and Steve Massa bring it back with a live performance of three surreal and scary shorts.
First on the bill is A Fraternity Mixup (1926) where Alice Ardell and Gale Henry spend the night in a spooky girl’s school where they are visited by an escaped gorilla.
In Local Showers (1916) poor Musty Suffer has a toothache and gets an appointment with the dentist from hell (saying “dentist” is scary enough for most people).
Finally, The Haunted House (1921) sees Buster Keaton investigating the strange going-ons in the titular abode. This creepy trio is curated and hosted by Ben Model, accompanying live on piano, and Steve Massa.
Ben Model and Steve Massa have been entertaining silent comedy fans online since March 2020 with their Sunday night Silent Comedy Watch Parties. The live-streamed events, showcasing rare and better-known silent comedy, have been creating a buzz and keeping people laughing across the globe at a time when it’s been most needed.
This event will be available to live stream.
Approx event running time 70mins
Thursday 15th Feb
13:45 Watershed
Dir: E. Mason Hopper USA 1926 76mins
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Actor/comedian Lucy Porter introduces this silent romantic farce in which Marie Prevost meets, falls for and marries Harrison Ford (Hollywood’s first of that name) only to divorce him after she discovers he’s secretly bought some daring female underwear which she believes is for another woman. She is mistaken, of course, but is it too late to win him back? With Daan van den Hurk accompanying on piano.
Approx event running time 76mins
Thursday 15th Feb
11.30 Watershed
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Silent comedy superstar Buster Keaton continued working long after sound was added to pictures. Here Keaton researcher Polly Rose focuses on three films exemplifying the best of Keaton’s speaking roles – two in acclaimed comedy shorts from the 1930s, the third as the lead in a British television drama from 1954.
The choices include GRAND SLAM OPERA (1936), featuring Buster’s dance homage to Fred Astaire, described by Film Daily on its release as “a laugh riot – easily the best comedy Keaton has ever delivered!”
Approx event running time 90mins
Thursday 15th Feb
Cert 12A
09.30 Watershed
Dir: William A Seiter USA 1926 70mins
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
This delightful comedy showcases the unique comedy style of silent star Reginald Denny, known for his portrayals of the all-American man.
In this fine and funny farce, he plays a bridegroom-to-be who escapes a police raid on a poker game by seeking refuge in a Turkish baths. But it’s Ladies Night at the baths, compelling him to disguise himself as a woman.
With an introduction from broadcaster Chris Serle and a live piano accompaniment from Daan van den Hurk.
Approx event running time 75mins
Wednesday 14th Feb.
21:30 Bristol Beacon: Lantern Hall
£12.50 (£9.00 concs)
Age Advisory 15+
Approx event running time 70mins
Prepare to be both hilariously entertained and spooked to your core with the return of Slapstick Festival’s “Stranger Films” event, hosted once more by award-winning comedian/filmmaker and writer Alasdair Beckett-King.
He will be sharing a collection of spooky and strange silent comedy shorts from pioneering film legends Thomas Edison, Georges Méliès and beyond.
Films which will challenge your perceptions of silent film. Trust us – films don’t come much stranger than these.
Wednesday 14th Feb.
19:00 Bristol Beacon: Lantern Hall
£12.50 (£9.00 concs)
Dir: Paul Leni USA 1927 80mins
Kicking off Slapstick’s Comedy Horror strand, get ready for a spine-tingling night of laughter and suspense with the pioneering silent comedy-horror The Cat & The Canary (1927).
Surviving relatives gather at a creepy mansion for a will reading, but something sinister lurks in the shadows. Its seminal influence can be seen in the development of the horror genre, making it a significant and historically important work.
Hosting the evening are author/comedian Robin Ince and YouTuber/comedian Alasdair Beckett-King. Maestro Guenter A. Buchwald adds a haunting live piano and violin soundtrack.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this cinematic milestone!
Approx event running time 90mins
Wednesday 14th Feb.
16:15 Watershed
£8.50 (concessions £5.00)
National treasure Barry Cryer rarely missed a Slapstick festival and was as beloved by our audiences as he was by showbiz colleagues and the British public. In this event, Barry’s son, Bob Cryer draws on material from his highly-praised book – Barry Cryer: Same Time Tomorrow – the lives and laughs of a comedy legend – to share his personal memories and favourite Cryer gags with Andrew Kelly.
With a Q&A to finish, followed by a book signing.
In collaboration with Bristol Festival of Ideas
Approx event running time 70mins
Cert 15
Wednesday 14th Feb. 14:00 Watershed
Dir: Sam Taylor 1926 USA 77mins
£11.00 (£8.50/ £5.00 concs)
Beatrice Lillie was already a stage superstar and billed as ‘the funniest woman in the world’ when she made her Hollywood debut in this film – her only silent and an early solo directing gig for longtime Harold Lloyd collaborator Sam Taylor. In it, she plays a maid working for a travelling theatre company who dreams of becoming a leading lady. But there’s a snag. Unlike Lillie, she can’t act. Various reviewers describe her as ‘wonderful, hilarious, mesmerising”.
Watch out too for Franklin Pangborn in a laugh-out-loud role which earned this film a place in TCM’s Gay Images in Hollywood series. With an onscreen introduction by Slapstick favourite film historian legend David Robinson and with live piano accompaniment from Daan van den Hurk.
Approx event running time 85 mins
Date: Friday 16 Feb 2024
Venue: Bristol Beacon
Time: 19:30
Music from the Shanghai Shuffle jazz band from 18:00
Price: £16.00 – £55
Early Bird offer: Book before Sun 1 Oct and get £4.00 off (not including concession tickets)
U18s: £5.00 off all ticket prices
Please be aware that Slapstick Festival Passes will become available shortly, and if you intend to purchase one, it’s worth noting that premium seats for the gala will be included.
Get ready to step back in time and laugh your heart out at the 20th edition of our illustrious Classic Comedy Gala in 2024!
The 2024 Gala returns to Beacon Hall big screen outings of three laugh-out-loud silent comedy classics, all accompanied by world -class live music.
Hosting the evening is award-winning actor and star of the Downton Abbey and Paddington film series, Hugh Bonneville.
Topping the film bill will be Charlie Chaplin’s masterwork The Gold Rush (1925), accompanied by the 15-piece Bristol Ensemble playing Chaplin’s own score, conducted by musical maestro and festival friend Günter A. Buchwald.
Before this finale, the hilarious Laurel & Hardy short Big Business (1929) and one of Buster Keaton’s most admired and innovative short comedies, Cops (1921) will be screened.
To set the mood for the evening, Shanghai Shuffle (see below) will be playing in Bridgehouse (the foyer space at Bristol Beacon) from 18:00, providing a musical speakeasy atmosphere that captures the essence of the 1920s.
Dress for the occasion! 1920s/30s clothing and costumes very welcome (but of course, very optional).
Hot jazz from Shanghai Shuffle, a band seeped in an era of fast-paced, heavily syncopated music, all washed down in bath tub gin and French champagne. Close your eyes, have a cocktail or two, and it’s the 1920s not the 2020s.”
Shanghai Shuffle are a lively, upbeat 1920s jazz band with a distinctive flair for bringing this much-loved music alive, keeping it fresh and accessible to all generations. With some of the busiest swing musicians from the hottest jazz bands in town Shanghai Shuffle are regulars at The Old Duke and other local speakeasies as well as being in demand for Gatsby, Peaky Blinders events and all things 1920s”
Hot jazz from Shanghai Shuffle, a band seeped in an era of fast-paced, heavily syncopated music, all washed down in bath tub gin and French champagne. Close your eyes, have a cocktail or two, and it’s the 1920s not the 2020s.
So put down your noodle juice, get a wiggle on, grab your glad rags, and get out your gams, because if you know your onions then you’ll know that these Hepcats sure are the berries.
