Slapstick 2023 Announcement
An announcement from Slapstick Festival Director, Chris Daniels
Welcome to the 19th edition of Bristol’s very own Silent, Visual and Classic Comedy Festival.
Music has been a key ingredient of every Slapstick since the festival began, but for our 19th annual edition, we’re giving it extra special attention.
As well as live accompaniments to all our silent films, we’re celebrating some of the many marriages between comedy and music, including via classic mockumentaries, Beatles revelations and family-friendly movies filled with hit songs.
Alongside the musical comedy thread, there’s another – eight event strand saluting the comic legacy of Michael Palin & Monty Python’s Flying Circus, including solo projects by Sir Michael and nods to people they influenced. Central to this, our 2023 guest curator, Sir Michael Palin (who will be 80 in May) will be joining us, introducing a selection of his favourite starring and non-starring films.
Another related strand features events saluting Monty Python’s Flying Circus, including solo projects by key Python members and people they influenced. As part of this, our 2023 guest curator, Sir Michael Palin (who will be 80 in May) will be joining us, introducing a selection of his favourite starring and non-starring films.
National treasure Sir Michael will not, of course, be our only special guest. Others in the live line-up include Rob Brydon, Graeme Garden, Harry Hill, Peter Lord, Alex Lovell, Griff Rhys Jones, Paul Mcgann, Stephen Merchant, Nigel Planer, Lucy Porter, Peter Richardson and all three members of The Scaffold.
As ever, much of the programme is dedicated to silent film comedy, its stars and innovators, with many of the films rare to see, recently rediscovered &/or newly restored. With this, we are delighted to be welcoming some of the finest champions of cinema and comedy’s history, among them the Oscar-winning Kevin Brownlow, Oliver Double, Polly Rose and Steve Massa/Ben Model.
Please look out for the following three themes: Silent Comedy, Musical Comedy, and Palin & Python
None of this would be possible without the kind support of our major sponsors (Aardman Animations and the BFI, awarding funds from
the National Lottery); the many supporters who offer help in cash or in-kind and the festival’s volunteers, advisers, venues and crews.
But what matters is the joy everyone gets from experiencing stellar comedy as it was made to be seen – on a big screen, amid an audience, all laughing together. So please do join us and let the laughter begin.
Chris Daniels
Director
Slapstick Festival