PRESS RELEASE: For immediate release June 3rd 2021
After a punishing year, a bumper Comedy category at the Buxton Fringe (July 7-25) promises parties, gameshows, outrageous stand up and much more.
Rob Rouse, Bottom in BBC’s Upstart Crow, is “thrilled to be back arsing around live in person” in No Refunds, as well as a comedy gameshow, Dirty Scrabble. Andy Quirk, an online hit in 2020’s Fringe, is also making a welcome return with two shows, the musical comedy At Home With Miss Angela Bra and a double act with Anna J, the enticing Annie and Angela’s Disco Divorce Party. There is more partying as Mike Raffone offers his lottery-themed Great Green Gameshow Giveaway and Steve Vertigo presents his cabaret show Full Frontal Newsity.
Vertigo is also bringing Murmuration, a show described as an avian adventure with quantum theory. Meanwhile Buxton favourite Nathan Cassidy, the award-winning comic who actually managed a live show at last year’s Fringe, offers a performance with a sting in the tale, Bumblebee. The weirdness continues with surreal musical musings from award-winning female double act Bignell & Andrews and there is a touch of comedy horror Cheekykita Presents’ Him Indoors, described as “the Might Boosh meets The Wicker Man, with eels”. Charmian Hughes meanwhile builds her show round a Hammer Horror film that she saw aged eight.
Bringing us back down to earth, Ian Crawford revives his sell-out lecture Accident Avoidance Training for Cutlery Users, while Alex Kealy presents his acclaimed stand-up hour, Monopoly, on Silicon Valley, advertising and addiction. Fake nations and cybersecurity are some of the themes of Gerard Harris’s Banned in the USA. The manic Canadian storyteller is also pushing the boat out with a no-holds barred second show that he says is not even for the “medium offended”.
Audiences have a chance to create their own comedy in the fairytale-themed improv show Foolish Bandits from Cast Vs Crew and in two performances from the riotous Impromptu Shakespeare Improv Company. Questions of England from The Institute of Managing Performance is described as “QI meets Whose Line is it Anyway”.
Genres collide as stand up Richard Pulsford presents an alternative history show, It Just So Happened, as well as a show full of one-liners and silly jokes, A Bit Rich. Andy Gilbert combines poetry, storytelling and theatre in his mini masterclass, The Poetry Teacher.
There is plenty of northern wit and warmth in I’ll Have What She’s Having’s Whine, Women and Thong while Zoe Bury brings cringe-worthy moments from her life as a visually-impaired mum and nurse in OverSharing. Tell Tale Tits meanwhile bear all in Her Ps and Qs about their unexpected relationship.
For those wanting sure-fire entertainment from a variety of different comics, Fringe institution Barrel of Laughs at Underground offers a comedy showcase over three hectic nights.
For full details of all the performances at Buxton Fringe see www.buxtonfringe.org.uk or the free Buxton Fringe App. Fringe Marketing Officer Stephanie Billen says: “Far from being crushed by the pandemic, our comics seem to be bouncier than ever and I can’t wait to have a laugh with them in person at this year’s Fringe.”
The Fringe wishes to thank High Peak Borough Council, its Fringe Friends and the town’s many Fringe supporters and venues.
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