FESTIVAL DIARY DAY 2 - the morning after the night before...

It's ON.
The festival has begun with an explosion of colour, laughter and large animals. It all began with the VIP launch party at Chutney Ivy, which has been transformed once again into Dave's Curry House by Reach Marketing - and a fine job they've done, with red carpet and other luxury trimmings, full-size knight in armour, several large animals dotted around the place and photos of past performers adorning the walls. Outside we could see Captain Comedy wandering the streets along with a posse of Nando's promoters led by a giant chicken - which immediately led everyone to wonder whether we'd see Peter Griffin turn up at some point to fight it. Sadly not... yet.

FESTIVAL PREVIEW #4: The Best of the Rest of the Fest (part 2)

Well hello there. With just 3 days to go until the start of the festival, I hope you're getting as excited as I am about the prospect of over 500 shows over 17 days in our town. To further whet your whistle, here we go with another preview post to help you pick which shows you fancy checking out...

An inventive visual representation of something you can't see: Comedy in the Dark.

UNUSUAL EXPERIENCES - There are plenty of events taking place that take comedy beyond the traditional format of microphone, stage and performer, to delight the senses and amuse the brain with a very new experience. Comedy in the Dark does exactly what it says on the tin - a selection of short comedy sets performed in total darkness. The Red Light Comedy Show takes the brightness up a notch, being an evening of stand-up in the haunted basement of the Town Hall lit entirely by bicycle lights. If cookery shows are your thing, the most amusing one you're ever likely see takes place at Chutney Ivy restaurant in the form of the Comedy Curry Cook-off. Fans of history and heritage (very big at the moment with all this ***King Richard III business) can take a guided walk around Leicester's historical places of interest with a short performance at each venue. Another intriguing prospect is Hotel D'Comedie, in which guests wander the suites of Hotel Maiyango, encountering a different comedian/act in each room, making for an unusually intimate, bespoke series of mini-gigs.

JANUARY COMEDY LISTINGS

So the world didn't end. Did you seriously think it would? Come on...
No, I'm afraid we've got to do it all over again. Another January back to work, still hung over from New Year's Eve, still skint from Christmas with about four hundred weeks to go 'til next payday. Or maybe that's just me. Anyway, don't mind me - I'm just a little grumpy due to lack of nicotine. Thankfully there is a bright side to all this 'inevitable march of time' business, for a new year means a new month, and that means a brand spanking new set of comedy listings for you to peruse - hurray!

The big event this month has to be the festival preview show at De Montfort Hall on Friday 11th, hosted by Phoenix Nights' Dave Spikey, with acts Piff the Magic Dragon, Pat Cahill and Suzi Ruffell confirmed so far, with the Other Preview Show happening on the same night night over at Chutney Ivy, hosted by Ed Gamble with Gareth Richards, Angela Barnes and Joel Dommett with more to be confirmed. And keep your eyes peeled on Facebook and Twitter over the next few days and weeks, because I've got some FREE TICKETS to give away!!!

Tue 8th - Laughing Calves feat Maureen Younger @ The Red Tent

Fri 11th  - Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival Preview Show @ De Montfort Hall

Fri 11th - The Other Preview Show @ Chutney Ivy

Fri 11th/Sat 12th - Roger Monkhouse, Junior Simpson, Julian Deane @ Just the Tonic

Tue 15th - Lions Eat Ice Cream: Dr Ettrick-Hogg Takeover @ Looking Glass

Tue 15th - Big Value Comedy Auditions @ Just the Tonic

Wed 16th - Nibbles with Giggles feat Ben Hustwayte and Hannah Silvester @ Entropy

Fri 18th / Sat 19th - Phil Kay, Gordon Southern, Jen Brister, Darrell Martin @ Just the Tonic

Mon 21st - The Mitford Sisters @ The Cookie Jar

Tue 22nd - Big Value Comedy Auditions @ Just the Tonic

Thu 24th - Unidentified Flying Improv @ Just the Tonic

Thu 24th - Should I Stay Or Should I Go? @ Kayal

Fri 25th / Sat 26th - Dave Johns, Pat Burtscher, Mandy Knight @ Just the Tonic

Tue 29th - Lions Eat Ice Cream: Festival Sampler @ Looking Glass

Tue 29th - Big Value Comedy Auditions @ Just the Tonic

There you have it - email, tweet, prod, shout or throw things at me if I've missed anything off. Christ knows what I'm going to do for listings next month - there's over 500 shows on! Tell you what - pick yourself up a festival brochure now, they're all over the city and county, then switch the telly off for half an hour and have a damn good look through it, picking out some shows you'd like to see...  YES THAT'S RIGHT - YOU DO SOME OF THE WORK FOR A CHANGE!! Meanwhile, like the jolly good Samaritan I am, I'll be posting during this month with some of my picks of the festival line-up, and if I'm feeling generous I might even break them down into categories to help you narrow down the somewhat elephantine choice of shows on offer.

Deal?

Good. And keep an eye out for the FREE TICKETS coming very soon!!

Cheers,

Paul.