A trio of comedy stars have been revealed as the latest headliners for the 2019 Aberdeen International Comedy Festival.
Hal Cruttenden, Craig Hill and John Finnemore will bring their acclaimed acts to the thriving festival, which is taking place in venues across the city centre from October 3 to October 13.
Introduced to the Granite City in 2016 by Aberdeen Inspired, the festival has grown considerably and now attracts the top international comedians.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “Preparations are ramping up for the Aberdeen International Comedy Festival later this year and we are sure comedy fans will be thrilled with news on our latest headliners.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming Hal Cruttenden, Craig Hill and John Finnemore for what is definitely shaping up to be our most ambitious and fun festival to date. All three comedians are well-loved and have big followings, so we are delighted to have secured them.
“From local talent to international stars, we have a fantastic line-up of performers at the forefront of comedy joining us for the festival, and we can’t wait to bring plenty of laughs to Aberdeen in October.”
Craig Hill will be the first in the spotlight, bringing his Bottoms Up show to the Tivoli Theatre on Saturday, October 5. Fresh from making his solo debut on New York’s off-Broadway, Craig’s in the pink this year, channelling his best Bertie Bassett, turning 50 shades of gay, and proving it takes Allsorts to make the world go round in his bubbly, fun new show.
Renowned all over the world for his cheeky, irreverent and high-octane performances, Craig’s tours are firmly established as one of the best nights out around. His razor-sharp wit and unsurpassed audience rapport provide the perfect blend for a brilliant night of pure, unadulterated comedy.
John Finnemore, writer and star of the multi-award-winning BBC Radio shows “John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme”, “Cabin Pressure” and “John Finnemore’s Double Acts”, will bring his new live show Flying Visit to the festival on Sunday, October 6.
With the help of special guests from Souvenir Programme, John will be performing brand new sketches, some old favourites and - unless someone can stop him - quite possibly a song, at the Tivoli Theatre. The show will also feature a live stage appearance from Cabin Pressure’s Arthur Shappey: the most cheerful, least helpful steward in the skies. Kids are welcome, so long as they laugh in the right places. Actually, that goes for adults too.
The fun doesn’t stop there, as one of the top stand-up comedians working in the UK today, Hal Cruttenden, performs at the Douglas Hotel on Monday, October 7.
Also a highly accomplished writer and actor, Hal has literally filled our screens recently on Have I Got News For You, The Apprentice: You're Fired, The Great British Bake Off: Extra Slice, and Live At The Apollo. His daughters chose the title of his new stand-up show – Chubster! He's now on a diet.
Alongside his regular TV appearances, the second series of his radio sitcom ‘Hal’ (co-written with Dominic Holland) was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and he has released two comedy DVDs, ‘Tough Luvvie’ (Universal) and ‘Straight Outta Cruttenden’(Amazon Prime and NextUpComedy.com). He has toured the country extensively and, in the last two years, has also taken shows to the Melbourne Comedy Festival and the New Zealand Comedy Festival.
The Aberdeen International Comedy Festival will run at a multitude of city venues, bars and clubs over the course of 11 days from Thursday, October 3 until Sunday, October 13, 2019. It will continue to shine a spotlight on local talent as well as showcasing the best acts on both the national and international comedy circuit. The festival has been organised and promoted in its entirety by Aberdeen Inspired since 2016 with generous support from The McGinty’s Group Scotland and Balmoral Group.
Adrian Watson added: “The new branding takes the festival to the next level. It reflects its ambitious programme and the growing aspirations of the festival and repositions it to signal the fact that we are presenting comedy in the city every October of the highest quality, not only from local acts but comedians that regularly tour to festivals on the international circuit.”
For more information go to www.aberdeencomedyfestival.com
