Summer Previews at The Greenbank

Ace local comedy promoters Bristol Punchline brings a week-long celebration of alternative comedy to The Greenbank from July 11 to 15. Award-winning comedians including Josie Long, Nish Kumar, Danielle Ward, Spencer Jones and Adam Hess will be previewing the shows they’ll be taking up to the Edinburgh Fringe and touring this year.

Here’s BP’s Dave Taylor with a few choice words on each act. 

Monday 11
John-Luke Roberts
Alternative Comedy Memorial Society co-host, and co-writer of Robert Lindsay and Maureen Lipman’s sitcom Bull, John-Luke’s (pictured above) 2015 Edinburgh show was lauded by critics and audience, and we are excited to see what is in store for this year.
“A raw, fearless, boundary-pushing hour of introspective clowning and provocative anti-comedy” – Time Out ****

Spencer Jones as The Herbert
Expect an hour of joyful buffoonery from this hilarious character comic-cum-clown. As seen on Live From The BBC, Shakespeare sitcom Upstart Crow and stuff like Still Open All Hours. Spencer’s 2015 Edinburgh show won him Best Performer and Best Show as voted by his fellow performers.
“Possibly the nicest, funniest, silliest, most heart-warming hour you can have this August” – The Scotsman ****

Tuesday 11
Danielle Ward
Being a teenager in the 90s was hard enough (Blur, Oasis or Throbbing Gristle?) but now there’s a whole new set of things to worry about. How much pubic hair should you have? Can feminists enjoy hip hop? Let the host of hit podcast Do The Right Thing guide you through this difficult time with stand-up, songs and one sexually explicit mime.

Ellen Waddell
In her latest comedy performance piece, Bristol-based Ellen tackles the necessity of lying in life, love, friendship and when applying for administrative jobs at truck logistics companies. Ellen’s debut show Jean-Luc Picard and Me was both moving and hilarious: expectations are high.

Wednesday 13
Josie Long
Thrice nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award, the champion of positivity presents a new work-in-progress show.

Grace Petrie
Grace Petrie is a songwriter, activist and performer who has toured with the likes of Emmy the Great, Billy Bragg and Robin Ince. She is a frequent guest on BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show, recently appeared on the ‘Jeremy Corbyn 4 PM’ tour and was on the Independent on Sunday’s 2013 Pink List of influential LGBT figures. An absolute smasher.

Thursday 14
Adam Hess
Anyone lucky enough to catch Adam Hess at The Greenbank back in March will remember a lightning-fast and hilarious performance. Nominated for a Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award last year, Adam has gone on to perform on the likes of Live at the BBC.
“For good quality gags per minute there is no better comedian at the Fringe” – The Independent ****

Holly Burn
Holly Burn is very special. She knows it, you know it, the world just needs to know it. And this is her chance to tell the world. Stewart Lee’s Fringe Recommendation 2015: “A proper mad comedian”. 

Friday 15
Nish Kumar
Last year Nish blew the roof off The Greenbank with a show that was later nominated for the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award. Since then he’s become a regular on the TV with appearances on the likes of Have I Got News For You and Live at the Apollo.
“A tight, smart set from a comic who confesses self-absorption while engaging expansively with the way we live now” – The Guardian ****

Pat Cahill
Pat’s last show Panjandrum was such a gleeful delight that he was asked back in February to perform it in Bristol again. Time Out named it one of the Top 10 comedy shows of 2015. He promises that 2016’s show will be ambitious and a little crazy – don’t miss it!

Summer Previews at The Greenbank  July 11-July 15, The Greenbank, Easton. For more info and to book tickets, visit www.bristolpunchline.com