Film / News
Slapstick Festival launches ‘make or break’ virtual fundraiser
You won’t need reminding that 2020 has been a tough year for festivals. But it’s been particularly tough for Bristol’s fun-packed Slapstick Festival. This world-renowned celebration of silent and classic comedy is a not-for-profit venture that relies heavily on the goodwill of its unpaid guests. The public also do their bit by supporting a series of fundraisers that help to cover festival costs. But Covid-19 has put paid to all that.
This means that Slapstick enters the run-up to its annual January blowout with a bloody great unamusing hole where its funds should be. So now the festival’s celebrity supporters have rallied round to support Slapstick’s Big Comedy Night In – a donate-to-view fundraiser hosted by Robin Ince, which takes place on Sunday 27 September.
The Slapstick folks are not kidding when they say they’ve assembled a dream line-up. Frankie Boyle, Jo Brand, Rob Brydon, Stephen Fry, Harry Hill, Lucy Porter, Paul McGann, Matt Lucas, Lee Mack, Stephen Merchant and Michael Palin are among the 20 entertainers who’ll be contributing jokes, stories, memories and other titter-raising jollity.
is needed now More than ever
Contributions already recorded include a reading by Michael Palin of a trio of comic poems; Frankie Boyle previewing extracts from his next book, The Future of British Politics (due out in November); and revelations from Stephen Merchant about his Bristol childhood.
A suitably attired Lee Mack and Stephen Merchant backstage at The Bristol Slapstick Festival 2018 at the Colston Hall
Festival director Chris Daniels tells us: “We’re currently looking at running Slapstick 2021 over an extended period, January 10 – 31, and presenting it as a mix of live and online events. But much depends on us raising enough money to make it viable so as well as being an amazing show, Slapstick’s Big Night In is an SOS – a plea for screen comedy fans everywhere to sign up for it and give generously.”
To secure a place, you need to book in advance at the event’s crowdfunder page. And if you simply can’t wait until September 27 to have your ribs tickled, you’ll be delighted to learn that Slapstick has made available on its YouTube channel a selection of releases from its archives, including events starring John Cleese, French and Saunders, The Goodies, Little and Large and Tim Vine.
All images supplied by Slapstick
Read more: Slapstick Presents: Laughter in Lockdown
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