Comedy festival line-up launched

The London Comedy festival has officially launched this year's programme.

More than 250 events are included in the ten-day event, culminating in a big-name charity gala featuring the likes of Graham Norton, Al Murray and Rich Hall at Her Majesty's Theatre on May 25.

Otherwise, the emphasis is on giving London's existing comedy scene a marketing push, rather than attracting star performers.

The programme was launched by stand-up Stephen K Amos, poet John Hegley and entriloquist Nina Conti at City Hall last night.

Other highlights include:

• An attempt on May 15 to create the world's biggest cartoon strip, at 90 metres, in Trafalgar Square.
• Specs Appeal - Groucho-style glasses on sale at Superdrug and Specsavers in an attempt to raise £100,000 for Great Ormond Street Hospital
• A new act competition, taking place all day on May 18 and pitching comedians from north and south of the Thames against each other
• Comedy films being screened at The Other Cinema in the West End
• A handful of Wit Lit events, where comic novelists read from and discuss their work.

The festival starts on May 15, and the official website is here.

Published: 7 May 2003