...as other Brits named for Just For Laughs

Eddie Izzard is to host one of the prestigious gala shows at this year’s Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, it has been announced.

He joins Joan Rivers, Sarah Silverman and Seth Meyers as headline presenters of the high-profile shows, which run from July 24 to 27.

Meanwhile, Danny Bhoy has been selected to perform one of the few solo shows in the main festival, with his Dear Epsom tour playing on a programme that also includes Bo Burnham and Amy Schumer.

The other British acts heading for the festival are Jimmy Carr, who is taking part in the Nasty Show, and Joe Lycett, Adam Bloom, Andrew Lawrence, Eric Lampaert and The Midnight Beast – who all feature in the annual Britcom showcase. Unusually, that show will be hosted by an American – albeit a largely British-based one – in the form of Rich Hall.

Meanwhile, acts that the relatively conservative festival considers more alternative are being promoted in an ‘off-JFL’ strand. These include shows from Todd Barry, Ronna & Beverly, Brian Posehn, Trevor Noah, Tig Notaro, Andy Kindler, Maria Bamford, Pete Holmes, Judah Friedlander and Sam Simmons.

Robbie Praw, Just for Laughs’ director of English programming, was keen to stress the number of female comics taking part, saying: From Sarah Silverman to Amy Schumer, Joan Rivers to Kristin Schaal and Tig Notaro, this year’s lineup features the hottest and most relevant voices in comedy today — they just happen to be female.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow from the JFL website

Published: 24 May 2013