A tight 5: February 18

COMEDY festivals are returning to Inverness and Stratford-upon-Avon on the ate May bank holiday weekend. Comedy Hullabaloo is returning to Stratford-upon-Avon with names including Al Murray, Jason Manford, Ardal O’Hanlon and Tommy Tiernan, who is also headlining the third Happyness comedy festival in Inverness. Others names there include The Boy With Tape On His Face, Sean Hughes and Patrick Kielty. Both festivals run from May 22 to 25.

ACTOR Chris Malcolm, who played Saffy's gay dad Justin in Absolutely Fabulous, has died at the age of 67. Malcolm – who also played the original Brad Majors in the original stage production of the Rocky Horror Show – was also a theatre producer. His latest project, the revival of Oh What a Lovely War! has just opened at Stratford East. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed. Here he is in Ab Fab:

BILL, the film about Shakespeare from the Horrible Histories and Yonderland team, has been given a release date of February 25, 2015. It will star Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond – who together will play 40 roles in the movie. They have been filming in York Minster this week.

THE US remake of Shameless, starring William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, has been renewed for a sixth series. The comedy-drama is enjoying its most successful series yet, with an average of 5.5 million weekly viewers across various platforms. Now 12 new episodes will air in 2015.

BILLY CONNOLLY says he won't be voting in the Scottish Independence referendum, saying the issue is too complex. 'It’s a morass that I care not to dip my toe into,' he said.

Published: 18 Feb 2014