Montreal festival brings Jim Jefferies, Piff and more

Montreal's Just For Laughs Comedy festival is launching a fortnight-long event in London featuring Jim Jefferies, Gina Yashere, Piff The Magic Dragon and more.

Organisers say they hope to attract 63,000 visitors to their shows in and around Russell Square, where a wooden-framed Spiegeltent will be erected.

The original festival was founded in 1983 and has become a magnet for the American television industry and helping to boost the careers of Rowan Atkinson, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and Louis CK and more.

Other events at the festival, which will run from July 12 to 24 include a new show from Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Colin Mochrie combining improv with stage hypnotism, called Hyprov and Marcus Brigstocke's topical news show The Early Edition.

Milton Jones, Andrew Maxwell, Glenn Wool and human-puppet double act Sammy J and Randy will also be making appearances at the festival.

There are also other entertainment shows such as Champions Of Magic, A Night At The Musicals and The Brand New Heavies. And for youngsters there is Phil Ellis's inappropriate children's show Funz And Gamez and Annabelle's Skirting Board Adventure, the new show from comedian and animator Howard Read.

Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival has previously launched offshoots in Toronto, Chicago and Sydney, and has staged live tours in the UK in a partnership deal with promoter Mick Perrin. Their first London festival has been arranged with Get Comedy.

As well as the Russell Square venues, the Just For Laughs Festival will take over the nearby Logan Hall, plus the Camden Centre near Kings Cross.

Yesterday the Montreal festival announced that its British line-up would include Russell Howard, Mark Watson, Russell Kane, Joe Lycett, Sarah Millican and Alan Carr as well as the previously announced Jimmy Carr.

Check the listings for Just For Laughs Russell Square, Logan Hall, and the Camden Centre.

Tickets are not yet on sale, nor the official website live.

Published: 4 May 2016