Comic icon to perform at festival fundraiser

John Cleese is to give his only British stage performance of the year year to help Bristol’s Slapstick Festival of vintage comedy.

The comic, born in nearby Weston-super-Mare, will be performing at a fundraiser alongside Rory Bremner, Barry Cryer and his Monty Python collaborator Neil Innes.

Profits from the £32-a-head tickets will go towards staging the next Slapstick Festival in January.

Taking place on September 29, this will be the second benefit for the festival to be staged at Colston Hall within a month, coming exactly two weeks after a show featuring Jack Dee, Susan Calman, Jason Manford and Richard Herring.

Festival director Chris Daniels  said: ‘Previously, we’ve managed to supplement our very healthy ticket sales income with just one big fund-raiser a year, but we are really struggling with the budget for Slapstick 2017, not least because many of our regular venues are having to up their charges to us, in order to make their own books balance. 

‘Amazingly, though, as word of our difficulties has spread across the comedy circuit, we’ve had amazing names saying they’d be delighted to help.’

Published: 28 Jul 2016