Comics rally to their colleague after horror crash

Top comedy stars have announced a new West End benefit to raise money for Jim Tavare’s medical bills.

Harry Hill, Stewart Lee, Dara O’Briain, Alan Davies are among those appearing the Broken Funny Bones gigs at The Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, on June 12.

Tavare suffered 15 broken ribs, fractures in both breastbones, a punctured lung, multiple breaks in his right leg, and a broken neck when he was in an horrific head-on car crash in Los Angeles, where he now lives, earlier this year.

Paul Chowdhry, Arthur Smith, Jo Brand, Paul Zerdin, Hal Cruttenden, Dave Johns, Milton Jones and Zoe Lyons are also taking part in the London benefit – which follows similar gigs in California and Manchester.

In LA this week, the likes of Russell Peters, Bill Burr, Howie Mandel and Harland Williams staged a benefit at the Laugh Factory.

And on May 23, the Comedy Store in Manchester, is playing host to Joe Lycett, John Thomson, Jo Caulfield, Alun Cochrane, Tom Wrigglesworth and Mick Ferry at another fundraiser. Tickets are on sale here.

Tickets for the West End show are available here.

Tavare’s wife Laura told Chortle: ‘Jim is deeply moved by the support he has received from the comedy community on both sides of the pond, and is very thankful to everyone involved.’

Published: 13 May 2017