Mammoth line-up this Sunday

Les Dennis has joined the Chortle Comedy Book Festival.

The star will be interviewed by Robin Ince and Josie Long for their Book Shambles podcast on stage at the British Library.

Dennis – who came to fame on Russ Abbot’s Madhouse, famously hosted Family Fortunes, then reinvented himself thanks to Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant comedies Extras and Life’s Too Short – replaces the previously announced Mark Steel.

The session takes place at 3pm on Sunday as part of a day of events that also features Mark Thomas, Adam Kay, Jenny Eclair, Arthur Smith, Count Arthur Strong, Katy Brand, Jen Brister, Helen Lederer and David Quantick.

In addition, biographers Louis Barfe and Mark Searby will discuss Ken Dodd and Rik Mayall respectively; Andrew Doyle and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown will debate political correctness and censorship in comedy; and the Sitcom Geeks podcast will interview writers John O’Farrell and Brenda Gilhooly.

The festival kicks off with a stand-up gig tonight featuring Shappi Khorsandi, Mae Martin, Jen Brister, Olaf Falafel and MC Dominic Frisby – all of whom are authors as well as comedians.

Details and tickets, for individual sessions or the whole day, are available here.

Published: 17 Jan 2020