Watch the trailer for Hecklers Welcome

James Acaster has landed his first HBO comedy special, with Hecklers Welcome.

The American streaming giant will air the show on November 23, as recorded at the  Royal & Derngate Theatre in Northampton, close to the comedian’s Kettering hometown.

The show explores Acaster’s ‘love/hate relationship with stand-up by relinquishing control of his set and accepting a healthy dose of audience interference’.

HBO has a content deal with Sky in the UK, although no UK broadcast of the special has yet been confirmed. Sky broadcast Acaster’s previous show Cold Lasagne Hate Myself 1999 last year.

Acaster said: ‘Performing in the round, in a theatre I went to growing up, with the audience chipping in whenever they felt like it, meant this was the most I’ve enjoyed filming a special, and I’m delighted it’s coming to HBO.

‘Also I jumped onto the stage via a trampoline and I don’t want that to go unacknowledged.’

Here’s the trailer:

Nina Rosenstein, HBO’s executive vice president in charge of comedy specials, added: ‘We’re longtime fans of James and are so thrilled to work with him. 

‘This special is a bold concept—not many comedians would allow hecklers at their shows; fewer still would openly encourage them to interrupt a live taping of their set, but James has never been one to approach his comedy in a traditional way.

‘ Filmed in his hometown somewhere in the middle of England, Hecklers Welcome is a hilarious and brilliantly strange hour where James examines his complicated relationship with comedy.’

Acaster may be best known to American audience for his role in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire this year, in which he played the scientist Dr. Lars Pinfield.

The description of Hecklers Welcome for HBO viewers reads: ‘With his wiry observational eye and incomparable wit, Acaster shares hilarious on-the-fly meta-analysis of his own material, along with stories from his childhood that spurred him to pursue a career in comedy — from his participation in his grandmother’s ​spinning wheel workshop at school to his impersonation of Prince Charles at age six. 

‘In front of an obliging audience at the Royal & Derngate theatre in Northampton, England, Acaster unleashes his infectious energy as he delves into what initially drew him to the stage and what keeps him there.’

Earlier this month, an audio version of Hecklers Welcome was released as a limited-edition vinyl in the UK.

The show was produced and directed by Stuart Laws, of Turtle Canyon Comedy. Alastair Clayton, Amy Tuckwell and Nick Long are also co-producers.

Published: 13 Nov 2024