With Michael Palin, Hugh Bonneville, Harry Hill and more

The Slapstick Festival - Europe’s biggest celebration of silent and classic screen comedy - has revealed the line-up of its 20th edition.

 Sir Michael Palin, Hugh Bonneville, Marcus Brigstocke, Graeme Garden, Harry Hill, Robin Ince, Sylvester McCoy, Samira Ahmed, Alasdair Beckett-King, Lucy Porter and Tim Vine are among those heading to Bristol for the 20th event.

Meanwhile, Robert Lindsay will receive the festival's comedy award, honouring his performances in My Family, Citizen Smith and elsewhere.

More than 30 events at venues are planned, ranging from films from the 1920s featuring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Laurel & Hardy to new shorts from Harry Hill and Tim Vine.

Highlights will include: 

• Paddington star Hugh Bonneville hosting the Slapstick Silent Comedy Film Gala in the Bristol Beacon’s main hall where films on the big screen will include Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush accompanied by the Bristol Ensemble.
• Sir Michael Palin and Robert Lindsay revisiting GBH – the Alan Bleasdale political comedy in which they both starred
• The screening of a new documentary about Stan Laurel’s touring hat, ahead of a Marcus Brigstocke-hosted chat with its makers. 
• Alasdair Beckett-King and Robin Ince hosting a screening of the seminal comedy horror The Cat And The Cradle to start a comedy horror strand  including a screening of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. 
• A look back at the comedy career of Sylvester McCoy, the seventh Doctor  Who and a wizard in three of Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings films.
• Broadcaster Samira Ahmed re-assessing with Graeme Garden whether The Goodies had more of an impact on social consciences than was realised at the time.

Slapstick’s director Chris Daniels said: 'February can be a miserable month, regardless of what’s happening on the world stage, but we’re certain the 20th edition of Slapstick contains enough variety and reasons to laugh out loud that it will lighten the mood of everyone who attends.’

Full details are available on the festival’s website: www.slapstick.org.uk. 

Published: 26 Nov 2023