The Manchester Irish Festival: 4th - 20th March 2005
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Comedy
Tuesday 15th March
The Comedy Store
The Comedy Store presents...
The Craic!
an evening of Irish Comedy and Music.
Time 8pm
Tickets £8 in advance £10
/ £5 on door.
available in advance on
Ticketmaster 08705 932 932
(booking fee payable)
A St. Patrick`s celebration on
Tuesday 15th March at 8pm
Featuring an all Star show with some of Ireland's funniest Son's...
MC John Moloney -
From being a languages teacher (John is fluent in German and recently
performed on Germany's biggest chat-show) to one of Britain's
most in-demand comedy acts, John Moloney is a true comic and musical talent.
Self-confessed "fantastically gorgeous" and wonderfully deadpan,
he combines
sharp one-liners with musical pastiche. So convinced are we of his comic
genius that the Comedy Store nominated John in the category Best Live
Stand-Up at the 1998 British Comedy Awards.
Introducing
Barry Murphy - Barry
Murphy is often remembered for the six years he spent as a member of the
cult comedy trio, Mr Trellis, with Kevin Gildea and Ardal O Hanlon. He
is the co-founder of the Comedy Cellar - Ireland's longest
running comedy venue, and is easily recognised as one of the "ten
kings of Irish Comedy over the last 20 years" (Hot Press Magazine).
"Barry Murphy's German alter ego, Gunter, is as laugh-a-loud funny as it is satirical. He deserves to be bigger than Riverdance and The Corrs put together" - Brian Boyd, Irish Times
and
Ian Coppinger - This diminutive Irishman is a consummate storyteller. Whether it be recounting one of his own first-hand experiences, or spinning out an exaggerated, imagined scenario, his witty, pacy approach effortlessly enraptures the audience.
His routines can be based on the flimsiest of premises - his best is inspired by Ireland's introduction of a 15c tax on supermarket plastic bags - but he lets the ideas, and the jokes fly.
plus
Caimh Mcdonnell - Quick-witted Irishman Caimh McDonnell mixes topical material with keen observations. He was a semi-finalist in the 2002 BBC and Daily Telegraph New Act awards and is also a proud winner of the legendary Comedy Store Gong show. On TV he has worked on projects such as 2DTV as well as the satirical documentary series Don't Worry for Channel 4 and the sitcom The Crust for CBBC, both of which aired last year.
Tickets are also available from The Comedy Store box office in the venue when buying in person, without a booking fee.
For further details call 0161 839 9595 or go to www.thecomedystore.co.uk
Wednesday 16th March
Palace Levenshulme
St Patrick's Eve Frog & Bucket
Irish Comedy Special
with Kevin Gildea (as seen in Fr. Ted),
Martin Bigpig and the award winning
Jason Manford plus
MC Patrick Monahan
Doors Open 8pm Show starts 8.30pm prompt
Tickets £5 advance
The world famous Frog & Bucket Comedy Club brings an exclusive St Patrick's Eve Irish Comedy show to the Palace Levenshulme to mark the tenth anniversary of this year's festival. The Comedy club has been responsible for showcasing some of the world's biggest Comedy stars including the award winning Peter Kay, Johnny Vegas and Steve Coogan. This rib tickling line up of the UK and Ireland's premier Irish Comedians is certain to be a sell out, so book your tickets in advance.
Kevin Gildea is a comedy genius and one of the most sought after acts on the national circuit. An oddball Irishman with a definite twinkle, his Edinburgh Fringe shows are critically acclaimed sell-outs. He has written for Alexei Sayle and his appearances on TV also include The Stand Up Show and The Amnesty International Comedy Special.
Kevin is a sell out Edinburgh performer and an astonishing critical success. His mild manner and quirky absurdist viewpoint pave the way for side - splittingly funny ruminations. Well and truly in the premier league of comics, Kevin is the definition of 'must see'.
Jason Manford has been on the circuit for nearly four years. He is based in the North West and despite being only 21 has regularly headlined the area's top comedy clubs. He started as a pot collector at the Buzz and when an act didn't turn up one night Jason offered to step in and performed a very promising set in front of a demanding audience. After only five weeks and four gigs, he won the prestigious North West Comedian of the Year Award. Jason has a warm and natural stage presence, and his act is a friendly one. He is naturally funny and has a strong, original set with wry observations and a genuine respect for the old comedy greats.
Martin Hutton aka Martin Bigpig who comes from Northern Ireland is a multi-skilled performer and has been working professionally since 1986 as an actor and comedian. In 1988 he toured a solo show in the USA and recently performed, with great success, at the L'ora Del Colore' Festival in Italy. He has been a headline act and a compere at all the major UK comedy clubs besides performing in a variety of shows at The Edinburgh Festival. Martin has developed a unique performance style, which allows him to adapt his material to suit the requirements and mood of the audience and the venue.
"Martin Bigpig is an extremely popular act and always amazes his audience with his attention grabbing routine. He is larger than life, and well loved, his appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe festival have been monumental" BBC
Patrick Monahan started off on the Irish / Iranian / Geordie circuit! before breaking out onto the U.K., European and International comedy scene with gigs in France, Monaco, Germany, Belgium, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates
As well as performing in most comedy clubs across the UK, Patrick has also done a host of University network shows for Avalon, Paramount and Off The Kerb Events and recently appeared in 'Malai Monologues' a six part comedy series for BBC THREE, taking comics to a range of everyday locations to perform live to street audiences across the UK.
"An upbringing infused with culture clashes and his unconventional mind, Monahan is a hybrid calamity with a comic pedigree that's all his own." "He has all the charm of Ed Byrne, the energy of Adam Bloom and wild leaps of imagination that are resonant of Ross Noble"
The List (Maureen Ellis - 2002)
A part of ‘Levenshulme Fleadh'
Thursday 17th March
The Frog & Bucket Comedy Club
Irish Barrel of Laughs
Doors 7.30pm Show 8.30pm
Admission £5 / £3 concessions
We kick off our Irish Weekend with the best value comedy show – ever! 3 headline acts and compere for just a fiver. MC Mick Ferry presents:-
Kevin Gildea
Kevin is a comedy genius and one of the most sought after acts on the national circuit. An oddball Irishman with a definite twinkle and affinity with the quirky, small clubs like Malarkey's are rarely blessed with appearances from acts as established as this. His Edinburgh Fringe shows are critically acclaimed sell-outs, and he has written for Alexei Sayle and appeared on TV's The Stand Up Show, The Comedy Store St Patrick's Day Special and The Amnesty International Comedy Special.
Neil Delamere
Neil Delamere is fast becoming one of Ireland's hottest new comedy exports. Young and laid-back, these are the hallmarks of a stage presence that "charmed the pants off the entire room", according to Hot Press Magazine.In his relatively short career Neil has already garnered accolades, including winning the RTE New Comedy Awards in 2001. Based in Dublin, Neil has performed all over Ireland as well as at the prestigious Kilkenny Cats Laugh festival, the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival and the Adelaide Fringe Festival. 2004 marked his debut Edinburgh solo show.
Mary Bourke
Mary Bourke is an Irish stand up comic who was born in Dublin but now lives in North London. She is currently working on her first Novel. She was the winner of the Irish World comedian of the year award in 1999.She was also finalist in the Hackney Empire and BBC New Act of the Year competitions. She has performed in Australia and the United States.
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