Huge names line up for this year's Brighton Dome Comedy Festival

Brighton Dome Comedy Festival has added The IT Crowd and Travelman star Richard Ayoade, Off Menu’s Ed Gamble and Taskmaster’s Lucy Beaumont to the line-up which includes stand-up shows, intimate comedy gigs, improv, podcasts and events for children and teenagers. Tickets via brightondome.org.

Rosie Crane, comedy producer at Brighton Dome, said: “From Taskmaster contestants and sitcom stars to the hottest new tickets on the circuit, via silly children’s shows and a mixed bill of teenage-friendly standup, comedy fans of all ages and tastes are catered for the Brighton Dome Comedy Festival.

“New to the line-up, actor and comedian Richard Ayoade introduces his brand-new book Afterthoughts with an invitation to audiences to explore over 500 of his most colossal notions and opinions. The Festival edition of Brighton Dome’s flagship comedy showcase, Live at Brighton Dome, is headlined by podcaster and The Traitors: Uncloaked presenter Ed Gamble, joined by TV and Taskmaster star Lucy Beaumont. Top of the bill of swear-free, teenager-friendly edition Live at Brighton Dome BLEEPED is Ted Lasso and Upstart Crow actor Spencer Jones with prop-based tomfoolery, visual gags and a very angry cockerel.

“A collection of cult comedy favourites takes to the stage in the Studio Theatre, including a double bill of shows fresh from acclaimed runs in Edinburgh. Character comedians Siblings deliver an hour of absurd, raucous and downright delirious sketch comedy as they enter the surreal world of sleeping minds in Dreamweavers. Afterwards, ventriloquist clown Lachlan Werner introduces audiences to Jack Hammer, the strongest boy in the world, for a genre-bending circus ring of stunts, sea-lions, sci-fi and secrets in WonderTwunk.

“Lou Wall performs Breaking the Fifth Wall, featuring her signature meme-fuelled PowerPoints and musical comedy. Chortle’s One to Watch 2022 Lily Phillips, who recently supported Australian star Celeste Barber at Brighton Dome, makes a return to the venue with a new show Crying and Lucy Pearman is The Moon who dreams of stardom in Lunartic, which was nominated for best variety and comedy show at Leicester Comedy Festival this year. Multibuy ticket offers are available for select Studio Theatre shows.

“All festival performances will be live captioned as part of Brighton Dome’s commitment to accessibility for audiences and artists alike. Featuring the best in the business of making adults, children and everyone in between laugh, there are also new stand-up routines from Strictly’s Chris McCausland, Gogglebox’s Babatunde Aléshé, Brighton’s own confessional comedian Suzi Ruffell and Jen Brister, with a UK premiere, plus improv from comedy legends Paul Merton and Suki Webster. Fresh from hit Channel 4 sitcom Pushers, Rosie Jones also performs, plus award-winning comic Josie Long, man with the golden larynx Nick Helm and The Mary Whitehouse Experience alumnus Rob Newman. Comedian and singer-songwriter Boothby Graffoe teams up with acclaimed Italian guitarist Antonio Forcione for an evening of music, comedy and charm in a Brighton Dome Comedy Festival exclusive performance of Wot Italian?

“For families, Spencer Jones performs the premiere of his first ever show for children, The Experimental Kids’ Show, which will leave the whole family in hysterics. Comedian and children’s writer Olaf Falafel brings the Stupidest Super Stupid Show So Far to the Festival, which was voted one of Time Out’s Top Kids Shows 2024. In a showcase on the closing Sunday, the next generation of comic superstars will demonstrate the results of a series of comedy workshops for young people in partnership with Komedia Productions.”

Brighton Dome Comedy Festival runs from October 17-26 across Brighton Dome’s venues. Echoing the venue’s year-round programme ethos, Brighton Dome Comedy Festival aims to be an “inclusive and accessible celebration of all things funny for everyone.”