Theatre's first comedy fest to bring a weekend of laughs

The venue’s first comedy festival runs from tomorrow (Friday) to Sunday, with sketch shows, comic plays and stand-ups.

It opens with two comedians who have had great success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in recent years. Comedian Gavin Robertson follows up his hit show Bond! – An Unauthorised Parody with Escape From The Planet Of The Day Of The Dinosaurs, in which he combines forces with Katherine Hurst to present a hotchpotch of silliness drawing from classic adventure films.

Later in the evening, original double act Roisin & Chiara present Wild At Heart, in which characters collide and connect in a tapestry of well-observed and comical character vignettes.

Expert improviser Eric Lampaert has brought a love of film and comedy together and created the ultimate combination in his Comedian’s Cinema Club, in which he invites four comedians to join him in recreating Top Gun live on stage.

Fans of sketch comedy can enjoy two shows. From Ireland, Foil, Arms and Hog bring their show Skiddlywup, their most critically acclaimed show to date, and from Brighton, young up-and-comers Kids with Beards bring their show also called Kids with Beards.

For those younger audiences, Comedy Club 4 Kids features some of the best comedians in the UK doing what they do best – but without the rude bits.

Finally, the festival brings the excitement and laughs of Live at the Apollo to Bedford with its very own Live at the Quarry. The evenings of Saturday and Sunday end with headline performances featuring three comedians doing a selection of their very best material under the watchful eye of the MCs, Ray Peacock and Iain Stirling.

For more details, visit www.quarrytheatre.org.uk