James Acaster Included in New Shows Announced for Hackney Empire in 2024

Artistic Director Yamin Choudury and the whole team at Hackney Empire have announced details of some of the shows and events now on sale for 2024, including comedy, music, spoken word, live podcasts, youth talent shows, charity galas, and youth focussed provision, as part of the Creative Futures programme.  

Creative Futures are collaborating with poet Yomi Ṣode on a First Five event on 17 January as part of the venue’s Entry For All scheme.Yomi Ṣode will talk to a panel of writers, musicians and champions behind the art and the artists, delving into their First Five to find out who/what influenced them. Designed to support young people from Hackney and wider London to access live performance and art & culture, tickets to Entry For All shows are completely free for anyone 25 and under, with tickets for people 25+ at a choose what you pay model, from a minimum of £3. 

London’s liveliest youth-led urban talent showcase and peace campaign, Boroughs United 2024, will take place on 11 February. The event will unite over 1,000 young people, families and friends, from across the capital, to enjoy young London’s No.1 urban variety show. A legion of inspiringly talented singers, MCees and dance groups, aged from 6 to 19, follow in the footsteps of previous Uniters: Jermain Jackman, Little Simz, Leona Lewis, Diversity, Flawless and Twist & Pulse.  

The award-winning Anna Fiorentini Theatre & Film School will present its bi-annual variety performance, Anna Fiorentini’s Theatre School Variety Show on 16 March, showcasing the stars of today and tomorrow. Students aged 7 – 18 that attend the part time school in Hackney and Docklands will perform a variety of musical theatre, dance and song numbers ranging from traditional to contemporary.  

New musical The Sun Does Shine, by Harvey Brough with words by Justin Butcher, will play at the Hackney Empire on 23 March. The musical is inspired by the autobiography of Anthony Ray Hinton, who was convicted by an Alabama court of two murders he did not commit, in one of the most shockingly cynical miscarriages of justice in US history. Presented by Vox Holloway and Arts Council England, the musical confronts racism and the inbuilt injustices that keep prisoners locked up for years, while making a powerful case for compassion, a sense of humour, and the possibility of redemption. 

The BBC Singers, the BBC Symphony Chorus and over 200 local performers will showcase talented choirs from across East London in  on 28 January. Six community choirs will perform a range of music including songs from hit West End Shows including Wicked and Rent, to songs heard in computer game soundtracks and hits from Imagine Dragons and Bob Marley. The event will also include the world premiere performance by over 300 singers of a brand-new song by Aga Serugo-Lugo, created with young people from the local community. 

Contemporary Irish folk music group Lankum will perform their critically acclaimed album False Lankum in full for two nights only on 18 & 19 May. The album, which was shortlisted for The Mercury Prize, was named the Best Album of 2023 by The Quietus and Uncut. 

COMEDY 

Belter For the Shelter will return to take over Hackney Empire on 1 February for an unforgettable night of comedy, all in aid of Hackney Night Shelter. This year, the line-up includes Celya AB, Fern Brady, Rob Brydon, Athena Kugblenu, Rosie Holt, Kevin Eldon, Stewart Lee and two more big names to be announced. 

Acclaimed Jamaican actor and comedian Shebada will bring a bellyaching night of laughter to the Hackney stage in Shebada: Man Problem!on 9 February. 

Stand-up comedian, actor, and writer Atsuko Okatsuka will take to the Hackney Empire stage on 8 March. She was named one of Variety’s 10 Comics to Watch for 2022, and when she made her late-night stand-up debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden, Vulture proclaimed she “won late-night.”  

Black Comedy UK returns with their yearly Mother's Day comedy and music showcase, Touch of Class: Mother’s Day Special, on 10 March. The evening fuses together the best in musical talent with the UK’s finest comedians to give you an action-packed non-stop night of entertainment. The lineup will include comedians Slim, Curtis Walker and Geoff Schumann and musicians Reminisce Reggae Band. 

Acclaimed Jewish-Brazilian comedian Rafi Bastos heads to Hackney on 14 March. Rafi’s videos of his stage performances, music videos, interviews and sketches have had more than 370 million views on his YouTube channel alone, and among his many credits, Rafi has three comedy specials on Netflix: Arte do Insulto, Péssima Influencia, and Ultimato.  

The original and longest running comedy clash show World Comedy Clash 2024 returns on 20 April for its annual comedy extravaganza that sees nine countries compete for the crown. This year’s show, hosted by Kane Brown, will feature a lineup of: Will E (USA), Slim (Jamaica), special guest Axel Blake (Grenada), Quincy (Barbados), Victor Daniels (Nigeria), Peter Francis (St Lucia), Junior Booker (Guyana), Wilson (England) and Miss Mo'real (Ghana) 

Acclaimed comedian James Acaster brings his new show James Acaster: Hecklers Welcome to Hackney on 16 & 17 June. He has received acclaim from around the world, including a record breaking 5 consecutive nominations for ‘Best Comedy Show’ at the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festivals.  

Jimmy Carr will bring his brand-new show Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny to the Hackney Empire on 5 July. The evening promises fast-paced, edgy one-liners and Jimmy’s beloved dark brand of comedy. 

One of the most celebrated stars in British comedy, Tez Ilyas (Live At the Apollo, Mock The Week, Comedy Central, Comic Relief) and Sunday Times best-selling author of Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3⁄4 will bring his new show Tez Ilyas: After Eight to Hackney Empire on 2 November. 

PODCAST RECORDINGS 

The smash-hit true crime comedy podcast All Killa No Filla will head to Hackney Empire to host All Killa No Filla: Live! on 25 April, for a night of serial killer discussion, overdressing, and possible slander. Hilarious and outspoken stand-ups Kiri Pritchard-McLean & Rachel Fairburn are celebrating 10 years of talking murder, oversharing, and rapidly veering off topic on their acclaimed podcast with this live show. 

The podcast that celebrates the best of the worst - How Did This Get Made – will dive into the depths of cinematic absurdity on 28 & 29 March. With a combined resume that includes hit shows like The League, Black Monday, Brooklyn 99, Grace & Frankie, and Long Shot, the dynamic trio of Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael will expertly dissect and hilariously roast some of the most mind-boggling movies ever made.  

EVENTS 

Professor Tim Spector, a medically qualified Professor of Epidemiology and Director of the TwinsUK Registry at King’s College London, will discuss his Sunday Times bestselling book Food For Life on 5 January.  

Jon Ronson will bring an electrifying journey into the enigmatic world of psychopaths and the perplexing concept of normalcy to the stage in Jon Ronson’s Psychopath Night 2024 on 16 October. In an age where society's rationality is called into question, Jon will deliver an evening of incisive inquiry, seasoned with his trademark wit and profound insights.  

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