The Marlowe Theatre Canterbury Stages First Comedy Festival

Omid Djalili, Adam Buxton and Nish Kumar are among the stars of The Marlowe's first Comedy Festival. Tickets for the July event go on sale today (Friday).

As well as individual acts, the Canterbury venue's Marlowe Theatre will host the popular Live At The Marlowe, while The Marlowe Studio has sneak previews of eight Edinburgh Fringe comedy acts.

The festival kicks off on Monday 23 July in The Studio, with Adam Hess and Kiri Pritchard-McClean. As seen on Tonight At The London Palladium, Hess is known for his surreal and fantastically funny one liners. Pritchard-McClean has written and performed on The Russell Howard Hour and has toured as support with some of the biggest names in comedy, including Rob Brydon and Sarah Millican. She has recently won two Chortle awards.

Tuesday 24 July welcomes Ed Gamble, best known for his starring role in Almost Royal (E4) and regular appearances on Mock The Week (BBC Two), and Lauren Pattison, whose 2017 Edinburgh show was one of the hits of the Fringe. This Geordie comic is a regular on the national comedy circuit.

Storming the stage on Wednesday 25 July is star of The Mash Report (BBC Two), Nish Kumar. His five-star rated solo shows have been nominated for two prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Awards. He is joined by Kieran Hodgson, one of the most inventive comics on the circuit, who has appeared at The Marlowe before in his five-star rated show, Maestro.

Thursday 26 July sees the last of the comedy acts in The Studio: Ivo Graham and Alfie Brown. Apologetic Eton and Oxford alumnus, Graham is a former winner of the So You Think You're Funny award for new acts at the Edinburgh Festival. He's now a regular feature on shows like Live At The Apollo and Mock The Week. Brown's natural stage presence and explosive material make for a thrilling performance every time he hits the stage.

Thursday continues to be a big day for laughs as the festival hits The Marlowe Theatre with Adam Buxton's BUG David Bowie Special. Incorporating music videos, rare clips, animations and comedy, it's a show that like Bowie himself, is by turns inspiring, moving and hilarious - a must see for Bowie and comedy fans alike.

Our hugely popular regular night of comedy, Live At The Marlowe, returns on Friday 27 July with Reginald D Hunter, Joe Wilkinson, Zoe Lyons and Andrew Maxwell. Hunter is a US stand-up superstar known for his ground-breaking and sometimes controversial social commentary on the UK. His many TV appearances include Have I Got News For You and his own BBC 4 documentaries. Hunter has toured to sell-out crowds across the UK and at The Marlowe for almost a decade now.

After more than 10 years on the circuit, Zoe has risen to prominence thanks to appearances on Mock The Week. Her first major UK tour is planned for this autumn. Described as a "delightful oddball", Wilkinson is best known for his chaotic appearances on Channel 4's 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and his role in BBC3's acclaimed sitcom, Him & Her. Maxwell is a globe-trotting Irish comic, who now lives in Kent. He's headlined shows around the world and at his own annual Alpine festival, Altitude.

Omid Djalili takes to the stage on Saturday 28 July with his new show, Schmuck For A Night. Intelligent, sometimes provocative and always entertaining, his stand-up is a hugely energetic and captivating comedy masterclass. His credits range from Hollywood to television and live on the West End stage.

Austentatious ends the festival on Sunday 29 July. An improvised comedy play, it stars a cast of the country's quickest comic performers who conjure up a new and unique "lost'" Jane Austen novel based on nothing more than a title suggested by the audience.

The Marlowe's Comedy Producer Ben Travis said the festival has been a long time in the planning and he was thrilled to announce the line-up, which includes some of the biggest names in comedy.

He added: "I know that the people of Kent have a great sense of humour and are big supporters of comedy, so I can't wait to hear the sound of laughter filling our building for a whole week at the end of July."

The Marlowe Comedy Festival is programmed in partnership with Show And Tell, one of the UK's leading comedy producers.

For times, ticket prices and to book, call the Box Office on 01227 787787, or marlowetheatre.com. Tickets go on sale to Marlowe Friends today (Friday 13 April) and tomorrow (Saturday 14 April) to the general public. Please note, some shows contain adult themes and language.

To post a comment, you must register and login.