There are plenty of reasons to laugh at this year’s Barnaby Festival, which runs from 21-24 June 2012. With several top-class comedy performances lined up and Laughter workshops planned, Barnaby is definitely the place to be if you fancy a giggle.
On Friday 22 June, there’s CountryBoy’s Struggle, a unique debut show, written and performed by Maxwell Golden. The show follows an MC’s journey from the cliffs of Cornwall to the streets of London. Maxwell plays over 30 characters and mixes Hip Hop, movement, poetry and comedy to create a tour-de-force performance. This funny ‘fish out of water story’ is aimed especially at young people from 12 upwards.
Then on Saturday 23 June, two successful comedy shows, Comedysportz and The Games come to Macclesfield. Comedysportz is a fast-paced improvisation show for the whole family (appealing to anyone from 8-80) with two teams battling it out for laughs. The players create quick witted sketches, scenes and songs from whatever suggestions are thrown at them by the audience to create a show that’s fast, feelgood and always unpredictably funny. There’s a referee on hand to steer the entertainment, call any fouls, and help the audience decide the winner. Comedysportz perform at comedy festival’s throughout the North West and at the Comedy Store in Manchester.
With Olympic-fever building, The Games offers a wickedly funny parody of the occasion. Spike Theatre’s award winning comedy show tells the story of three Greek nobodies travelling to compete in the ancient Olympics. With three performers (including Macclesfield actress Keddy Sutton) playing a dozen roles and incorporating dance, clowning, puppetry, shadow play, simulated nudity and rhyming couplets in their performance, the Barnaby audience is sure of a great night out!
Sunday 24 June sees ‘Laughter Man’ Robin Graham in full swing with a talk and workshop at Water’s Green Medical Centre that focuses on the importance of laughter to our physical and mental wellbeing: Laughter Therapy begins at 1.30pm and tickets cost £5. Later in the afternoon, Robin will be holding a free open-air workshop in the Market Place, where everyone can join in and have a jolly good laugh!
CountryBoy’s Struggle is at the URC on Friday 22 June at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £7/£5. Comedysportz is also at the URC on Saturday 23 June at 6.30pm. Tickets cost £7/£5. The Games is at Duke Street Hall on Saturday 23 June at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £10.
For more information about all of these events, and to buy tickets, please visit www.barnabyfestival.org.uk. Tickets are also available from the Visitor Information Centre in Market Place, Macclesfield.
