The Slapstick festival evolved from our ongoing Bristol Silents programme at Watershed and our close working relationship with Paul Merton. Our shared passion for silent films and especially silent comedy led to the first Slapstick weekend in 2005. The festival was such a success it's been an annual event ever since and it even lead to the commisioning of a BBC TV series Paul Merton's Silent Clowns screened in 2006 and 2007.
This January promises to be our biggest and funniest festival ever with an extraordinary list of guests which reads like a who's who of much loved national institutions from Nicholas Parsons to Neil Innes, from Jean Darling to Graeme Garden. Along with the finest silent comedy films from the 10s and 20s and the best musical accompaniments in the world Slapstick 2008 will leave you laughing!