SILENT COMEDY GALAwith special guest hostTIM VINE
An evening of classic comedy masterpieces including:
Buster Keaton’s SHERLOCK JR (1924), Charlie Chaplin’s A DOG’S LIFE (1918) and much more!
Friday 26th January 2018, Colston Hall, 7.30pm
Tickets £10.50 – £29.50* with premium packages also available.
Bristol’s stand-out annual comedy celebration returns for a fourteenth edition at Colston Hall – a unique celebration of the best onscreen classic silent comedy, live music and guest appearances by living legends of British comedy.
Our host for this year’s gala show is the award-winning punster Tim Vine who introduces an incredible triple-bill of laugh-out-loud comedy classics all accompanied by world-class live music. Tim said: ‘I can’t wait to host the Slapstick Gala. What an absolute treat to see these classic comedy films the way they’re supposed to be seen – on a big screen with live music.’
Buster Keaton’s best-loved and most innovative film Sherlock Jr (1924) joins Charlie Chaplin’s A Dog’s Life (1918) to headline the show with live music.
Sherlock Jr is accompanied by the world premiere of a new, semi-improvised score composed by Guenter A. Buchwald and performed by the renowned European Silent Screen Virtuosi and members of Bristol Ensemble. A Dog’s Life features Chaplin’s own composition for the film and will be performed by a 15-piece Bristol Ensemble conducted by maestro Guenter A. Buchwald.
Plus: Laurel & Hardy’s hilarious comedy short Angora Love (1929) and live performance from innovative, award-winning visual comedy performers The Kagools and with our exciting guest host this looks like being our finest and funniest Gala event to date!
Bristol Post writes The Slapstick Gala is “ a much loved Bristol Institution”.
Book early to be sure you are a part of it !
- For limited Premium Ticket packages see Colston Hall event page.
Slapstick 2018 – Four days of fun and laughter 25th – 28th January
Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928)with live piano accompaniment
Sunday 8th October 2017, 2pm, Millenium Square, Bristol. FREE.
We’re excited to also announce that we’re be teaming up with We The Curious for an open-air screening of Buster Keaton‘s classic silent comedy Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928), with live musical accompaniment by Daan van den Hurk on piano.
Family entertainment at its best, Steamboat Bill, Jr is one of Buster Keaton’s finest and funniest comedies featuring some of Buster’s most dangerous & daring stunts. Those familiar with the film will also know it has a final sequence which is still as breathtaking today as it was on its first release. This a great opportunity not only for you to catch up with an old friend of a film, but also, possibly, to introduce new people to the genre.
This will be a free screening so there’s no need to book a ticket in advance – just come along to Millennium Square, find the big screen and prepare to laugh, a lot! For more information visit the Facebook event page.
An Evening with Brydon, Mack & Mitchell
Would I Lie To You? stars to support Slapstick!
French & Saunders: Aardman Slapstick Comedy legend award 2017
Thursday 22 June, Colston Hall, 7.30PM
This year’s prestigious Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award was presented to comedians and national treasures, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Hosted by Mel Giedroyc, the duo regaled us with accounts of some of the best bits from their 30 years of entertaining the masses through stage, TV and film.
We also had the pleasure of hosting guest well-wishers such as Ruby Wax, Miranda Hart, Joanna Lumley and Matt Lucas, before Dawn and Jennifer were presented their awards by surprise guest and winner of the 2013 Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award, June Whitfield CBE.
Archive: Slapstick Festival 2017
Slapstick 2017 (18-22 January) was our biggest ever festival with more events staged – and more guests attending – than at any previous edition. By all accounts, it was also our most successful festival ever – something our festival director, Chris Daniels, reflected on in a post you can read in full here, which also touches on the future direction of the festival.
Elsewhere on the site, you can find a selection of photos from Slapstick 2017 by our team of photographers, plus a ‘tribute’ to Donald Trump by Ronnie Golden and Neil Innes (other video highlights from the festival can be found on our YouTube channel). Finally, if you want a trip down memory lane we’ve listed a few reviews of the festival by various media bodies on a blog which can be found here.
Meanwhile, our thoughts are slowly turning towards Slapstick 2018 which we’ll endeavour to, once again, make our best Slapstick ever!
