SIMON AMSTELL, David Baddiel, 30 Rock’s Judah Friedlander, punk poet John Cooper Clarke, and The Faulty Towers Dining Experience are all on their way to Galway to make the end of October the funniest 12 days of the year.
The Vodafone Comedy Carnival Galway (formerly known as the Galway Comedy Festival ) runs from Thursday October 16 to Monday 27. A staggering and hugely impressive array of Irish and international, established and emerging comic talent will play in venues across the city - including at the Spiegeltent Paradiso.
The line-up is Tommy Tiernan, David O’Doherty, Reginald D Hunter, Rich Hall, Des Bishop, Simon Amstell, Milton Jones, David Baddiel, Judah Friedlander, The Rubberbandits, Phill Jupitus, Todd Barry, Ardal O’Hanlon, Andrew Maxwell, PJ Gallagher, Rob Delaney, John Cooper Clarke, Aprés Match (October 25, 26 ), Shappi Korsandi, Terry Alderton, Abandoman, Stephen Frost Improv Allstars, Bernard O'Shea, David McSavage, and Dermot Whelan.
There is also The Horne Section, Singlehood, Arthur Smith sings Leonard Cohen, Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience, Diet Of Worms, Red Bastard, Glenn Wool, Tom Rhodes, Foil, Arms & Hog, Daniel Sloss, Karl Spain, Celia Pacquola, Zoe Lyons, and Kevin McGahern.
Completing the line-up are Kai Humphries, Paul Myrehaug, Benny Boot, Bec Hill, Eleanor Tiernan, Jarlath Regan, Grainne Maguire, Andrew Stanley, Colm O’Regan, John Colleary, Tara Flynn, Eric Lalor, Abie Philbin Bowman, Danny Dowling, Fred Cooke, Al Porter, Chris Kent, Gearoid Farrelly, Steve Bennett, The Lads Of Comedy, Louis Pearl: Amazing Bubble Man, Comedy Club 4 Kids (October 25, 26, 27 ), and The Dirty Circus.
The Spiegeltent Paradiso comes to Galway
A highlight of the festival will be one of the venues - the iconic, world-famous Spiegeltent Paradiso. This 500 capacity venue, which will be situated in South Park, Claddagh, will be the main hub of the festival. It is a 1930’s European wooden tent featuring ballooning velvet canopies, circular teak dance floor, and stained cut-glass windows, and a lush velvet and brocade finish.
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The origins of the Spiegeltent go back to 1900, when ‘magic mirror tents’ (spiegeltents ) were built in Belgium for use as travelling dance halls, with the mirrors making it possible for discreet eye contact with others.
In recent years, there has been a Spiegeltent revival and a select few still travel the world. Each one is considered a performer and has its own name and identity. The Spiegeltent Paradiso combines the concepts of a Kabaret Salon with an intimate concert hall.
Festival sponsors Vodafone will build a comedy village around the Spiegeltent - including bars, food stalls, and mini-theatres - as South Park becomes comedy HQ for the 12 days.
Among the acts playing the Spiegeltent is Tommy Tiernan (October 17, 18, 19 ) while Reginald D Hunter, David McSavage, Glenn Wool, Red Bastard, and John Colleary are all on together on October 23. The tent will also hold the opening, mid-festival, and a closing gala.
Tickets are now on sale for all shows through VodafoneComedyCarnival.com
