JON RICHARDSON, Al Porter, Katy Brand, and Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Patton Oswalt - on their own that would be an impressive array of headline comedy acts, but they are only the first wave of performers announced for the Vodafone Comedy Carnival Galway 2017.
The four, along with previously announced shows from Reginald D Hunter and Dermot & Dave, will take place during the festival, which this year runs from Tuesday October 24 to Monday 30.
“We are revealing this first wave of acts earlier than usual because we are so excited about these exclusive shows," said festival director Kevin Healy. "We couldn’t keep them secret. We just know comedy fans will want to get in early and get their plans in place to be front and central at comedy central this October. The full festival programme will be revealed in late August and we guarantee we have a amazing festival planned for you.”
As well as playing the family of bungling secret agent brothers on Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D, Patton Oswalt is also the 2017 Grammy Award winner for Best Comedy Album. He was the voice of Remy in Ratatouille, and with Ben Stiller appeared in the films Zoolander, The Secret life Of Walter Mitty, and Starsky and Hutch. He is probably best known for playing Spence’on The King of Queens. He plays the Black Box Theatre on Friday October 27 and 28 at 6.30pm.
Jon Richardson is a team captain on 8 Out Of 10 Cats does Countdown and has to endure numerous jibes from host Jimmy Carr about his height and his pastimes. The British Comedy Award nominee often gets the last laugh though with his understated wit and brilliance at verbal and mathematical conundrums. Jon has also appeared on Live At The Apollo and Have I Got News For You. He brings his latest show Old Man to the Black Box Theatre on Tuesday October 24 at 7.30pm.
Another festival exclusive is Katy Brand, bringing her show I Was A Teenage Christian to An Taibhdhearc, Middle Street, on Saturday October 28 at 7pm. Already a hit at the Edinburgh Festival, I Was a Teenage Christian is the story of how one Sunday, aged 13, she went to a local church service and became a fundamentalist Christian. Katy won a British Comedy award for her TV sketch series Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show in 2008.
Young, brilliant, and already much loved, Al Porter makes a welcome return to the Comedy Carnival to play two nights in the round, with his band, in the iconic Magic Mirrors Spiegeltent on Friday October 27 and Saturday 28 at 9pm. Expect an all-singing, all laughing, explosion of filth and frivolity.
Galway can also look forward to Ah Sure, LookIt with Dermot & Dave in the Black Box Theatre on Thursday October 26 at 7.30pm and Reginald D Hunter with his show, Some People v Reginald D Hunter in the Town Hall Theatre on Saturday October 28 at 7pm.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday June 22 at 9am from vodafonecomedycarnival.com and OMG@Zhivago, Shop Street (091 - 509960 ). Black Box and Town Hall Theatre shows are also available via the Town Hall (091 - 569777, www.tht.ie ).
