The programme for this year’s Carlsberg Cat Laughs Comedy festival was launched in Kilkenny this week.
The popular comedy festival which is now in its 15th year, will run over the five days of the June bank holiday weekend (28 May – 1 June ) showcasing a collection of the world’s best comedians.
With 62 comedians, 86 shows including nine speciality shows, five improvisers, across 15 venues and with more than 25,000 available tickets, the 2009 festival promises to upstage itself this year once again.
Tickets have gone on sale and with ticket prices remaining the same over the past three years, it’s the perfect way to avoid the ‘R’ word and get away from it all.
Rated as one of the five best comedy festivals in the world the festival has become an annual diary fixture for both comedy fans and comedians alike.
Artistic director, Eddie Bannon has been hard at work finalising the line up of comedians for this year’s Festival. He says, “there are a phenomenal 16 festival debuts in this year’s festival, from places as diverse as Tasmania, Holland and New York mixed with the classiest, on form national and international comedians around. This represents a comprehensive snapshot of what’s new and exciting in the world of stand up comedy today.”
Festival debuts include the host of Big Brother’s Big Mouth, Russell Kane; John Richardson who was recently voted one of the top five comedians in the world by Q Magazine; if.comedy nominee, Chortle Award winner and Royal Variety Performer Rhod Gilbert as well as famous googlewhacker Dave Gorman. Jason Byrne and Adam Hills will be honing in on one of this year’s festival debuts, Hans Teeuwan in their show Adam & Jason Spotlight on…Hans Teeuwan. As a household name in Holland and selling half a million DVD’s, Hans explosion on the international comedy scene is imminent. Catch him while you can.
This year’s international flavours include acts from as far as Australia: Hannah Gadsby and Jimeoin; America Lewis Black, Greg Giraldo and Alonzo Bodden, Northumberland, Ross Noble and Yorkshire Alun Cochrane. Each show at the Carlsberg Cat Laughs Festival will feature at least three unsurpassable headliners and will be compered by one of the leading comperes from the rapidly expanding comedy club scene in Ireland.
Irish favourites including Tommy Tiernan, Maeve Higgins, Des Bishop, Andrew Maxwell, Barry Murphy, David O’Doherty and the hottest sketch show of the moment Dead Cat Bounce will also entice the festival-goers this year. The Carlsberg Cat Laughs International Improv group will be returning, as are the ever popular Comedy Cats, showcasing the hottest emerging talent on the Irish comedy circuit at the moment.
For full details on the line up, tickets and venue information visit www.carlsbergcatlaughs.com
