A Lot of Laughs

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  The Newcastle and Gateshead Comedy Festival returns in March 2008 with a stellar line-up that'll have you crying with laughter.
  
  Growling Clown Entertainment, which also runs the North East's highly successful Funny Bones stand-up comedy clubs, produces the much-loved comedy festival. Growling Clown Director Warren Speed hopes the festival will become one of the best-known celebrations of comedy in the country. He said: “As a born and bred North Easterner, who has lived in Newcastle for the last eighteen years, I know how much we love to laugh up here, and I hope all of the festival shows bring as much hilarity to the region as I expect they will.”
  
  The Newcastle Comedy Festival was historically a huge event, rivalled only by the Edinburgh Festival. However, the event finished in 2005, before being resurrected by Mr Speed in 2006. By mutual agreement with the council, there was no comedy festival in 2007, although Speed now hopes it will become an annual event. He said: "Comedy has been a major passion of mine for a long time now, and I feel privileged to be able to play such a central role in the return of the festival. Historically, the Newcastle comedy festival was second only to the Edinburgh festival in terms of size and national awareness, and thats where I would eventually love us to get back to.”
  
  Unlike the old Newcastle Comedy Festival, Speed has decided to use a number of venues in nearby Gateshead too. He said: "With the close links between Newcastle and Gateshead now, we felt it appropriate to rename the event as the Newcastle Gateshead comedy festival, and we are particularly pleased that the prestigious SageGateshead and Northern Stage venues were both keen to get involved.” However, Speed was keen to praise Newcastle's venues too, “It is also nice to have Newcastle City Hall involved which was built in 1927, along with a much newer and very different venue - the bistro and terrace bar As You Like It, which has a lovely function room ideal for smaller shows.”
  
  The 2008 Newcastle and Gateshead Comedy Festival programme has a wide range of comedy shows, featuring burlesque stars, new comedy talent and internationally renowned performers. Indeed, some of the comedians performing at this year's event include Omid Djalili, Barbara Nice and Phil Jupitus.