A leading line-up of comedians and events have been confirmed as part of the BBC’s first Comedy Festival, taking place in Newcastle from May 11th – 13th.
Last year, the corporation announced a new partnership with the North East, which included – on top of a commitment to spend more than £25 million across the region over five years – making Newcastle the BBC’s first City of Comedy.
The Comedy Festival will “explore, reflect on and celebrate comedy in the UK” over three days in May, featuring talent-led talks, panels, screenings, a short film night, live comedy, and the premiere of The Outlaws series two.
It will kick off on Wednesday May 11th with an address from Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, along with Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore – where Petrie will set out his vision and highlight new commissioning opportunities. The second day will be industry-focused, while Friday will feature sessions for anyone in the early stages of their career or looking to break into comedy.
High-profile comedians are also set to appear at the three-day event series, including Charlie Brooker, Greg Davies, Jamie Demetriou, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Romesh Ranganathan, Stephen Merchant, Adjani Salmon, and Holly Walsh, as well as the casts of Ghosts and The Outlaws.
Comedy production will also be on the agenda, with representation from the BBC Comedy commissioning team, BBC Writersroom, and BBC Young Reporters, and along with producers from the UK and abroad.
It has also been announced today that BBC Comedy is piloting a Regional Partnership Scheme, co-funded by Northern Film + Media. Through this scheme, a North East independent is set to be paired with a leading BBC Comedy Supplier to support the growth of local scripted comedy suppliers.
Jon Petrie said: “We are excited to be coming to Newcastle, the BBC’s first City of Comedy, to celebrate comedy in all its forms and to outline BBC Comedy’s vision for the genre in 2022 and beyond.
“We are committed to nurturing, developing and collaborating with comedy enthusiasts across the UK, to ensure comedy remains a staple part of our British culture.”
