Every year hundreds of comics head North of the Border in the hope of fame and glory....

& every year we preview the best shows so that you can catch them before they transfer into the West End at ridiculous prices!

We take care to recreate the real atmosphere and experience of an Edinburgh show...

* no audience *

* rubbish pay for the acts *

* great fun! *

 Various Tuesdays and Fridays  at 8pm (doors)       8.30pm (1^st Show)        9.45pm (2^nd Show)

two full shows per night for £7/5 (conc.)

Tickets available from We Got Tickets (click here)

NB Bills may change at late notice - make sure you refresh these pages

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Tuesday 25th MAY

GARY DELANEY    *    MICHAEL FABBRI

Including a short set from a special mystery guest!!

‘Gary Delaney – Purist’

Gary thinks that most shows don’t contain enough jokes so he is trying to single-handedly redress the balance. 

This August Gary Delaney makes his long-awaited Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut with his one hour show ‘Purist’. 

‘Purist’ consists of an alarming amount of jokes.  Don’t expect a narrative, theme or a voyage of self discovery but do expect jokes, and lots of them. Gary will also be talking about how in the internet age jokes that could once last a comic a lifetime can now travel the world in days.

Having written for Ivan Brackenbury's Hospital Radio Roadshow (Perrier nominated in 2007), Russell Howard’s Good News, Jason Manford’s Comedy Rocks, Radio 4’s The News Quiz, and won two Sony awards, Gary now feels it’s time to step out of the shadows and take centre stage himself.

This show comes with a ‘no whimsy’ guarantee.  It is not suitable for bairns or sensitive souls.

Gary Delaney  

Gary is originally from Solihull, although he usually says Birmingham to try and sound a bit more cool. He used to organise events at the LSE where he met such political heavyweights as Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela, Gordon Brown and Neil and Christine Hamilton.

Gary regularly headlines clubs throughout the UK.  

Gary has also told rude jokes on Comedy Central's 'Comedy Blue'.

 THE CRITICS:

‘Unremittingly vicious comic Gary Delaney, master of the one-liner’

THE SCOTSMAN

 “Quick fire material of the very highest quality is pretty much guaranteed from the fast-thinking Delaney, a master of the deadpan one-liner”                       

THE GUARDIAN

'Taut, brilliant one-liners. Delaney was worth the price of admission alone.'

 CHORTLE

                                                                     ‘razor sharp one-liners'                                                                      

DAILY TELEGRAPH

MICHAEL FABBRI - FABRICATIONS

Michael Fabbri returns to the festival to share a few of his favourite lies. Some he heard and some he told. As well as various thoughts, facts, and fictions all welded together to construct an hour of organised comedy chaos.

‘Exceptionally funny… extremely sharp… hugely enjoyable’

 **** Scotsman 

‘Destined for a bigger stage’

**** List

‘Startlingly insightful’ Guardian

‘Fabbri delivers material perfectly… the material is tight and

Consistently funny…  Calm, almost hypnotically understated style of delivery… A perfect way to round off your day at the festival’

**** Allthefestivals.com

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Tuesday 1st JUNE

PHIL NICHOL    *    MATT GREEN

Please note that, as of today (June 1st), Danny Bhoy is now unable to do the show tonight - he's slipped a disc and is having treatment in Scotland. We are currently organising another date for Danny - please keep checking here for updated info.   If you already have a ticket for tonight's show we will give you free entry to the rescheduled date (30th July).  Your ticket is also valid for tonight .

PHIL NICHOL:    WELCOME TO CRAZYTOWN

January 19th 1974, legendary Beat poet Bobby Spade performed his magnum opus ‘Welcome to Crazytown’ at Baltimore ’s famous jazz club, Bertha’s. That show ended in near tragedy.

Phil Nichol recreates that event.

 Welcome to Crazytown is a semi-autobiographical masterpiece of poetic story-telling that explores the dark seedy underbelly of a metropolis. Written just after the death of Spade’s third wife Tamara during a period of extreme grieving and substance abuse, it’s been compared to Dylan Thomas’ ‘Under Milkwood’.

MATT GREEN: BLEEDING FUNNY

This rising star and Critic’s Choice (Guardian; The List) returns with new tales of embarrassment and redemption. But mainly embarrassment.

“A stand-up audience's dream; his off-the-cuff jokes are so good they could have been scripted, his clever prepared material delivered so nonchalantly it could have been improvised...an explosion of comedy that left everyone in stitches” ***** (ThreeWeeks)
"It’s hard to imagine anyone would leave this show disappointed” (Chortle)

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Tuesday 15th JUNE

CAREY MARX    *    SALLY-ANNE HAYWARD

Carey Marx, Scoundrel. (Rogue, Rascal, Cheat)

Carey was a medium, an above average medium! His methods consisted of lying. It’s not like anyone can check with their dead dad.
Here is a true story of a formative moment, and of exploitation by someone who now knows better.
Carey Marx, winner of Best International Show at the New Zealand International  Comedy Festival 2009, returns to Edinburgh with his new show about truth, about lies and mostly about shame.
‘Peter Pan's evil twin’ – New Zealand Herald. ‘An old-fashioned comic-book schoolboy… cheeky charm and powerful punchlines’ – Chortle ****. ‘An extraordinarily talented stand-up’ – Metro ****

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Tuesday 22nd JUNE

PETE FIRMAN    *    IVOR DEMBINA

Pete Firman: Jokes & Tricks
Prepare to be amazed and amused by Britain’s leading comedy magician as he returns with “the best tricks in the universe”(Independent).After sell-out shows in 2007/08/09 Pete has established himself as one of Edinburgh’s hottest tickets.Television appearances include ‘Monkey Magic’(FIVE),‘Dirty Tricks’ and ‘Derren Brown’s 3D Magic Spectacular’(Channel4) and ‘For One Night Only’(ITV1).

“The man from Middlesbrough sets the pace for comedy-meets-magic in the 21st century”(The Times)
 
“Funnier than most comedians and more magical than Dumbledore on a good day”(Time Out)
 
“Fusing jaw-dropping tricks with a fast and furious delivery of gags...A killer combo indeed.”(The List)

www.petefirman.co.uk

IVOR DEMBINA - THIS IS NOT A SUBJECT FOR COMEDY

‘Brilliantly funny in the face of tragedy’ (Time Out); 'Quietly affecting and very funny' (The Independent). Jewish comedian’s revised hit show about Israel, Palestine and the Jews. A deeply personal story with jokes about a Jewish man from north London, brought up to love Israel finding his support for the Jewish State challenged by his visit to the occupied West Bank. Recently reviewed in the Guardian as a 4-star show, Dembina says: 'I'm one of those Jews who believe we should give back the occupied territories - but I think we should hang on to New York'.

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FrIday 25th JUNE

DAN ANTOPOLSKI    *    AVA VIDAL

Dan Antopolski - Turn Of The Century

Who’s the comic with an ear for dialogue and a bod for sin? Triple Perrier Award Nominee, veteran Fringe sell-out and Winner of the 2009 Dave Award for Funniest Joke of the Fringe Dan Antopolski presents his seventh solo stand-up show. Jokes? Yes sir. Raps? Almost certainly. Fun? You bet your mum it will be fun. ***** List ***** Herald*****  londonisfunny.com. "Spectacular displays of verbal pyrotechnics” Observer 2009. “One of the funniest and hardest-working comedians out there… Some of the best gags I've heard" **** Scotsman 2009. www.danantopolski.com

Ava Vidal: Lessons I Should Have Learnt

Ava (Michael Mc Intyre’s Comedy Roadshow, The Comedystore) relives her worst moments and she wonders do we ever learn, or are we destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over until we die?
She relives her mistakes and life experiences with the help of diaries and text and facebook messages.  She then asks herself if these contain the ‘Lessons I Should Have Learnt.’

‘In a scene dominated mainly by unthreatening feel-good comedy, it's refreshing to see evidence that stand-up still has teeth’ 4 * Chortle
‘Fiercely accomplished performer’ 4* Scotsman

www.avavidal.co.uk

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Tuesday 29th JUNE

HENRY PAKER    *    SUSAN MURRAY

HENRY PAKER 

Former Leicester Comedian of the Year and Laughing Horse New Act of the Year finalist Henry Paker is coming back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as part of the Five Pound Fringe equipped with his first solo show, featuring an hour of odds and sods, posturing and white knuckle whimsy.

Previous runs at the Fringe have seen Henry bolster his profile on the circuit, with Three Weeks writing in their four star review that ‘the star is Henry Paker; every one of his jokes is built up perfectly, and the punch line is always hilarious. Clever material, but silly enough not to alienate anyone’ and urging audiences to ‘see this show while you can’, whilst Chortle said that his was a ‘mightily impressive set that is rarely less than superb… The man will be a star.’

Henry began his career in comedy in 2006 and enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks, being selected to participate in the prestigious comedy showcase The Comedy Zone in Edinburgh in 2008 and gaining glowing four star reviews from the likes of the Sunday Times along the way.

The stand-up’s talents were soon called on for television with appearances on Paramount Comedy’s Edinburgh and Beyond and The Nuts TV Comedy Club, and he recently appeared on Radio 4 as part of Arthur Smith’s Balham Bash. He has written material for shows including the BBC’s Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Mock The Week and Channel 4’s 8 Out of 10 Cats.

The Edinburgh Fringe 2009 saw Henry perform in Mark Watson’s hit show The Hotel alongside Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Tom Basden as well as writing and participating in sketch show Superclump at The GRV which received a four star review from Chortle. He also took part in Paker/Richards, with Absolute Radio’s Gareth Richards, which received another four star review from Three Weeks: ‘Henry Paker has to be one of the funniest comedians I have ever witnessed!’.

Henry is also a cartoonist and his book Don’t Arm Wrestle a Pirate, created with fellow comedian Dave Skinner, was featured on the Richard & Judy Book Club and his cartoon Why Steve Was Late appears in the Times every Friday.

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Tuesday 6th JULY

MILES JUPP    *    HELEN KEEN

MILES JUPP "Fibber In The Heat" 

- the story of a disastrous attempt to become a cricket journalist in India via the ill thought out method of pretending to be one. Triumph, disaster, and being saved from social embarrassment by David Gower.

HELEN KEEN - It Is Rocket Science, V2!

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Tuesday 13th JULY

GORDON SOUTHERN    *    HENNING WEHN

GORDON SOUTHERN: BORDERS: Have you ever crossed the line?

Borders come in all shapes and sizes...From huge international ones to tiny ones inside a person's head.  Southern brings his unique perspective to the mountain ranges, rivers, rabbit proof fences, state-lines, city-limits, airport passport controls and lines DRAWN in the sand. Gordon unpicks the boundaries of good taste, takes a hammer to the 'fourth wall' and gleefully SMASHES it.   PREPARE to have YOUR BORDERS exposed, ignored and  trampled over, but you will be laughing all the way.

“Top class all round” Sunday Times

  “Poetic, joyful and freewheeling” ****Chortle.

HENNING WHEN - My Struggle 

Cumbernauld, Cockermouth, Croydon…life as German Comedy Ambassador to the United Kingdom is far from glamorous. In fact, it is a right old struggle. But Henning Wehn makes it look easy. Teutonic jolliness at its best. Come along. Or else. Deutschland über alles! 'The Werner Herzog of comedy', Stewart Lee. 'Absolutely brilliant', The Scotsman.

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Tuesday 20th JULY    THREE SHOW SPECIAL!

PHIL NICHOL    *   STEPHEN CARLIN  *  DANNY BHOY

Phil Nichol: Welcome to Crazytown

January 19th 1974, legendary Beat poet Bobby Spade performed his magnum opus ‘Welcome to Crazytown’ at Baltimore ’s famous jazz club, Bertha’s. That show ended in near tragedy.

Phil Nichol recreates that event.

 Welcome to Crazytown is a semi-autobiographical masterpiece of poetic story-telling that explores the dark seedy underbelly of a metropolis. Written just after the death of Spade’s third wife Tamara during a period of extreme grieving and substance abuse, it’s been compared to Dylan Thomas’ ‘Under Milkwood’.

STEPHEN CARLIN: THE PODIUM OF UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER

 With the brooding looks of a young Sean Connery and the mind of a pedantic overlord Stephen Carlin descends on this years Fringe with his latest bout of comedic artistry and demonstrates why he’s been picked as a rising  comedy star for 2010. As heard on BBC Radio.

 “’So thoughtful you would put your house on him reinventing the knock knock joke… Announcing the arrival of a new comedy original’ Herald ***** 

‘Ready to become at the very least a cult favourite among fans of the sharper end of stand-up.’ Guardian 

DANNY BHOY - WORK IN PROGRESS

Work in progress towards an as yet unnamed show! Danny Bhoy's worldwide fanbase continues to grow at a staggering pace. 2010 promises to be another busy year for the brilliant young Scot. "He creates a remarkable intimacy with his audience. A must-see." The Age, Australia "His routines have the mark of those which are quoted from, for years to come." The Herald, UK

DANNY BHOY a rescheduled  appearance from Tuesday 1st June.  Your ticket for the postponed show will be honoured also for this date at no extra charge. In order to ensure availability of seats, please could you email   admin@downstairsatthekingshead.com   with your original ticket reference to say whether you are going to attend on this date.  If the venue hasn't heard by 18th July, it will assume you do not wish to take up the offer.

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Friday 23rd JULY SOLD OUT - Sorry

STEPHEN K AMOS    *    SIMON BRODKIN

STEPHEN K AMOS: THE BEST MEDICINE

 New show fresh from filming his BBC2 series.

 "If laughter is the best medicine then Amos should be prescribed by the NHS for his formidable healing powers" Evening Standard

 “Big-grin gags” Sunday Times

Lee Nelson's Well Good Edinburgh Show

 The legend behind Lee Nelson's Well Good Show (BBC3) brings some funnies to the good people of Scotiland who don't have TVs. Locals don’t worry - I may take your life but I’ll never take your freedom. Qwaliteeey!

 Simon Brodkin is one of the country's most exciting comedians, with a huge talent for creating and portraying an array of instantly recognisable and hilarious characters.

 “Great comic inventions played with a real star quality.” The Times

“Always very, very funny.” Chortle

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Tuesday 27th JULY

"Sorry but, as of 2.30 this afternoon, we have been informed that Reg D Hunter is unable to appear tonight.  He is suffering from exhaustion and has been told to rest for a few days.  We have managed to get the fabulous GLEN WOOL to appear as replacement (Bridget Christie is still on as advertised).  Reg will appear later in the year (hopefully doing a long set on Tuesday 7th September) and your tickets will be valid for the rescheduled show if you let Peter know via admin@downstairsatthekingshead.com .
If you do not want to come tonight and want a refund on the show please contact wegottickets.com immediately and this will be processed.  Furthermore, I'd like to point out that this is no fault of the venue and any direct complaints should be addressed to Reg via his agent - lisa@glorioustalent.com
Again, apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Peter Grahame"

GLEN WOOL    *    BRIDGET CHRISTIE

Some tickets available

GLEN WOOL 

Glenn began his comedy career in his hometown of Vancouver in 1995. He moved to London in 1998 and quickly became one of the rising stars of the London and international comedy circuit having performed in Australia, New Zealand, The USA, South Africa, Switzerland, France, Croatia and Arabia. Glenn was nominated for Best International Stand Up at The New Zealand Comedy Awards and Best Headliner at the Chortle Awards

In recent years Glenn has hit the International circuit in a big way, performing to huge crowds in Singapore, Holland, Dubai, New York and Los Angeles where he is currently living. He's also a popular addition to many of the great Summer music Festivals in the UK, including Reading & Leeds, Latitude, Bestival, Download and of course Glastonbury.


Glenn is a regular TV face having made appearances on The World Stands Up, Comedy Blue and Edinburgh and Beyond for Comedy Central, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, The BBC Stand Up Show, The Live Floor Show, 28 Acts in 28 Minutes and The Comic side of Seven Days for the BBC.  He continues to be a regular in Comedy Cuts, the comedy show from ITV2.   Glenn also wrote and starred in What's The Story?' broadcast on Channel 4 as part of the Comedy Lab season.

Radio is familiar to Glenn too having recently been in Political Animal and 28 Acts in 28 Minutesfor BBC Radio 4 as well as headlining 4 at the Store (R4) and The Late Night Comedy Show for Radio 1. 



Praise for Glenn

“Effortlessly funny with an affability that other comics can only dream of – You have to go and see Glenn Wool. ” The Guardian

"Edgy, imaginative, funny and original, Canadian born Wool sets the standards at the fringe” Daily Telegraph


“If Like me, you believe that nobody could be much funnier than a cross between Jack Black and Meat Loaf, then you’ll be pleased to learn that such a man exists”  The Independent on Sunday

“The funniest and most sharply observed comedy at this years festival” Skinny Fest *****
 

“Why aren't you in a queue somewhere buying a ticket?" The Scotsman
 

“Seeing Glenn Wool perform should be made compulsory for the melancholy. There’s no way you won’t feel a bit better about the world afterwards.  Lethally funny” ****Metro
 

“Absolutely hilarious”  Independent

BRIDGET CHRISTIE - A Ant 

Bridget Christie used to dress up as Charles II, talk about the English Civil War and pretend to be The Great Plague. But this had no commercial value, so she gave up on that pointless nonsense. This year she's talking about cat-shit, priests and rude mothers. Bridget is supported by the first ever and so far the finest Ant comedian on the circuit, A Ant (Winner Nivea Funny Ant Competition 1993). "Cheerful surrealist" (Guardian). "Utterly entertaining" (Times). "Brilliantly, uniquely funny…what truly alternative fringe comedy should be" (Chortle). "Like watching a young Frances De La Tour" (Barry Cryer). 

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Friday 30th JULY 

SEANN WALSH    *    MIKE WOZNIAK

Seann Walsh - I Would Happily Punch Myself In The Face

Hotly anticipated debut from a multi award winning emerging star. He made a silly noise on Mock the Week, was actually grouchy on Grouchy Young Men and supported Stephen K Amos on tour. It’s going well. He’s still not happy.

  “Walsh is this generation’s Dylan Moran… quite special” Time Out

 “inventive comedy … deft punchlines and appealing delivery.” Chortle

MIKE WOZNIAK ‘Egg and Spoon’
New stand-up show from this if.comedy newcomer nominee. A birth, an unexpected death, failure of expected death and attempts to create a new Wozniak are among the events crowding Mike’s brain. ‘‘Extremely odd…Hilarious’ AllTheFestivals.com ‘An appealing dash of the absurd’ Chortle ‘Off-beat imaginings, clever one-liners’ The Observer Infinitely pleasurable’ The Independent Time Out New Act of the Year 2008, Amused Moose Laugh Off Winner 2008, Chortle Newcomer Nominee 2009. 

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Tuesday 3rd AUGUST

APOLOGY - SHOW CANCELLED

Terribly sorry, but have just been informed by the brewery that they are going to be re-laying the floor downstairs and the club will have close from 2nd-4th August. I'm afraid there's no way round it - the floor has needed major repairs for some time and the job is expected to take up to three days.  keep your eyes on the website - we may be able to reschedule to other shows.

Sorry again, but it's out of my hands
Kind regards
Peter 

NB Ronnie Golden's sow has been transferred on 3rd August. 

It'll be at The Blush Bar, 8 Casenove Rd, Stoke Newington N16. 7.30pm. Three shows for a fiver!

RONNIE GOLDEN    *    JAMES SHERWOOD

RONNIE GOLDEN    FIRST A FENDER,  A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ROCK

Barry Cryer's uncivil partner and former leader of cult New Wave band 

Fabulous Poodles brings his first ever solo show to the Edinburgh Festival. 

A heady mix of musical masterclass, rock concert & immature humour.

Drawing on nearly four decades of performing music and comedy 

he's finally ready to impart some of his tricks and secrets and, hopefully, 

instill in you the passion that's driven him to become the rock god you see before you today.

 You will LEARN. You will LAUGH. You will LOVE this show. 

 "An excellent musical mimic who can slip, like a golden-larynxed chameleon, 

into any style he chooses." Daily Mail

 Moneyback guarantee (does not apply).

JAMES SHERWOOD 

'Sherwood mixes dry, gently cerebral comedy with moments of inspired silliness;
thanks to his non-stop invention and brilliant comic craft' (Guardian). Following a UK tour, he's back with a new show. Writer for Radio 4 favourites such as 'News Quiz' and a Sony Award-winning series of the 'Now Show', James also devised and wrote for the topical panel show 'I Guess That's Why They Call It the News' in Radio 4's Friday evening topical slot. He has performed on '4 Stands Up', 'Loose Ends' and on the recent 'Now Show' election specials.

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