The newly announced programme for Bristol Slapstick Festival 2017 will include celebrations of comedy greats such as Victoria Wood, Rik Mayall and The Young Ones.

On Wednesday 18th January at 5.40pm, Victoria Wood: Let’s Do It! will take place at the Watershed. Andrew Kelly (Festival of Ideas) will host a panel discussion looking at the extraordinary contribution that Victoria Wood made to comedy writing, performance and stand-up. Comedians Lucy Porter and Pippa Evans, along with Comedy and Theatre Historian Louise Wingrove from Bristol University, will make up the panel.

On Thursday 19th January at 7.30pm, The People’s Poet: A Celebration of the Stickiest Bogeys of Rik Mayall will take place at the Watershed. Comedian Robin Ince will be joined by Michael Legge to explore the 35 year career of Rik Mayall in all its anarchy, intensity and blazing stupidity.

On Saturday 21st January at 1.30pm, Robin and Not Josie’s Book Shambles: The Goodies will take place at the Watershed. Robin Ince and a guest co-host (as Josie Long can’t make it) will chat to Graeme Garden and Bill Oddie about the books they made as 2/3rds of TV comedy trio The Goodies.

Tickets for all of the above go on sale Friday 18th November.

On Sunday 22nd January at 4.15pm, Once In Every Lifetime: The Young Ones Revisited will take place at Bristol Old Vic. Host Marcus Brigstocke will be joined by Nigel Planer, Alexei Sayle and Lise Mayer (co-writer of the series) to explore the origins and social impact of one of the UK’s bravest and most innovative comedies. Tickets for this event are on sale now.

There are lots more special events planned for the Festival too, so take a look at the website and see what you fancy.

A few months ago, we were lucky enough to attend a fantastic Inside No. 9 event organised by Bristol Slapstick Festival, and you can read all about it here.