Bishop & Millican raise funds for Manchester Comedy Festival
John Bishop
John Bishop and Sarah Millican will be hosting a string of events at The Comedy Store in Manchester this month to help raise funds for the Manchester Comedy Festival 2011. Bishop, a regular TV name with an arena tour under his belt, will be rehearsing material for the BBC’s John Bishop’s Britain on 19th – 22nd June, whilst Millican will be joining Justin Moorhouse, Alun Cochrane, Phil Ellis and Steve Shanyaski in an official Manchester Comedy Festival 2011 fundraiser on 26th June.
Emilie Jones, Manchester Comedy Festival coordinator, said: “It’s fantastic that so many wonderful local comedians are supporting the Manchester Comedy Festival. Last year we enjoyed the most successful festival in our ten years, and we are excited to be back in October with one that we hope will be even better.
“The festival’s philosophy is that anyone can put on a show free of charge and receive the same level of support irrespective of how new or established they are. With these fundraisers, and the support of The Comedy Store, the Manchester Comedy Festival can grow and flourish, and look forward to the next ten years.”
The Manchester Comedy Festival was founded in 2001 by The Comedy Store CEO Don Ward with the aim of celebrating one of the most vibrant comedy circuits in the UK. The 2010 Manchester Comedy Festival was heralded as the most successful yet, with household names such as Frankie Boyle, Jimmy Carr and Rhod Gilbert joining the next generation of comedians such as Joe Lycett and The Boy with Tape on his Face.
A large portion of the acts taking part in the Manchester Comedy Festival are from or based in Manchester, allowing the Comedy Festival to give a platform to the emerging acts from the region. The festival doesn’t charge acts to take part and also provides extensive support such as central promotion via the programme, PR and publicity.
For more information, visit the Manchester Comedy Festival website here, which has full show listings details of the acts involved, performer blog and more.
