Wells Comedy Festival 2016: full line-up announced for Somerset’s stand-up shindig

Dane Baptiste Blue Background HI RESMore names added to this year’s Wells Comedy Festival, including Mark Steel, Katy Brand, Dane Baptiste and Ed Gamble

The Wells Comedy Festival – which takes place 3-5 June 2016 – has revealed its full line-up, with a whole host of new acts joining the previously announced Stewart Lee, Sara Pascoe, Arthur Smith, Robert Newman, Sam Simmons, Bridget Christie and many others.

More than 20 comedians are making the trip to England’s smallest city to play the ‘weekend-long stand-up jamboree’ (The Guardian). New additions include award-winning Radio 4 star Mark Steel, TV regular Katy Brand (of ‘Big Ass Show’ fame), Foster’s Best Newcomer nominee Dane Baptiste and ‘Almost Royal’ and ‘Mock the Week’ star Ed Gamble. Plus silly stand-ups Lou Sanders and Stuart Laws and ‘QI’ elf, ‘No Such Thing as a Fish’ podcaster and Private Eye writer Andrew Hunter Murray.

StewartLeeComics already announced include a very special guest who can’t be named here, Bafta-winning BBC star Stewart Lee (who has now added a second show), panel show regular Sara Pascoe, legendary grump Arthur Smith, ‘Infinite Monkey Cage’ co-host Robin Ince and Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award-winners Bridget Christie and Sam Simmons. Plus Robert Newman, Tony Law, Spencer Jones as the Herbert, Pat Cahill and the Comedians Cinema Club performing the Wells-shot cop comedy movie ‘Hot Fuzz’, live.

Ben Williams, Wells Comedy Festival Founder and Producer said, ‘I’m over the moon with the line-up for this year’s fest, and so pleased to have household name comics performing alongside some of my personal favourites, like Lou Sanders and Stuart Laws. It’s going to be one jam-packed weekend.’

Bede Macgowan, Editor of the Wells Journal – Wells Comedy Festival’s official media partner – said, ‘What a brilliant line-up, it looks like being a cracking weekend with plenty of variety on offer. I hear there’s also a big name mystery special guest on the cards. Once again Wells is punching above its weight when it comes to hosting high quality events, it is fast becoming the cultural hub for the South West.’

Tickets for all shows at the Wells Comedy Festival are on sale now from www.wellscomfest.com.