Liverpool Arab Arts Festival 2024

THE Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) is the longest running festival of Arab arts and culture ias currently running! LAAF provides a platform for Arab artists through theatre, visual art, performance, literature, music and more. It has added to its 10 day programme with 2 new events; a guided food tour of Yemeni eateries on Lodge Lane, and a participatory event with Dani Abulhawa and Alia Alzougbi; complemented by a programme including:- powerful conversations from artists in Palestine, a vital creative project exploring the character of Port Cities and a stunning new play by Hassan Abdulrazzak.

If you have not yet been, you still have a chance to catch some of the amazing activities on offer, such as the closing event, that will see LAAF's ever popular Family Day takes place at Sefton Park's Palm House, offering a celebratory showcase, hosting a free afternoon of music, performance, authentic Arab culture, food and drink; with something suitable for the whole family to enjoy!

So what is still on offer this year?

• Janette Ayachi: Exploring Heritage Through Poetry
  Wednesday, 17 July / 6pm; 7pm
  Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BX
  £8/£6 / TICKETS
  

• Marina Barham: A Voice for Theatre and Culture in Palestine
  Thursday, 18 July / 6pm; 7pm
  Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG
  £6 / TICKETS
  

• ORANGES AND STONES
  Thursday, 18 July / 7:30pm
  Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG
  £15 / TICKETS
  

• Chambers of the Heart: Hassan Abdulrazzak, Laila Alj and Sepy Baghaei
  Friday, 19 July and Saturday, 20 July / 7:30pm
  Unity Theatre, 1 Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG
  £15.00 / TICKETS
  

• Bittersweet: A Story of Food and Yemen Tours
  Saturday, 20 July / 12:00 pm; 3:30 pm
  Tours start at Liverpool Arabic Centre on Lodge Lane.
  £10 TICKETS
  

• The Ayoub Sisters
  Saturday, 20 July / 8pm
  Music Room, Liverpool Philharmonic, Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BP
  £15.00 / TICKETS
  

• Family Day
  Sunday, 21 July / 12pm; 5pm
  Sefton Park Palm House, Sefton Park, Liverpool, L17 1AP
  FREE / NO TICKETS REQUIRED

For more information please visit:- ArabArtsFestival.Com.

Southport Comedy Festival unveils Best of The Fest events featuring top TV comedians

THE 13th Annual Southport Comedy Festival, in association with Halliwell Jones MINI, promises to be an unforgettable event.  Set in a luxury heated and seated marquee courtesy of Elite Marquees in the beautiful grounds of Southport's Victoria Park, the festival will run from:-  27 September to 13 October 2024, featuring a stellar lineup of comedians. In addition to headliners like:- Ben Elton, Jason Manford, and Henning Wehn, the festival has lined up 3 special:- 'Best of the Fest' nights, hosted by Big Comedy UK.

These nights feature top tier comedians from popular TV shows:- 'like Live at the Apollo,' 'Have I Got News For You' and 'Mock The Week' as well as the finest comedians from the national comedy circuit. Tickets are affordably priced starting at £15.

Sunday, 29 September 2024 - Jo Caulfield and Hal Cruttenden...

Jo Caulfield... Although best known for her legendary 1-woman shows Jo is also a respected comedy writer and served as a writer on Graham Norton's BAFTA Award winning:- "So Graham Norton."

Nominated as:- "the best female Stand Up in the country" (Chortle) and:- "1 of the Top 100 Comedians" (Channel 4), in 2022 Jo was voted:- "The Comedians Comedian of The Year." an award voted for by her comedy peers. As seen on:- 'Have I Got News for You,' 'Mock The Week,' 'Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow,' 'The Royal Variety Performance,' and 'Richard Osman's House of Games.'

Hal Cruttenden... Hal is 1 of the top stand-up comedians working in the UK today as well as being a highly accomplished writer, presenter and actor. As seen on:- 'Live at the Apollo,' 'Have I Got News For You,' 'The Royal Variety Performance,' 'Mock the Week,' 'The Great British Bake Off - An Extra Slice'and:- 'he Apprentice - You're Fired!'

Friday, 4 October 2024... The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue, Katie Tracey, Patrick Monahan with host Bren Riley...

Prepare for something completely different from award winning:- 'The Raymond' and 'Mr Timpkins Revue,' highly original masters of prop and pun comedy. Excellent, fast moving, clever, constantly changing, hilarious, musical nonsense. Winner UK Comedy Award Comedian of the Year as voted by fellow comedians. 

Patrick Monahan... Show me the funny:- 'Splash' (ITV) and:- 'Celebrity squares' (ITV) and more recently on:- 'The 1 Show' (BBC), 'Fake Reaction' (ITV), 'Pointless Celebrity Special' (BBC) and 'Asian Network' (BBC).

Katie Tracey... Liverpool's own fast rising star is regarded as 1 of the best female comedians in the Northwest, Funny Women Awards runner up, support act to Arthur Smith.

Sunday, 13 October 2024 -  Paul Sinha and Ria Lina

Paul Sinha... Festival favourite and star of ITV's 'The Chase' Paul Sinha The Sinnerman closes this year's comedy festival. Paul is a Rose d'Or Award winner for radio comedy, and Chortle Award winner and Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee for his stand up. Paul is a familiar voice on radio appearing on:- 'Just a Minute,' 'The News Quiz' and 'Fighting Talk.' On television, Paul has appeared on:- 'QI,' 'Would I Lie to You?' 'Taskmaster' and 'Celebrity Googlebox.'

Ria Lina... Ria is a touring Filipina comedian, actress and writer known for her appearances on BBC's Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, The Now Show and Mock The Week.

She has recently been named as 1 of The Evening Standard's:- 'Hottest Comedians You Should Be Watching Now.'

Throughout her stand-up career Ria has taken 5 shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her career stretches from stage and screen, to radio and the occasional ukulele.

Southport Comedy Festival is supporting new talent once again with the Southport New Comedian of the Year competition sponsored by Dragon Soop and hosting 2 special events raising funds for local charities Southport Flower Show and Community Link Foundation, this event is sponsored by Anthony James Estate Agents.

The full programme of events are now up on the Southport Comedy Festival website with all tickets on sale.

The Southport Comedy Festival organisers would like to thank all the businesses who have given their support to this year's festival. check out their logos on the festival website with links to their websites to see who has helped keep Southport smiling this year.

Southport Comedy Festival Under Canvas at:- Victoria Park in Southport, Esplanade, Southport, PR81RX.

Festival Dates:- Friday, 27 September to Sunday, 13 October 2024... Visit:- SouthportComedyFestival.Com for more information and to book ticketso