Greg Davies talks ahead of Shrewsbury comedy fest

The festival is strategically timed to provide top circuit acts with opportunities for last-minute previews for their Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows, and will contain 15 hour-long performances in four town centre venues over three days, starting today.

At Theatre Severn on Sunday, Greg Davies will host a Gala Performance – a three-hour extravaganza to close the festival, containing a line-up that is described by the organisers as ‘a whole series of Live at the Apollo squeezed into one night’, including Joe Lycett, Terry Alderton and Abandonman.

The festival is the brainchild of Kevin Bland and Beth McGowan. Kevin is a former stand-up comedian who has promoted comedy in Shropshire and beyond for over a decade. Beth holds nearly 20 years’ experience in sound production and event management.

Kevin says: “This is something Beth and I have talked about for a while, but we couldn’t have got it off the ground without the enthusiasm and support of the venues. Securing someone of Greg Davies’ calibre for our inaugural event is fantastic. Shrewsbury has a great tradition of hosting festivals. We have one for everything, from beer to flowers, food to comics and street theatre to folk music, so it’s about time for some comedy too.”

Tickets for Gala Performance sold out within hours of going on sale, but comedy fans can plan a weekend of laughs with performances across The Old Market Hall in The Square, St Nicholas Bar and Café on Castle Street and The Old Post Office on Milk Street. All have been selected to showcase the quirky, festival-friendly nature of Shrewsbury.

Tickets have been capped at £5 each and are available in person from the Box Office at Theatre Severn and Old Market Hall, or by calling 01743 281281 and online at www.theatresevern.co.uk.