New to the Cardiff Christmas Festival this year is a one-off comedy show, featuring five brilliant acts, taking place on Saturday 2 December. The producers of the Festival and SHELTER Cymru are thrilled to announce the full line-up for the show which forms part of this year’s festival.
The line-up for The Christmas Cracker Comedy Night includes: The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue (UK Comedy Awards Comedian of the Year 2019); daughter of Burry Port Anna Thomas (BBC New Comedian of the Year 2021); the UK’s foremost guitar-wielding and loop-layering stand-up comedian Rob Deering; brilliant Cardiff stand-up comedian and writer Leroy Brito; and TV and comedy festival star Jarred Christmas (Chortle Comedy Award Best Compere UK).
This one-off show on Saturday 2 December will raise funds for SHELTER Cymru and is supported by HSBC. It forms part of Cardiff Christmas Festival 2023, which takes place inside a beautiful heated 550-seat Spiegeltent in Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.
The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue are a comedy twosome with over two decades of mucking about behind them. They have performed everywhere – from New Zealand to The Falklands and Exeter to Edinburgh, with many a stop in between. In late 2019 they won the UK Comedy Awards Comedian of the Year Award.
Anna Thomas is an award-winning comedian, originally hailing from Carmarthenshire, South Wales. She wrote and starred in Lady Bigfoot; a short film that premiered on BBC One Wales in July 2023. She won the BBC New Comedy Award in 2021.
Rob Deering performs stand-up comedy with music, using a guitar, a loop pedal and his voice to create impressive rock and pop soundscapes. One of the most in-demand headliners on the UK circuit, he’s toured nationally and performed solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe many times. He has won Celebrity Mastermind and a comedians’ special of The Weakest Link on BBC One.
Leroy Brito is a multi-talented comedian, writer presenter and seasoned stand-up. He has sold out four solo shows at Wales Millennium Centre, starred in TV series including Tourist Trap on BBC One and Live from Barry Island on BBC Wales. Leroy has presented and appeared on several programmes such as 6 Nations Sin Bin, Elis James: Football Nation and the BAFTA award-winning BBC documentary Black and Welsh. He has also presented the popular Summer Saturdays Show, on BBC Radio Wales alongside Robin Morgan.
Jarred Christmas, originally from New Zealand, is a sought-after comedy headliner – famed for his quick-witted spontaneity and high energy storytelling. He’s performed at countless solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival and toured at international comedy festivals across the globe. He’s a regular team member at the Comedy Store’s weekly topical show The Cutting Edge and twice named Best Compere at the Chortle Awards. TV appearances include Mock the Week (BBC Two) Never Mind the Buzzcocks (BBC Two), 8 out of 10 Cats (Channel 4) and Live at the Comedy Store (Comedy Central).
Kerys Sheppard at Shelter Cymru says: “We’ve secured a fantastic line up for this event, which will raise much-needed funds for Shelter Cymru’s work across Wales. Whether you’re a fan of witty jokes, musical parodies, or outrageous antics, you’ll find something hilarious at this awesome show, the proceeds of which will help people in housing need this winter.”
Richard Perry, Director at Cardiff-based events company, Live Under the Stars, who produce Cardiff Christmas Festival adds: “We’re thrilled to add a fantastic night of comedy to the programme for the 2023 Cardiff Christmas Festival. This is a unique chance to see some of the UK’s finest comedy acts in the intimate Fortuna Spiegeltent – our stunning venue for the festival.”
The Cardiff Christmas Festival takes place from 1st to 24th December, moving from last year’s location in the Castle grounds to Sophia Gardens, and promising festive entertainment for everyone. Santa’s Wish, the magical Christmas family musical, is back by huge popular demand and an all-new production of Castellana which was the talk of Cardiff last year, will seduce and thrill audiences once more. Musical theatre stars Welsh of the West End perform for two nights only on 17th and 18th December and it’s party night on 10th December when My My! ABBA take to the stage for a fabba-ulous concert of all the hits from the Swedish Supergroup.
Admiral Money is headline sponsor of this year’s festival.
For information, including tickets, visit www.thecastle.wales Tickets are available from Seetickets.com and start at £18* Booking fees apply. Group bookings should call on 02921 520052 during office hours or email groups@thecastle.wales The venue is accessible for wheelchairs. Please message the team with any specific requirements.