London Sketchfest 2015

The 3^rd annual LONDON SKETCHFEST

Friday 1^st – Sunday 3^rd May – The Cinema Museum – Elephant & Castle

Discovering Britain’s funniest alternative comedy London SketchFest returns for its third consecutive year, following two sell-out years with critical acclaim as the UK’s most exciting new national comedy festival.

Celebrating live, scripted comedy the festival shines a spotlight on the best and most exciting comedy acts, handpicked each year. Established in 2013 as an alternative to mainstream stand-up comedy festivals, SketchFest has gained a reputation for discovering unknown comedy talents – with a showcase of 12 unsigned acts performing in front of a panel of industry judges that includes Alex Hardy (the comedy editor for The Times), Kate Copstick (revered Scotsman comedy critic) amongst others. Many of its winners have since gone on to sign development deals for TV.

Alongside it’s Best New Act Competition the festival also boasts a Feature Series with established talent who can be found across TV and radio. It also has a film competition Sketch Screen highlighting the best new video comedy talent run in conjunction with COFILMIC comedy film festival. And for 2015 it’s introducing two new parts to its programme – the Solo Series featuring exciting character and single-performer acts and Sketch Scribe where aspiring sketch writers will get a chance to have their work performed by comedy troupes and win a mentor session with a leading comedy professional.

For 2015 the London Sketch Comedy Festival will be leaving its roots in East London and moving to the newly regenerated Elephant & Castle where it will take over The Cinema Museum for three days alongside a second stage at The Artworks, a newly launched container space.

Produced by The Laughing Guild, a not-for-profit organization setup to support and develop British comedy talent, the 2015 festival will be presenting some of the most exciting comedy acts on the circuit from the worlds of sketch, character and improv. Highlights include The Noise Next Door (BBC Taster), Late Night Gimp Fight (new Impractical Jokers), Hennessy & Friends (featuring Miranda Hennessy from Give Out Girls & Plebs), So On & So Forth (Radio 4), critically-acclaimed newcomers Massive Dad and winners from last year’s festival Gein’s Family Giftshop, In Cahoots and This Glorious Monster. With more acts still being confirmed it’s set to be the most exciting festival yet!

Check out interviews with some of the new sketch groups competing in the Best New Act Competition.

“…the best up-and-coming troupes gather for Sketchfest” THE INDEPENDENT (RADAR) 2014

“Sketchfest is a great way to see established and up-coming sketch acts alongside each other in the same night, or if your stamina is up to it, across the full festival” THE LONDONIST

“Presenting an impressive roster of well known sketch artists alongside some of the best up and coming comedians on the circuit, London Sketchfest is a long overdue platform for sketchtalent”THE LONDON WORD

‘London SketchFest threw up some pretty special talent – comedians who will be having a big impact very soon, if there’s any justice’ LONDON IS FUNNY

‘Weird, wide-ranging and whimsical, SketchFest reinvigorates a sketch scene increasingly overshadowed by all-conquering stand-up megastars. That can only be a good thing’ THE TELEGRAPH

‘SketchFest wins a battle for comic hearts and minds’ THE STAGE

‘Perfect for the YouTube generation’ EVENING STANDARD

FRIDAY 1ST MAY

7pm SKETCH SCRIBE

10 writers hand over their sketches to a comedy troupe in a live contest for comedy writers (1h, 30m)

7pm NEW ACT COMPETITION

O’Shea & O’Gaukroger / Flip & Maggie / Minor Delays / Daphne (1h, 40m)

9pm FEATURE SERIES

This Glorious Monster / So On & So Forth (1h, 40m)

SATURDAY 2ND MAY

5.30pm SOLO SERIES

Farrucio Peru/ Loren O’Brien / Milo McCabe / Charles Booth /Megan Ford (4h,00m)