Gag packed line-up

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), July 22, 2005

Byline: Val Javin ,

Afer 10 years, they needed a break. But fear not the comedy class acts return to the Lawrence Batley Theatre in the autumn.

The gags start flowing again in mid September after that much deserved summer break, with the usual fortnightly routine back in full swing right through the autumn and on into mid December. The Thursday night shows in the LBT's Cellar space will have a clutch of MCs, Jason Manford, Dominic Woodward and John Warburton.

Nine comedians are booked in so far but as ever, watch the billing. For though names are named in the new season's brochure, out now, things in the world of comedy can and do change, pretty fast.

In the main house, there will be a couple of headlining comedy shows too. And those names are inked in!

First to arrive on October 1, launching a national tour, is Patrick Kielty, the Belfast born comedian better known these days for his cheeky chappie presenter and chat-show personna.

Patrick's big break came in 1995, when a stand-up performance for Comic Relief in Belfast led to his own BBC programme. The show, PK Tonight, earned him huge acclaim when he launched it in Northern Ireland.

Nationally, he has fronted shows such as The National Lottery Big Ticket and the BBC's answer to Pop Idols Fame Academy. He also has his own BBC1 chat show.

Patrick went to Queen's University and has apparently always been a bit of a laugh. He is famous for doing off the wall things like taking the entire audience to the pub after the show. So be prepared come October 1.

Later that same month, make a Sunday night date with Mark Thomas and Robert Newman, a pairing guaranteed to offer an evening of highly politicised stand-up.

Mark Thomas, renowned for his polemic, cutting satire, and his appetite for heavyweight subjects, was at the LBT last year.

Pairing him with Robert Newman, writer and comedian adds another dimension and should make for powerful Sunday night entertainment.

As for those Cellar gigs, they kick off on September 22 with amiable Irishman Brendan Dempsey and Juliet Myers followed by Paul Thorne and Ron and Skatz.

Due in next is Roger Monkhouse, last seen at the LBT as a support act in 2002, headlines this time around with Anthony J Brown as support.

Seymour Mace, described as quirky and "looking like a demented geography teacher" by one reviewer, heads the billing in early November with Al Pitcher in support and to round off the autumn clutch of comedy gigs, there's Alex Horne and Mark Dyktinski.