REQUEST STOPS Autumn/Winter 2011
So, firstly – tonight (Thursday) my One Night Stand is on Dave. They’ve been promoting the hell out of it by the sound of it, so the actual show (me, doing a bit of stand-up in Bristol) almost has to come as something of a disappointment, but hell – there it is. You probably like watching me, if you’re reading this, so go for it. And I’ve been asked to let you know that there are some fun extras you can beguile yourself with before the show, or while looking back nostagically upon it, or even to distract yourself from the tension during it.
This is a podcast with some stupid backstage stuff involving me and Horne, I think: http://bit.ly/g0vqmh
And this is a little clip, I believe (I don’t watch these things myself, or even the show, because life is embarrassing enough) http://bit.ly/eSPhKo
And when the show’s over and you are brokenly thinking ‘where am I going to see him again? Will I ever?’ you can comfort yourself with the knowledge of this new SLAB OF TOUR DATES as requested by YOU THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM.
The first thing to say is that after some years of people saying ‘why do you never tour Ireland? Do you hate the Irish?’ I am now able to answer the first part – even if the second remains a mystery. The tour will commence with a week of my first ever official Irish dates. Exciting. Among other neglected territories, I am finally visiting Aberdeen (the most commonly requested city of them all) and working on adding an Inverness one too. There are stops at lots of frequently voted-for habitations including Northampton, Newport, Colchester and Actual Chester. There are some dates which Cumbrians will like the look of. And then there are a couple which are slightly frightening. Wem Town Hall, for example: if you google it, about fourth or fifth down is a page which says ‘Wem Town Hall burned down in 1995′ Hmm.
Tickets for these shows will either be on sale already, or will go on sale shortly, and even this forbidding list is not completely exhaustive; there are a handful of gigs still being finalised. And remember there are another 30 or so shows in June/July already well and truly on sale, and in some cases quite near selling out.
And if you’re in Barnsley or Oxford, there have been some problems with your dates, but watch this space.
The Request Stops(TM) are as follows. And stay tuned for your chance to request a gig in an even more personal setting… very soon.
Sep 8 – Kilkenny Set Theatre
Sep 9 – Wexford Arts Centre
Sep 10 – Dublin Academy
Sep 11 – Belfast Empire
Sep 13 – Galway Roisin Dubh
Sep 14 – Cork Cypress Avenue
Oct 8 – Lincoln Drill Hall
Oct 9 – Bordon Phoenix Theatre
Oct 10 – Llandudno Theatre Cymru
Oct 12 – Chester Laugh Inn
Oct 14 – Durham Gala
Oct 15 – Market Drayton Festival Theatre
Oct 19 – Runcorn Brindley
Oct 20 – Aberdare Coliseum
Oct 21 – Basingstoke Haymarket
Oct 25 – Northampton Royal
Oct 27 – Aldershot Princes Theatre
Oct 28 – Winchester Theatre |Royal
Oct 30 – Buxton Opera House
Nov 2 – Bridport Arts Centre
Nov 4 – Stafford Gatehouse
Nov 6 – Colchester Arts Centre
Nov 10 – Pontardawe Arts Centre
Nov 12 – Newport Memorial Hall
Nov 13 – Monmouthshire Narth Hall
Nov 14 – Newcastle Stand
Nov 18 – Stockton Arc
Nov 19 – Penrith Eden Arts
Nov 20 – Millom Beggar’s Theatre
Nov 21 – Swindon Wyvern
Nov 26 – Tunbridge Wells Trinity
Nov 27 – Barnstaple Queens Theatre
Dec 1 – Ledbury Market Theatre
Dec 2 – Telford Oakengates
Dec 3 – Wem Town Hall
Dec 6 – Wellingborough The Castle
Dec 9 – Aberdeen Lemon Tree
Dec 16 – Jersey Opera House
Posted by Cathy on April 26, 2011
Ooh, you’re spoiling me! Northampton AND Wellingborough! The Royal is a much nicer theatre, but the Wellingborough Castle is that bit nearer to me, and I feel I should support you in my most local theatre. Ah well, it looks like it might just need to be 2 visits this time!
Patrick – the Royal is indeed fairly lovely. I saw Shaun Hughes there not too long ago, and it works ok for stand up, I thought, as it feels rather cosy.
Neither seem to be on sale yet on the respective theatre’s web sites though…
Posted by Benna on April 23, 2011
Come back to melbourne..yo
Posted by lisan66 on April 22, 2011
Hey Benjamin, not sure about Pontardawe, but Wexford is definitely real. It’s in the south-east of Ireland.
Posted by Lauren on April 21, 2011
PLEASE come back to Dundee! Your gona be in Aberdeen and were just down the road!! PLEASE?!?!
Posted by Paul O'Regan on April 21, 2011
Hey, Cork. Will definitely try to get along to that or the Dublin date if I’m around.
Posted by Benjamin on April 21, 2011
I suspect that many of these places aren’t real. Pontardawe? Wexford?
Posted by Lora on April 21, 2011
Exciting to see you are playing my hometown of Penrith! I very much look forward to seeing you there
Posted by DeborahF on April 21, 2011
Excellent news & tickets booked – see you in Buxton
Posted by Anji on April 21, 2011
Barnstaple the day before my birthday. Well I might just have to make an extra effort to get there. If my ‘new life’ plans go well I may even be able to drive myself there! Now there’s a challenge.
Posted by lisan66 on April 21, 2011
I think that even if the rest of the day is horrible, it’ll still be perfect because you’re coming to Dublin
Posted by Rachael on April 21, 2011
Is it bad that I haven’t heard of half of those places?
Posted by Kathryn on April 21, 2011
YAY Belfast! And I’ll be in the right country for it! Very happy.
It turns out my local knowledge isn’t that great, because ‘Belfast Empire’ means nothing to me. To Google!
Posted by Patrick on April 21, 2011
Northampton! BOOM.
In the Royal? That’ll be exciting! I do love the Royal, but I’ve never really considered seeing standup there. I’m sure it’ll be magical, though. Sorry, I’m only really talking to the one other person I know that reads this blog that may have been to the Royal.
Yes, exciting news.
Posted by Daniel on April 21, 2011
Colchester owns Actual Chester!
Posted by Sue on April 21, 2011
Wem is where Greg Davies and Peter Jones (the radio voice of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) were both born – a town of great repute!
Posted by Alex on April 21, 2011
There’s a place in the country called Wem. Who knew?
Posted by sarahthemonkey2 on April 21, 2011
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you
You promised on Twitter that you would find Aberdeen and you have. Thank you so much. Thank you again
Posted by Beth on April 21, 2011
I can’t believe you’re coming to Newcastle when I’m not in Newcastle! Well it could all still go horribly wrong on results day I suppose…
Posted by Phill on April 21, 2011
Oooh… Colchester arts centre. Sadly I will have moved out of Colchester by then, although I may be able to come back for a gig. There may be ones closer to where I’m moving to though (north London). Aaaaaanyway, the point is, this is good news
Posted by Misha on April 21, 2011
That’s Aislinn’s drawing that is Joelle
More tour dates?
*flexes forum updating fingers*
Posted by Megan on April 21, 2011
I wonder if I can make it across the sea to go to one of these.
Posted by Joelle on April 21, 2011
So many shows! Those lucky people in the UK
I follow ‘Mark Watson’ as a tracked tag on Tumblr and this came up this fair morn:
http://breakforcake.tumblr.com/post/4781015407
I thought it was rather good so I thought I’d share it with you.
I hope you’re having a lovely day x