Rochdale is bracing itself for its first ever comedy festival, a ten-day experiment to see if laughter can survive the town’s parking charges, bus services, and weather.
Organisers have promised more than 25 comedians at 12 venues, though some locals fear they’ll be outnumbered by audience members. Robin Ince will attempt to bring science-based chuckles to Rochdale Town Hall, where the last recorded joke was made by a councillor in 1973.
Meanwhile, comedy legend Mick Miller will appear at Champness Hall, supported by Jonny Awsum, a man who famously survived Britain’s Got Talent without having to release a novelty single. Other acts include Lou Conran, Tez Ilyas and Daisy Earl, all of whom are reportedly being issued with hazard pay for venturing past Oldham.
The Flying Horse Hotel is set to host improvisational duo Halls of Ridiculous, though pub regulars insist the most surreal thing on stage that night will still be the price of the bitter. Milnrow Cricket Club is also a venue, where Patrick Monahan will try to get laughs between the sound of pensioners loudly explaining the Duckworth-Lewis method.
In a shock announcement, organisers revealed that The Rochdale Times itself will be taking the stage for a one-off performance, billed as “the town’s shortest-running joke.” The online news will deliver live readings of its own headlines, assisted by a special guest appearance from Warrington’s very own Karl, who’ll pop up to explain the punchlines slowly to anyone sober enough to follow along.
Local cynics have already pointed out the irony of staging a comedy festival in Rochdale, a town where the height of hilarity is watching someone try to reverse out of a parking space on Yorkshire Street. Festival organisers remain confident, however, that at least one resident will crack a smile before October.
Tickets are available now, though organisers stress that heckling is not only permitted but actively encouraged, provided it’s funnier than the act, which, in the case of The Rochdale Times, isn’t exactly a tall order.
