Bringing laughter to Crickhowell!
Posted: 13th February 2023On 3 & 4 February, the Black Mountains Comedy Festival returned to the Clarence Hall, after a Covid-imposed absence of two years, bringing light, laughter and warmth to Crickhowell!
Similarly to the first festival, evening audiences had the opportunity to enjoy performances by comedians seen regularly on our TV screens, alongside new talent. In addition, Saturday day time events for families and friends ensured that the festival catered for all ages.
Commenting on the event, festival organiser Gerard KilBride said: “It was amazing to see the Clarence Hall full of people having such a great time together. It’s unusual for such a brilliant line up of comedians to perform in a small town like Crickhowell and as well as our local audience, people came from far and wide to see the shows.”
This year’s line-up was a collection of faces more usually seen at The Apollo and Edinburgh Festival, alongside rising stars on the comedy circuit, with four comics performing each night.
The festival started on Friday night with Welsh comedian superstar, Kiri Pritchard McLean, famous for her glamorous style and razor-sharp satire. The host for the evening was Ross Smith, in a return appearance, with Welsh up and coming comedians, Priya Hall and Drew Taylor also performing sets.
Saturday night’s emerging Welsh comic was Eleri Morgan, who is a regular writer and performer on BBC Wales, with the talented Gary Delaney headlining as part of his sell-out UK tour. The line-up was completed by the award winning Celya AB and top Irish comedian, Chris Kent.
Alongside these evening events, the festival organised a family day on Saturday with the hilarious Circus Rum Ba Ba, a well-established, highly experienced women’s circus theatre company. The troupe ran a circus workshop in the morning followed by a matinee performance of their spectacular show, L’Hotel.
Congratulations must go to the organisers for an excellent festival that provided us with the opportunity to enjoy some of the UK’s top acts right in the heart of the Black Mountains. Roll on next year!
Ready for the off!