Laughter in lockdown: Slapstick Festival to release unseen archive footage
Posted on: 07 Apr 2020Bristol’s annual Slapstick festival of silent, visual and classic screen comedy has come up with a clever way to lift people’s spirits amid lockdown.
Kicking off this Thursday (9 April), Slapstick festival will release previously unseen footage captured during events that it has staged during the past decade.
The footage will feature some of the country’s top entertainers, including the likes of John Cleese, French & Saunders, and Little & Large.
It’s a first in the festival’s 16-year history, and a chance for the public to view some of the unique live events the festival has staged in recent years.
Starting at 10:00 on Thursday 9 April, the Laughter in Lockdown series will first see a film from what is believed to be the last on-stage appearance by Eric Sykes CBE.
Sykes, who enjoyed a career spanning five decades, is a beloved comedy writer and radio, film, TV and stage performer who worked with a plethora of stars throughout his life.
In the film, Sykes is interviewed by Slapstick board member and one third of The Goodies, Graeme Garden.
.jpg "Graeme Garden with Eric Sykes")
“What I admired, apart from his distinctive delivery and physical funniness, was his inventiveness and sense of mischief,” Garden said, recalling the interview.
“And the mischief was still very much in evidence when I had the pleasure and honour of interviewing him in 2009.”
Other films lined up for sharing include TV Burp star Harry Hill talking about his favourite comedy moments, and the first stage reunion in decades of Little & Large.
Eddie Large, one half of the beloved Little & Large comedy duo, passed away last week.
Slapstick's director Chris Daniels said:
“Like so many organisations, we’ve had to cancel a number of planned events because of COVID-19 risks, including some vital fundraisers.
“But we have an archive full of funny and fascinating events staged at past festivals – all of them unique, never-to-be-repeated, one-offs shot as they happened.
“We’ve never released any of them before but now seems a good time to do it.
“Hopefully, it will give viewers some much-needed laughter in lockdown and remind them that Slapstick will be back with yet more special events just as soon as it is possible.”
Films will be available to watch for free via the Slapstick Festival YouTube channel or the Slapstick website.
Featured image: Matthew Sweet, 2019 | #laughterinlockdown
Read more:
-
Supporting local business: This interactive map shows which Bristol independents are delivering during lockdown
