Rival sets up in Derbyshire

This year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival will comprise three gigs in a community centre.

That’s Melbourne in South Derbyshire, of course – not to be confused with the Australian festival that’s second only to Edinburgh in size.

Publicity-seeking promoter Bob Slayer has decided to exploit the international event’s reputation by hosting gigs in the market town over the Easter weekend. He is billing it as ‘the second largest Melbourne Comedy Festival in the world’.

There is even a Barry Award, just like the top accolade down under. But this one is for the best person named Barry who lives in the market town – and their prize? A pub meal.

Slayer isn’t the first to try to establish a rival Barry Award – Barry Ferns set up a series of comedians’ comedian awards at last year’s Fringe with the same name.

And Slayer, creator of the Heroes Of Fringe venues, proudly signs off his emails ‘Barry Award winner’ after being named joint recipient of the ‘best person’ title in those awards, alongside Free Fringe founder Peter Buckley Hill.

Slayer said: ‘Heroes are the kings of Fringe and you can’t be much more Fringe than 10,522 miles away…’

Comics taking part in the Derbyshire festival include Ivan Brackenbury, Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer and Tim Renkow. The events on April 3, 4 and 5 take place in the Melbourne Assembly Rooms.

Published: 21 Jan 2015