Fourth series for NE comedy showcase Jesting About

BBC Newcastle has renewed its programme showcasing North-East comedy talent, Jesting About.

The fourth incarnation comprises six half-hour radio programmes spotlighting up-and-coming acts from the region.

Twenty-two of them will be taking to the stage of the city’s Live Theatre later this month to be recorded for the shows, which will air in June and July.

Those taking part are: Ben Crompton, Andy Fury, Kier Kyle, Julian Lee, Sean Turner, Joby Mageean, Laura Hunter, Rowan McCabe, Lauren Pattison, Fran Garrity, Lee Kyle, The Mimic Men (Alfie Joey and Cal Halbert), John Whale, Neil Harris, Jazz Riot, John Scott, Anth Young, Mark Kennedy, Rahul Kholi and Eddie Rivers

The shows, compered by Jason Cook and Nicola Mantalios-Lovett, will be free, but ticketed via the Live Theatre’s box office. Tickets will be available from 10am Monday. 

Producer Steve Drayton said: ‘I’m really pleased with these bills. We’ve top notch MC’s and headliners, some returnees who made a huge impact in the recorded programmes, and some very new performers. Producing the programmes will be a dream.’

Jesting About’s development of comedy talent helped BBC Newcastle land the title of Station Of The Year in the corporation’s internal Gillard Awards this year. Judges said they were ‘impressed by the ambition of Jesting About’ which ‘made for some fabulous and unexpected local radio’.

Published: 3 Mar 2016