Line-up for London Underbelly announced

The full line-up for this year’s Fast Fringe in London can now be revealed.

Arthur Smith will again host Chortle’s manic showcase of acts heading to the Edinburgh Fringe.

But after several years in its birthplace of the Leicester Square Theatre, the show this year moves to the Underbelly festival on the South Bank, where it takes place on July 9.

Among the performers are Lost Voice Guy – just announced as the first finalist in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent – musical duo Flo & Joan, as seen on the Nationwide TV adverts, and Jim Tavare, the circuit favourite turned Harry Potter actor who is returning to the Fringe after a near-fatal accident in Los Angeles.

Our line-up features comedians who have been shortlisted for some of the top awards in international comedy, including Alex Edelman, who was nominated for the main prize, the Barry, at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival earlier this year; 2016 Barry nominee Rhys Nicholson;  and Elf Lyons, who was up for the Edinburgh Comedy Award last year.

There’s magic from Griffin & Jones, impressions from Josh Berry, and burlesque from Lolly Jones and Ivy Paige, who appeared on The Voice earlier this year. While Edfringe: The Musical turns the festival itself into a fully-fledged West End style production.

More variety comes from the ever-inventive John-Luke Roberts, Norwegian livewire Zach Zucker, the rambunctious Fringe Wives Club, modern-day clown Luke Rollason, and zany circuit favourites The Raymond & Mr Timkins Revue,

Other stand-ups include John Hastings, Darren Harriott, Mark Silcox  Catherine Bohart, Charlie Partridge,  George Rigden, Micky Overman, Sophie Duker, Masie Adam, Ciarán Dowd, Heidi Regan and Rachel Fairburn – who last week announced a US tour of the All Killer No Filler podcast she co-hosts.

Tickets are available here.

The show is also returning to the Edinburgh Fringe, with 12 acts and a compere changing daily, at 17:40 at the Pleasance Dome. Tickets for the Fringe run are available here.

Published: 30 May 2018