Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard, Alan Carr and more to represent the UK

Netflix has conquered the realm of the stand-up special – and now the streaming service is staging the most star-studded comedy festival there has ever been. 

Jack Whitehall, Russell Howard, London Hughes, Alan Carr, Mo Gilligan and Gina Yashere will be representing the UK at the eight-day festival in Los Angeles – along with Graham Norton for Ireland and British-based Canadians Katherine Ryan and Mae Martin.

More than 100 shows will be staged in 20 venues, featuring the likes of  Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Billy Crystal, Dave Chappelle, Sarah Silverman, Whoopi Goldberg– and even Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

David Letterman, Ali Wong, Jamie Foxx, Kevin Hart, Michelle Wolf,  Hannah Gadsby, Jim Jefferies are also on the bill.

Eleven of the shows at the Netflix Is A Joke festival will later be released as specials, but the emphasis is on the live experiences.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer, said: It’s our honour to transform L.A. for one week into the funniest place on earth.

‘This festival is a unique celebration of the art of comedy, and the role it plays in reflecting our lives and defining culture. It’s a chance for comedy lovers to come together and see their favourite artists as well as discover new ones, and for us to be able to share the electricity and excitement of the festival in Los Angeles with Netflix members around the world.’

The festival culminates in a hall-of-fame tribute to four late legends: George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers and Robin Williams.

Netflix is advertising the event, which kicks off on April 27, with the strapline: ‘Because a festival for crime documentaries wasn’t as fun.’   

More details are on the official website.

Published: 2 Mar 2020