Radio Wales announces a Machynlleth Comedy Festival weekend

BBC Radio Wales is to air a virtual version of the Machynlleth Comedy Festival, despite the real thing being cancelled.

Programmes over the weekend the event should have been held – May 1 to 3 – will include stand-up and sketches from the homes of performers who should have been performing there.

And a separate programme will look back on the first decade of the festival with a documentary retrospective.

Festival director Henry Widdicombe said: ‘The arts are facing an unprecedented challenge right now, but creatives are rising to the challenge and we believe the programming will reflect that.’

The Machynlleth programmes are:

10 years of Mach Fest
Friday 1 May, 6.30pm

A look back at a decade of the Machynlleth Comedy Festival, with artists and performers recalling their favourite memories including Stewart Lee, Bridget Christie, Rhod Gilbert, Josh Widdicombe and James Acaster.

Live from Lockdown: The Machynlleth Comedy Festival on BBC Radio Wales
Saturday 2 May, 1.30pm

Acts who have performed at MachFest over the years have spent lockdown devising new material for a 30-minute comedy cabaret show. It includes songs from Carys Eleri, sketches from Tarot and stand-up from Lolly Adefope and Jordan Brookes, hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean, pictured.

Stand up…in my house
Sunday 3 May, 1.30pm

Comics including Mark Watson broadcast stand-up from their own homes, again presented by Pritchard-McLean.

The weekend’s programming is a collaboration between BBC Radio Wales and production companies Little Wander, Rubber Chicken and Turtle Canyon.

• Meanwhile, the BBC has put together a collection of Welsh comedies available on iPlayer all in one place, including High Hopes, Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience, The Tuckers and Tourist Trap. The collection is here.

Published: 21 Apr 2020