Thousands of stand-up comedy fans are set to descend on Warwick Castle this Bank Holiday weekend for the region’s second annual open-air event dedicated to laughter.
Cobra Beer presents Comedy at the Castle is being delivered by a 100-strong team of local production, audio-visual, food and drinks professionals and will take place at Warwick Castle between 24 and 26 May. The event will see emerging talent from across the Midlands perform to audiences alongside the UK’s best comedians as seen on TV and film including Simon Amstell, Rory Bremner, and Nina Conti.
Now organisers have added Brummie comedian Lindsey Santoro, who picked up a Best Newcomer Nomination (Edinburgh Comedy Awards, 2023) and won The Biggest Prize in Comedy at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, to the final lineup for the weekend. Harry Jenkins, Director of Closeup Comedy and one of the organisers behind Cobra Beer presents Comedy at the Castle, believes the time is right to celebrate the Midlands’ comedy scene again.
Jenkins said: “The Midlands comedy scene is in a great place. Ultimately there are good people across our region who share a collective responsibility to produce better comedy experiences for fans.
“Comedy at the Castle builds on the success of our club shows at Longbridge and Hockley in Birmingham, and in Coventry, and celebrates our renewed comedy scene in the Midlands more generally. Alongside household names, like Nina Conti and Gary Delaney, we also believe it's important to present and promote comedians like Lindsey - who has often brought the house down at Close Up Comedy events - by creating as many opportunities for her to perform to larger audiences wherever possible.”
Birmingham’s Lindsey Santoro comes to Cobra Beer presents Comedy at the Castle following a breakout year and numerous appearances across TV, radio and podcasts, including Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable, Comedy Central Live and Channel 4’s The Joy of Missing Out as well as supporting Russell Kane and Joe Lycett on tour.
Speaking about the Midlands’ buoyant comedy scene, Santoro said: “There is a lot of talent out there in the Midlands and lots of venues and nights where acts can be showcased.
“We know Birmingham has one of the youngest demographics in Europe and with all the redevelopment in and around Digbeth including the BBC moving here I think the future is bright. However, the arts are being decimated at the minute and we keep losing venues and funding, so it's doubly important big events like Comedy in the Castle happen and are supported.”
Santoro added: “Those with a platform need to shout about it. Joe Lycett is a champion for this and a great example. He's climbed up but he has left a ladder out for those to follow.
“His TV show, Late Night Lycett, could have been filmed in London - but bringing it to Birmingham gave it a unique and magical feel that only comes from being made in the Midlands. We need more mad stuff in Birmingham and the Midlands!”
13 stars of British comedy, including Simon Amstell, Rory Bremner, and Nina Conti, will grace the stage in front of the iconic Warwick Castle for the second annual Cobra Beer presents Comedy at the Castle event this weekend. The inaugural edition of the three-day extravaganza in September 2023, which also features a selection of award-winning street food along with cocktail, craft beer, fizz bars and host DJs, welcomed over 3,000 fans of stand-up and observational comedy.
The full 2024 line-up sees Maisie Adam, Eshaan Akbar, Simon Amstell, Stephen Bailey, Angela Barnes, Matt Bragg, Rory Bremner, Nina Conti, Gary Delaney, Spencer Jones, Matt Richardson, Lindsey Santoro (pic), and Freddy Quinne take to the mic. Tickets for Cobra Beer presents Comedy at the Castle are on sale now.
