Spring belly laughs with Saddleworth’s Off The Rails Comedy Club

Get yourself some belly laughs this Spring with Saddleworth’s Off The Rails Comedy Club

Tom Wrigglesworth

St Thomas, Moorside Scouts teamed up with Off The Rails on Saturday 7th March to raise funds to send them to this year’s Scouts Jamboree. Sharing both a birthday and a hometown (Sheffield) with Michael Palin, Tom Wrigglesworth’s comedy career was pretty much a given.  Best known for his live storytelling shows he has also written and performed several Sony Award-winning BBC Radio 4 comedy programmes which take a comical and emotional look at family relationships. Alongside his comedy work, he’s used his engineering background to become a natural and engaging presenter for both BBC Television and The Discovery Channel.

Rob Riley

Just as we were going to press the cancellation fairy came a calling. This means Canada’s Tony Law will be played by someone completely different. You will be able to find out who at www.saddleworthcomedy.co.uk. High energy and deceptively clever gag writing are the hallmarks of Jon Wagstaffe who also performed. Rob Riley compèred the evening.

Tez Ilyas

Sunday 29th March features two old favourites. The long-overdue return of one of the circuit’s funniest and an act treading the Greenfield stage for the very first time.  Saddleworth’s Off The Rails Comedy Club was an early adopter of Blackburn’s Tez Ilyas.  The TV execs agreed when the Channel 4 show launched ‘The Tez O’Clock’ last year. Tez’s stand up is described by the Telegraph as “candy floss with a razor blade inside. Sweet and familiar at first, then shockingly, painfully sharp. We would say that’s pretty much on the money!

Ben Norris is a highly experienced and hugely well respected stand-up. He’s been performing comedy since 1993. Renowned for his incredibly relaxed stage persona and his innate ability to improvise as well as deliver sharply crafted material. Other interesting facts about Ben: he’s the cousin of actor Martin Freeman. He’s also the father of triplets (2 girls and a boy).

Ali Wood

New comic on the block is Ali Wood and a man who needs no introduction to Saddleworth’s comedy fans is Justin Moorhouse who will be compering the show.

Paul McCaffrey

Saddleworth & Lees Labour Party will be aiming to raise £1,000 on Saturday 4th April whilst, no doubt, still licking their wounds from December’s drubbing! Paul McCaffrey’s recent appearance on BBC One’s Live At The Apollo has brought him new fans. These add to those who saw him on ‘Impractical Jokers’ and ‘Russell Howard’s Good News’. Paul has drawn comparisons to the late, great Tony Hancock. In addition, he has gained wholly unequivocal approval from none other than Frank Skinner, who describes him as “Really funny”!

Described as “A sharp and crafty gag smith” by Chortle, Ben van der Velde has many claims to fame. But founding The Church Of The Holy Kazoo with comedy legend Mark Thomas and walking the entire London Underground network in aid of the Refugee Council certainly stand out!

Faye Treacy

Croydon’s Faye Treacy had a relatively normal childhood until she was sent to the local convent. Five years later upon getting kicked out for putting the convent on eBay, she packed her bags and went to the Brit School of Performing Arts. Realising she never wanted to be a pop star she then studied trombone at the Royal Academy of Music. Noticing the complete lack of comedy trombonists on the comedy circuit, Faye neatly plugged it and has become exactly that! Rob Riley comperes.

Shappi Khorsandi

Sunday 26th April sees Shappi Khorsandi bring her UK tour show ‘Skittish Warrior – Confessions Of A Club Comic‘ to Greenfield. The star of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here has heard about the wonderful audiences and insisted on including Saddleworth!

The show takes you on a warts and all journey of the 90’s comedy scene. To breaking through on telly then letting it all slip away. Shappi promises a brand new hour of sharp-tongued gags, cultural observation and whatever else is in her easily distracted mind this time around! This show will probably be sold out by the time you read this. But you may well find spare tickets in the Off The Rails Facebook group or Twitter account.

All the above shows take place in the upstairs function room at The Royal George, Manchester Road, Greenfield OL3 7HX and you can find out more and book online at www.saddleworthcomedy.co.uk or ring Rob on 07874 152 338.

For more What’s on in Saddleworth visit: https://aroundsaddleworth.co.uk/