Comedy Hotspot

SAM HARLAND

Sam Harland’s unique,  observational humour, is drawn from his working class roots. He is able to engage his audience in a warm, quick-witted and friendly manner. Sam’s material is self-deprecating, ironic and honest, particularly in relation to his colourful past escapades.

“Delivers his material like a pro, timing and emphasis note perfect” – Chortle

JOE ZALIAS

Joe Zalias is no ordinary Comedian… Ex firefighter, ex cage-fighter, dedicated father and now spiritual ninja, this rich tapestry of life has helped craft and colour 15 years performing on stage as a professional comedian, Joe regularly Headlines & MC’s TOP UK Weekend Comedy Clubs in UK/International Comedy Circuit scene.

Regularly seen at: Just The Tonic, Toby Fosters Last Laugh, Comedy Hotspot, Laffalot,

‘Exudes natural likeability and charm” Julia Chamberlain – Chortle.

JULES O’BRIAN

Brummie based Jules performs around the country, telling anyone who will listen about ageing disgracefully, body hang–ups, parenting, and dating. This former teacher’s relaxed, chatty style, crowd interaction and warmth, all served with a sardonic wit, make her a natural crowd pleaser.

Jules was nominated for the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent award in 2022, and was shortlisted for Funny Women 2023. She performs her one woman show, “Avoid excessive cleavage (and other advice to ignore)” at comedy festivals, and gives talks about having embarked on her comedy career as an older woman, to various groups.

THOMAS GREEN

Like most things in Australia, international headliner Thomas Green is out to kill you…with comedy.

He attacks every stage with skill, precision and a level of energy that engages and commands the entire room. His crowd work is revered, likability off the charts and he has the innate ability to get any audience instantly on side with his charismatic Aussie best mate persona.

Green is one of those rare comics who, when you watch them for the first time, you know you’re watching a true genius at work. He has the elasticity of Jim Carrey; the character range of Robin Williams; the absurdity of Eddie Izzard and the energy of Lee Evans with the addition of his own unique brand of engaging storytelling; he really is the full package.

Hailing from sunny Australia, Green is a former Primary School teacher and religious cult member. From everyday observations to his experiences living and working in a cult which controlled every part of his life, until he broke out to pursue a career in comedy, Green’s material is raw, unfiltered and hysterical.

Now he has established himself as one of the most sought after comics on the UK circuit headlining nationwide at high profile clubs such as The Comedy Store, Glee, Hot Water Comedy, Up The Creek, Top Secret Comedy, The Frog and Bucket; has had critically acclaimed sell out shows at Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Edinburgh Festivals, and supporting top comedians such as Jason Manford, Russell Kane and more.

★★★★½ ‘Green will have you in stitches.’ – The Advertiser (AUS)

★★★★ ‘…he’s proof you don’t need a gimmick to be great.’ – The List (UK)

Escapes: The Queen of My Dreams (12A)

Free tickets are now available for our latest Escapes film The Queen of my Dreams!

Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined; from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming- of-age in rural Canada.

Tickets to The Queen of my Dreams are completely free and available now through the link 🔗

Escapes, supported by the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding, offers everyone the opportunity to enjoy the big screen experience and discover independent cinema. Whether someone that rarely prioritises a trip to the cinema, someone who treasures a visit but only as a special occasion, or someone who is keen to uncover new experiences, Escapes is on a mission to bring new audiences to the cinema with regular free tickets.

Exhibition on Screen: Van Gogh- Poets and Lovers (12A)

200 years after its opening and a century after acquiring its first Van Gogh works, the National Gallery, London is hosting the UK’s biggest ever Van Gogh exhibition. Van Gogh is not only one of the most beloved artists of all time, but perhaps the most misunderstood.

This film is a chance to re-examine and better understand this iconic artist. Focusing on his unique creative process, Van Gogh: Poets & Lovers explores the artist’s years in the south of France, where he revolutionised his style. Van Gogh became consumed with a passion for storytelling in his art, turning the world around him into vibrant, idealised spaces and symbolic characters.

Poets and lovers filled his imagination; everything he did in the south of France served this new obsession. In part, this is what caused his notorious breakdown, but it didn’t hold back his creativity as he created masterpiece after masterpiece. Explore one of art history’s most pivotal periods in this once-in-a-century show.
Made in close collaboration with the National Gallery.

90 minutes

“This Van Gogh blockbuster is simply stellar… the exhibition of the year” Evening Standard ★★★★★

Guardian ★★★★★ Times ★★★★★ Telegraph ★★★★★ Time Out ★★★★★

Shakespeare’s Globe presents Othello (12A)

Celebrated by many, Othello has risen through the ranks of the Met police. But can his hard-won reputation, his marriage to Desdemona, and his own subconscious survive the toxic systems that surround him?

Sixteenth-century Venice becomes modern-day London’s Docklands, as Othello grapples with many of the same issues that successful Black people have faced for centuries. This is an Othello for our times.

Experience Shakespeare’s confronting look at the destructive impact of institutional racism, toxic masculinity, and a justice system locked in a vicious cycle of self-fulfilling prophecy. Director Ola Ince debuted in the intimate, candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse with this ‘inspired’ (The Guardian), and ‘profound’ (Evening Standard) and ‘masterfully redefined’ (West End Best Friend) take on Shakespeare’s blistering tragedy.

3hrs including an interval

Catch-up Screenings: Inside Out 2 (U)

Returning to the mind of the newly teenage Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone…

Telegraph ★★★★ Independent ★★★★ Empire ★★★★ Radio Times ★★★★

Directed by Kelsey Mann
Voiced by Maya Hawke, Amy Poehler
1hr 36mins // US 2024

Despicable Me 4 (U) – Extra Screenings

Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.

Guardian ★★★

Directed by Chris Renaud & Patrick Delage
Voiced by Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig
1hr 34 mins // US 2024

The Critic (15)

The Critic is a deliciously dark and sharp-witted thriller set in 1930s London ‘theatreland’ featuring an all-star cast including Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong, Ben Barnes, Alfred Enoch, Romola Garai and Lesley Manville.

When the most feared and vicious theatre critic in town Jimmy Erskine (McKellen), finds himself suddenly in the crosshairs of the Daily Chronicle’s new owner David Brooke (Strong), he strikes a sinister Faustian pact with struggling actress Nina Land (Arterton) who is desperate to win his favour.

Guardian ★★★

Directed by Anand Tucker
With Ian McKellen, Gemma Arterton, Mark Strong
1hr 36mins // UK 2024

Firebrand (15)

In blood-soaked Tudor England, twice married, accomplished, and educated Katherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), reluctantly agrees to become the sixth wife of the tyrannical King Henry VIII (Jude Law). Her consent to marry him carries great personal risk, given that her predecessors are either vanquished, beheaded, or dead. When Henry appoints her as Regent, the nation’s ruler during his absence when he departs to fight overseas, he lays a dangerous path for her. Henry’s courtiers, suspecting she’s sympathetic to radical Protestant beliefs that have taken root in the kingdom and are a threat to their power, scheme against her and cast doubts upon her fidelity to the increasingly ailing and paranoid King.

Once Henry returns to England, his courtiers convince him to turn his fury on the nation’s radicals, including Katherine’s childhood friend Anne Askew, who becomes one of the scores of people convicted of treason and burned at the stake. Horrified and privately grieving, Katherine finds herself under ever-increasing scrutiny and suspicion. Knowing that even a whisper of scandal might lead to her downfall, Katherine must unleash her own scheme to fight for survival.

“Jude Law is horribly good” Telegraph ★★★★

“Incendiary…Jude Law is scarily good… A vividly constructed drama, expertly played” Times ★★★★

Directed by Karim Aïnouz
With Alicia Vikander, Jude Law
2hrs // UK 2023

It Ends With Us (15)

It Ends With Us, the first Colleen Hoover novel adapted for the big screen, tells the compelling story of Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), a woman who overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life in Boston and chase a lifelong dream of opening her own business. A chance meeting with charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) sparks an intense connection, but as the two fall deeply in love, Lily begins to see sides of Ryle that remind her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar), suddenly re-enters her life, her relationship with Ryle is upended, and Lily realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.

“Colleen Hoover’s smash hit novel gets a winning and emotionally effective transfer to the big screen” Guardian ★★★

Directed by Justin Baldoni
With Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni
2hrs 10 mins // US 2024

 

Wild Water (PG)

Wild Water provides a glimpse into the world of cold water swimming at Gaddings Dam, the site of the highest beach in England. The film showcases the breathtaking landscape and the people drawn to the restorative power of cold water swimming. It explores how the community uses the icy waters to reconnect with their mental health, identity, nature, and each other. Viewers get an insight into the lives of the wild swimmers at Gaddings Dam and the positive and fun impact that cold water swimming can have on wellbeing.

Features the short film Tonic of the Sea prior to the screening

1hr 15 minutes, including the short film