Side splitting NI acts set for Stendhal

Stendhal Festival has announced its rip-roaring comedy line-up for this summer's shindig at Ballymully Cottage Farm, Limavady.
Shane Todd.Shane Todd.
Shane Todd.

An all Northern Irish bill is headlined by one of Northern Ireland’s most popular young comedians, Shane Todd, who will be joined by the incredible talents of Dave Elliot, Mary Flannigan, Limavady home-town sensation Robbie McShane and The State of Goose.

Having sold out the Ulster Hall three times in the past two years and with a huge presence on social media, Shane Todd’s star has been on the rise since his first appearance at Stendhal three years ago. Since then he has gone on to host The Shane Todd Show and Live at the Sunflower on BBC Radio Ulster, co-host of the Boy Town podcast and among other TV appearances has starred in BBC 2 NI’s Saturday night primetime show Late License.

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Shane has performed live in the UK, Ireland, France, Holland, USA and Canada, and in 2018-19 will be embarking on his first full tour of Northern Ireland and the UK with his brand new solo show ‘Hero’.

The State of Goose.The State of Goose.
The State of Goose.

Dave Elliot has been making waves since hitting the comedy circuit in 2014. In the last year Dave has performed his two solo shows ’30 Years a Dave’ and ‘DAD’ to sold out audiences as well as providing tour support for Jarlath Regan. You can also listen to Dave on his two weekly podcasts, Boy Town which he co-hosts with fellow comic Shane Todd, and Dave Elliott’s Weird Podcast.

Mary Flanigan is one of the most talented young stand-up comedians and comedy writers to come out of Northern Ireland in recent years.

She is a well-known MC and comedian who has performed across Ireland and the UK. A semi-finalist in the UK-wide Funny Women competition in 2016, Mary has also written and starred in a number of sketches for BBC Northern Ireland, appeared in two series of BBC Radio Ulster’s Live at the Sunflower series, and recently supported Colin Murphy on tour.

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In 2017, Mary took her first full solo show - ‘Mary Flanigan is Pisces, Obviously’ - to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and returns in 2018 for a joint show with Robbie McShane called ‘One of Us Is A Robot’.

Robbie McShane is a Belfast based comedian from Limavady who has been gigging regularly throughout Ireland, Scotland, London and other parts of the UK over the past year.

He opened for Kevin McPadden during his show ‘Almost Famous’ at the Edinburgh Fringe last year, as well as performing his own half hour show in comedy venue Nightcap. He will be returning to the Fringe Festival this year with Mary Flanigan for their joint show ‘One of Us is a Robot’.

‘State of Goose’ is Mark McCarney and James McKegney, two of the funniest new stand-ups and comedy performers to emerge in the Northern Irish comedy scene in the last two years.

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Stendhal Festival Director Ross Parkhill said he was excited at the prospect of an all NI comedy bill at Stendhal this year.

“We are really pleased with our comedy line-up this year,” he said. “Shane Todd is a guy who has went out and really taken the bull by the horns and carved out a really solid place in the NI comedy landscape since he first performed at Stendhal a couple of years ago.

“Sell out shows in the Ulster Hall are a big, big deal for any performer from here so Shane has proven he has all the tools to be a big, big deal in the world of comedy.

“His supporting cast are all hilarious too so we have no doubt that anyone who catches any of the comedy sets at Stendhal this year will be doubled over with laughter.”

Catch the very best of NI comedy at Stendhal Festival on August 9, 10 and 11.