Stand-up stars, kinky crusaders and Sh*t-Faced Shakespeare: First acts booked for Fringe 2016

Have you ever watched a Shakespeare play and thought, ‘You know what would improve this? Drunk actors.’

That’s the premise behind Shit-Faced Shakespeare, which is coming to York as part of the bigger and better Great Yorkshire Fringe this summer.

It is just one of an amazing variety of acts already booked in to the comedy and entertainment fest, back for its second year. So what can you book right now?

Off the wall shows

The people behind Shit-Faced Shakespeare describe their show as “the deeply highbrow fusion of an entirely serious Shakespeare play with an entirely shit-faced cast member”.

The result is a raucous and interactive show which is playing its first season in London’s West End. They will premiere their adaptation of Measure For Measure in York.

John Pendal – International Man of Leather is something quite different. A brand new show, it’s about one man’s journey from baptist to bondage​​.

John had a desk job in television production then, in 2003, he won the International Mr Leather competition in Chicago.

Now known as a “sex ambassador” and “kink crusader” John’s stand up will ask: what exactly does “being kinky” mean?

A far more family-friendly show, Any Suggestions, Doctor? is an “improvised adventure in space and time” for all ages, where a team of Whovians improvise a new episode of Doctor Who every night.

Stand-up stars

He’s already the ‘King of the Edinburgh Fringe’, and now veteran stand-up and random York City fan Richard Herring is ready to extend his reign to our own fair city.

For his Great Yorkshire Fringe show, Richard picks his favourite routines from 12 previous one-man shows and crams them into 60 minutes for your delectation. And the UK Podfather In Chief is also recording a Fringe Podcast while he’s here.

Paul Sinha began stand-up while working as a junior doctor in hospitals in London and King’s Lynn. He’s also a competitive quizzer, once ranked 24th in the National Quiz Rankings, and a “chaser” on ITV quiz series The Chase.

Now a stalwart of Radio 4, Paul brings his Postcards From The Z-List show to the York fringe, described as “whip-smart” by Time Out.

Another Radio 4 favourite, comic and musician Mitch Benn comes here with Don’t Fear The Reaper. With his personal life in turmoil, and his childhood heroes are dropping like flies, Mitch will be musing on mortality.

Family and variety

After over a decade of family dayclubbing events across the globe including six consecutive sell-out seasons at Edinburgh Fringe, Baby Loves Disco makes its York debut.

The original family dance party’s DJs spin and mix feelgood chart floorfillers with nostalgic pop classics from the years before parenthood struck – for parents and babies, toddlers and young children to enjoy together.

In The Amazing Bubble Show Louis Pearl explores the breath-taking dynamics of bubbles, combining comedy and artistry with audience participation and enough spellbinding bubble tricks to keep everyone mesmerised.

Following last year’s sell-out shows West End Magic is back. Award winning Oliver Tabor will be performing his incredible illusions, making cards, doves, and violins appear as if from thin air.

Finally, anyone who’s a fan of good old fashioned smut will love Round the Horne: The 50th Anniversary Tour. It recreates the still hilariously funny 1960s radio sketch show starring Kenneth Williams

There are many more shows that we haven’t mentioned here and lots more big names promised. It could be a funny old summer in York…