Festival Programme 2025
Festival Programme 2025
Opening Event Thursday 15 May
Reading Biscuit Factory
Reading Comedy Showcase
8pm
Venue
Reading Biscuit Factory, RG1 7QE
A selection of the best established and emerging comedians from the Reading area, accompanied by an exciting headliner Jake Lambert. All Brought to you by Stand and Deliver + Reading Indi Comedy Festival.
Day 1 Friday 16 May
The Purple Turtle
Reading New Comedian of the Year Competition 2025
7:30pm
Venue
The Purple Turtle, RG1 2JR
Reading's second ever independent comedy festival will take place between Friday 16 May and Sunday 18 May 2025.
Kicking off the festival is Reading New Comedian of the Year Competition 2024 taking place at The Purple Turtle on Friday 16 May between 7:30pm and 9:30pm.
8 new comedians will battle it out to win a paid spot at Mates Rates Comedy Club and a cash prize.
The Roseatte
Hasan Al-Habib: Death to the West Midlands!
8pm
Venue
The Roseate Reading, 26 The Forbury, Reading, RG1 3EJ
Hasan Al-Habib, Death to the West Midlands!
Arab. Muslim. Brummy. Hasan Al-Habib’s Iraqi parents came to Birmingham after deciding Baghdad wasn’t dangerous enough.
The 2023 B’ham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award Winner’s debut show portrays his love for both cities, despite the hate they receive from the US Government / Leicester.
“Al-Habib will be famous” (Rolling Stone)
"Deliciously funny" (The Guardian)
"A man of a thousand voices" (Rob Beckett)
Day 2 Saturday 17 May
The Purple Turtle
Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: The Hat and The Tash
Venue
The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR
12:30pm
Nick Byard, the unapologetically leftist comedian, takes the stage with a no-nonsense, gag-slinging style that captivates audiences nationwide.
Carl Richard is a confessional comedian with a laid back style. Entertaining audiences up and down the country with anecdotes too embarrassing not to be true!
“I booked him to open for my tour and I’d book tickets to watch him, he’s class”
Jacob Hawley
Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Matt Richardson
2pm
Venue
The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR
Matt is a multi-award winning stand-up comedian and one of the most exciting names on the circuit currently rising through the ranks.
High wattage charisma from a talented young comic whos star is on the rise
The Guardian
Hilarious and Charming
The Mirror
Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Sara Barron
4pm
Venue
The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR
Sara Barron is one of the fastest-rising comedians of her generation. Since her 2018 debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, she’s starred on shows including Live at the Apollo (BBC), Would I Lie to You? (BBC) and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order (BBC).
A powerhouse live act, Sara has taken four critically-acclaimed stand-up hours, For Worse (2018), Enemies Closer (2019), Hard Feelings (2022) and Anything For You (2024) to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and had multiple runs in London’s Soho Theatre. Her shows have received rave reviews from publications including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Evening Standard and The Scotsman, and she was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.
The Outlook
Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Darren Harriott
Venue
The Outlook, 76 Kings Rd, Reading, RG1 3BJ
3pm
First Black British stand-up nominated for the main Edinburgh Comedy Award
Double Edinburgh Award nominee Darren Harriott’s TV includes, Dancing on Ice, co-host of Love Island: Aftersun, Britain’s Best Takeaway with Sara Cox, British as Folk, host of Live at the Apollo and Dog Ate My Homework, team captain on four series of Guessable and series regular on Don’t Hate the Playaz.
Darren’s 2023 Edinburgh Fringe show ‘Roadman‘ received **** from Mail on Sunday, The Skinny, EdFest Magazine and was named ‘Pick of the Fringe’ by The Guardian and The Evening Standard.
Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Sam Serrano
Venue
The Outlook, 76 Kings Rd, Reading, RG1 3BJ
5pm
In Sept 2021 Sam Serrano was spat at in the street for wearing make up. Fast forward to 2025 and they’ve written a show about it to make hate crime lucrative
Sam Serrano (as seen on Comedy Central, Dave, and UkTv) is one of the fastest rising stars on the comedy circuit. With “killer lines” (chortle) that “put that X in X Factor” (York Press), Serrano is a “game changing act” (concept comedy) and shouldn’t be missed.
Tour Support for Tom Stade, Brennan Reece, Stephen Bailey
Host of ‘Twink 182 Podcast’
Double-Barrelled Brewery
Comedy at the Taproom Saturday Showcase 2025 with Headliner Sean Walsh
Venue
Double-Barrelled Brewery, RG30 6BX
7:30pm
Saturday's headline event at Double-Barrelled Brewery on Saturday 17 May will be closed by the hilarious Sean Walsh.
Described as “the best observational comedian of his generation” (The Guardian), this Edinburgh Award nominee has been touring Back From The Bed throughout 2023 and 2024. His previous tour show After This One, I’m Going Home ended with standing ovations around the country.
Day 3 Sunday 18 May
Milk Bar Reading
Sam Michael: World's Oldest Man
Venue
Milk Bar Reading,
8 Merchants Pl, Reading, RG1 1DT
2:30pm
'Sam Michael's debut solo hour show 'World's Oldest Man' explores feeling older than your years (even in childhood!) and nostalgically looks back on those just-missed adventures of 'youff' whilst trying to relive them before hitting 40! The show also covers what happened when Sam actually met the Guinness World Records' world's oldest man and the "life changing" advice he gave him...'
Reading Indie Comedy Festival presents: Esther Manito
Venue
Milk Bar Reading,
8 Merchants Pl, Reading, RG1 1DT
4:30pm
Lebanase Essex Moron Series 16 Live At The Apollo As seen on ITV2’s Stand Up Sketch Show Winner of Best Show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2021 First Edinburgh show is now on Next Up and Britbox First female comedian to perform at Dubai Opera House Arab woman of the Year
The Sunday Roast, Presented by Roast Battle UK
Venue
Milk Bar Reading,
8 Merchants Pl, Reading, RG1 1DT
6:30pm
THE SHOW THAT TURNS SMACK TALK INTO AN ART FORM!
ROAST BATTLE UK PUTS TWO COMEDIANS HEAD-TO-HEAD IN A BATTLE OF WIT AND PUT-DOWNS. EACH COMIC HAS 5 JOKES TO ”ROAST” THEIR OPPONENT. THE OPPONENT CAN RESPOND WITH AN OFF THE CUFF REBUTTAL. ULTIMATELY, THE WINNER IS DECIDED BY A GUEST PANEL OF AUDACIOUS JUDGES.
“UNDENIABLY, ROAST BATTLE DOESN’T FAIL TO LIVE UP TO ITS EXPECTATIONS, SERVING TO SHOWCASE A NO-HOLDS-BARRED CONTEST OF COMEDIC ATHLETICISM, BRAZEN PUTDOWNS AND LIGHTNING-FAST COMEBACKS.” ★★★★★ BROADYWAY BABY
The Purple Turtle
What's The Game Improv Reading Comedy Festival Showcase 2025
Venue
The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR
1pm
Mad Monkey Improv and What's the Game are teaming up to present the Reading Improv Comedy Festival Showcase!
Improv comedy, created spontaneously by the performers... anything can happen.
Experience the very best of the Reading improv scene!
Hosted by veteran improvisers Alexander McWilliam and Seamus Allen.
Reading Indie Comedy Festival present: Matt Rouse
Venue
The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR
3pm
With his engaging comic style and captivating stage presence, Matt Rouse is a new name making big moves in stand up.
Already winner of the respected Hastings Fringe New Act Competition and nominated for the BBC New Comedy Awards, the rising star has become known for his fresh viewpoint and cleverly packaged strong material.
Nicole Harris: Just Messing Around
5pm
Venue
The Purple Turtle, 9 Gun St, Reading, RG1 2JR
Nicole was the first woman to win Jewish Comedian of the Year and went on to be a finalist in the New Act of The Year Showcase in 2019 performing at The Hackney Empire.
“Taking Laughter to the Next Level”
– Jewish Chronicle
“A Force of Nature”
-Arthur Miller
Pentahotel, Reading
Comedy at the Pentahotel Double Headliner Showcase 2025 with Paul Sinha & Tom Davis
7:30pm
Pentahotel, Reading, Oxford Rd, Reading,
RG1 7RH
Sunday's headline event at Pentahotel on Sunday 18 May will be closed by the hilarious Paul Sinha & Tom Davis.
Paul Sinha
A trained medical doctor who is perhaps best known as the Sinnerman on the hugely popular ITV quiz show 'The Chase', Paul has been a successful comedian for a number of years. As a club comedian, he has played every major comedy club in the UK, performed in eighteen other countries across the globe, and been three times nominated for Best Club Comedian at the Chortle Awards, winning in 2014.
Tom Davis
Tom Davis is best known for hit shows King Gary, The Curse, Live at the Apollo and Murder in Successville, as well as his hugely popular podcast Wolf and Owl with Romesh Ranganathan, which has received critical acclaim and sold out live shows. Tom is also known for his stand out performance in Wonka and multiple appearances on A League of Their Own, The Ranganation, Judge Romesh, and Action Team.