Comedians bring Edinburgh Fringe to Exeter

Exeter Comedy Festival brings 13 top professional comedians to Exeter for two days of Edinburgh warm up shows – an exciting time for the comedy connoisseur.

If you, like many, have been hoping to make it to the Edinburgh fringe festival but have not had the time, or perhaps the finances, there may be a solution.

Exeter Comedy Festival aims to bring a slice of the Edinburgh Fringe culture to the heart of Devon by showcasing a selection of top comedians’ solo shows in the lead up to Edinburgh. The festival has managed to secure top talent including Sara Pascoe (Live at the Apollo), Paul McCaffrey (Impractical Jokers) and Bobby Mair (8 out of 10 cats).

The ‘preview’, as it’s colloquially named in the comedy industry, is a way for professional comedians to rehearse their show to an audience prior to the festival allowing them to do any final tweaks to their nearly perfected shows. Comedians spend all year round writing, testing and editing material for Edinburgh season and the Exeter Comedy Festival gives you the chance to catch these potential masterpieces at the end of their gestation period in late June just before their big make-or-break unveiling at the infamous Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Thirteen solo shows have been squeezed into two consecutive days of non-stop comedy at the newly refurbished Tobacco House in Exeter – formerly known as Havana. The entire event is allowing comedy lovers alike an affordable alternative to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with all show prices being between £3 & £6.

Louis Burgess, co-organiser of the festival, said: "We hope to get enough support from the locals so that it can grow each year and hopefully it can become its own mini Fringe Festival spanning over a longer time-frame and incorporating more venues across the city.”

The festival runs from  1.30pm on Saturday 28 June 2014 and ends at 11.30pm on Sunday 29 June.

For more info on each individual show and to purchase tickets, visit the festival’s website at www.exetercomedyfestival.co.uk