Comedy news: Friends' news

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Billy Connolly has been cast in the role of the the dwarf Dain Ironfoot in The Hobbit.

The Big Yin will play a minor role in the film as the dwarf, which in the book as known as one of the fiercest leaders of the dwarves from the Black Mountains.

Peter Jackson said that Connolly was the perfect person to play the role for the forthcoming film, which is being shot in New Zealand in a similar location to the original Lord Of The Rings films.

"We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot, the staunchest and toughest of the dwarves, than Billy Connolly, the Big Yin himself," Jackson said.

"With Billy stepping into this role, the cast of The Hobbit is now complete. We can't wait to see him on the battlefield!"

The Hobbit is the forth film by Jackson and completes the set of JRR Tolkien titles for the director, whose big-budget LOTR trilogy are among the biggest grossing films of all time.

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Comedian Sarah Millican has been embroiled in a row with a fan who she spotted recording her gig at Wolverhampton Civic Hall last Friday.

According to the local newspaper Millican spotted a member of the audience using her mobile phone to record a 10-second snippet of the show during the gig but the incident was laughed off after a friendly exchange. 

However the mirth turned sour after the audience member, Clare Evans, posted on Millican’s Facebook wall. 

According to the Express & Star Evans wrote: “Just seen your show in Wolves, it was fab, I was the lady videoing you in the front row, great show xxx.”

To which Millican replied: “Did you delete it as I take these things very seriously? I really hope you don’t come to any more of my shows. You’re not welcome if you’re to behave in such a disrespectful way.

“What you did is basically theft and against the rules of the theatre.”

Comedians have become more protective of their live shows in recent years after finding much of their work cropping up online on YouTube. 

As is becoming of social media, an online equivalent of a bar brawl ensued with fans making their own thoughts both for and against Millican on the social networking site.

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Afternoon peeps. We cooked up a treat in Scotland last August and now we’re set to turn up the heat in Leicester with a new show at Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival this coming Friday. 

We’re teaming up with Dave’s Curry House at the Leicester Comedy Festival to cook up a treat involving none other than the excellent Rob Rouse and the Shirley & Shirley duo.

Leicester might be famous for its curry, but will the dish even be recognisable after they’ve been attempted by Rob and the Shirleys? Under instruction from Chutney Ivy’s co-owner Shaf Islam, the teams have just one hour to cook one of the restaurants signature dishes in front of a live audience. 

Hosted by Tommy Holgate, the show will also feature a guest panel of judges from UKTV Dave and the Leicester Mercury.

Yes, you’re right, you want to treat yourself, so we’ve conveniently added all the details for you to go an buy yourself a ticket here. If you want to check out what our Edinburgh competition was like last August you can watch the video here.

See you all in the kitchen!

VENUE Dave’s Curry House at Chutney Ivy: 41 Halford St, LE1 1TR

DATE Friday 10 February 2012

TIME Doors at 6.45pm for a 7pm start

TICKET PRICE £8

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Mock The Week and Outnumbered star Hugh Dennis has revealed that he was approached by the secret service while studying at University.

The comedian, who now plays a father in a dysfunctional family in Outnumbered, even went as far as attending an interview with MI5 in London to be a spy.

Dennis revealed to the Radio Times: "I went down to Carlton House Terrace [in Westminster] for an interview.

"I can't remember very much about it other than thinking I'd make a terrible spy. They did the normal, 'Are you homosexual?, Have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?' I recall this one man just stared at me silently for ages. And I thought, 'I don't think this is for me.'"

Dennis decided to decline a career in international espionage and instead plumped for a job at Unilever before making his way in comedy. 

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Daniel Kitson is to return to the Edinburgh Fringe with his first new comedy show for three years, the website Spoonfed is reporting.

Kitson last performed at the Fringe in 2009 with his critically acclaimed We Are Gathered Here show. His new show is set to be titled Where Once Was Wonder, and the comedian has said that it was ‘a really exciting feeling, to find that bit of my head heaving itself back into action’.

The comedian has recently been touring a story-based show It’s Always Right Now, Until it’s Later in New York, where he has had a run in with reviewers - not for the quality of his show but for his attitude to reviewers themselves, going as far as recommending that audience members punch reviewers if they are interrupted by their scribbling.

Kitson announced the new show to his mailing list subscribers, and will be previewing the show for a mere £3 during the coming month at the HOB in Forest Hill, South London. Tickets for Daniel Kitson's show can be booked from the Invisible Dot website from noon Monday.

Read the Daniel Kitson story on Spoonfed here.

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John Bishop is set to cycle, row and run from Paris to London in little over five days for Sport Relief

The Liverpudlian comic will start what has been described as a ‘week of hell’ at the Eiffel Tower on February 27 and cover the 185 miles in less than 24 hours from Paris to the coast of France before rowing the Channel and running the rest of the way. 

After tackling the Channel (which will be particularly hard for Bishop due to him suffering from seasickness) the comedian will then embark on three marathons in three days during the final stage of the daunting task will see Bishop finish in Trafalgar Square in London on March 2nd.

In total Bishop will cover over 290 miles and will call on the help of celebrities Andrew Flintoff, Davina McCall and Robbie Savage.

Speaking about the challenge Bishop said: "I must be mad. I'm a man in my mid 40s, a bit thicker round the middle than I'd like to be and I'm about to take on the biggest physical challenge of my life.

“Up until a few weeks ago I'd never even sat in a rowing boat and now I've got miles of water to cover, then there's the cycle and don't even mention the word marathon to me.

"I know there will be times during the challenge when I'll be freezing cold and fed up but when I'm down I will think back to the people I met in Sierra Leone earlier this year and I'll know every penny I raise really will make a massive difference to people's lives."

You’ll be able to see Bishop’s Week Of Hell on Sport Relief Weekend from March 23 – 25.

Bishop is raising the money to help pay for a vaccine against five deadly diseases for 250,000 children in Africa as well as helping people living tough lives in the UK. 

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Deadpan comic Jimmy Carr has been unveiled as the headline act for Camp Bestival’s comedy stage this year.

The 8 Out of 10 Cats presenter is the first comedian to be announced at the festival, which usually offers a strong comedy line-up as part of the family-orientated festival.

Festival curator Rob da Bank said: 'Comedy and comedians are a huge draw at Camp Bestival and we've had most of the bigguns down there but none so mammoth as our very special guest for this year… Mr Jimmy Carr!

“Well pleased that Jimmy’s going to be making us wet our pants (and nappies) with laughter on the Sunday of Camp B.”

Set in the grounds of Lulworth Castle in Dorset Camp Bestival has also revealed Rolf Harris as the special guest at the festival The artist, musician and all round celebrity is consistently one of the biggest draws on the festival circuit, with Glastonbury having to close access to the Jazz arena due to over-crowding the last time we saw him.

For more information on the line-up for this year’s event www.campbestival.net 

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Channel 4 has ordered a second series of Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy.

The new high-profile surreal comedy on Channel 4 has broadcast two episodes so far, with the new project being met with a mixed reaction fron fans and critics.

However Channel 4 have backed Fieldings new venture with the second series, which will be filmed later this year and broadcast in 2013, alongside the DVD release of the first series.

The second series is likely to introduce more characters to Fielding’s surreal world, which already includes Tony Reason, a manta ray music producer who lives in a fish tank under the tree house and Roy Circles, a games teacher suffering from severe shell shock who is also a chocolate finger.

Channel 4’s Commissioning Editor Nerys Evans said: "Noel is such a rare and brilliant talent we can't wait to work with him on another series of Luxury Comedy; this show feels so modern and pioneering. If Series 1 brought us a talking knife wound and a man with ice-cream for eyes, we can't wait to see where else Noel's comedy mind will take us next."

Noel Fielding adds: "Delighted to get a second series of Luxury Comedy - we'll definitely make the second one more like a Wednesday morning. Channel 4 have been so supportive and given us creative freedom to experiment with ideas and techniques. And I think we can push things further and make something even more out there next time."

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Chris Langham has chosen to withdraw from a second airing of his film Black Pond, the BBC is reporting.

He was due to talk after a screening of his film at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre, but decided to miss the event to avoid 'overshadowing' it.

Langham had already cancelled an appearance at a question and answer session in a school in Kent that was due to happen in March.

Black Pond is Langham's first work since being jailed for downloading child pornography in 2007. The film has already attracted Bafta nominations.

Read more on this story on the BBC

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The Big Yin may have gone quiet in comedy in recent years but his influence lingers on, says a new poll from TV channel Dave. 

Billy Connolly has been named the most influential UK stand-up, according to a survey by comedians and the public.

Morecambe and Wise came second and Victoria Wood – the only woman on the list – came third. 

Older comedians did well on the list, with only Sean Lock – at number nine – having made his name after the eighties.

Eddie Izzard and Ben Elton complete the top five.

The list was compiled by 100 comedians, including Stephen Merchant, Miranda Hart, Jack Dee and Jason Manford, before being put to the public vote.

Robin Williams topped the list for international comics.

Steve North, channel head of Dave, said: “It is great to see trailblazing stand-ups such as Connolly and Robin Williams get the respect they deserve.

“Both Connolly and Williams have consistently pushed the comedy envelope and while they may have over 40 years of experience between them, they are still the funniest men on the planet.”

Connolly previously topped a poll by Five to find the nation’s favourite comedian.

The new poll was conducted ahead of Dave’s Leicester Comedy Festival and 2,000 adults took part.

Read our list of the top comedy lists here.

Top 10 British comedians, according to Dave

1. Billy Connolly

2. Morecambe and Wise

3. Victoria Wood

4. Eddie Izzard

5. Ben Elton

6. Peter Cook

7. Les Dawson

8. Lenny Henry

9. Sean Lock

10. Rik Mayall