James Acaster, Aisling Bea, and Rosie Jones are among the heavy-hitting names set to bring the laughs at a brand-new comedy festival inManchester next month.
And you’ve still got time to grab tickets.
Taking over Castlefield Bowl in the heart of Manchester city centre from 21-25 September 2022, LAUGHTERAMA is an all-new five-night festival that combines a packed lineup of some of comedy’s most famous and multi-talented names, alongside a first-class selection at the bars and some of the city’s best street-food traders.
LAUGHTERAMA is a new venture from the sibling team behind a series of successful comedy festivals that run annually across London and the South, and comedy fans in Manchester can expect a mix of the biggest names in stand-up to take to the same stage alongside some of the brightest new talents.
Now, with less than a month to go, tickets are selling fast and it’s gearing up to be “a seriously good time in the heart of the city”.
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Some of the other names on the talented lineup include the legendary Dylan Moran, Taskmaster’s Phil Wang, observational master and star of The Last Leg Josh Widdicombe, the inimitable Daniel Kitson, and so many more.
The lineup for the inaugural LAUGHTERAMA / Credit: LAUGHTERAMA
Edinburgh Comedy Award-winner Rose Matafeo will also be performing, as well as one-liner king Milton Jones, lo-fi hero David O’Doherty, the Mash Report’s Nish Kumar, Mock The Week’s whipsmart wordsmith Rhys James, and the hilarious Kiri Pritchard-McLean on the lineup too.
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Homegrown Manchester talents Stephen Bailey, and Josh Jones will also make appearances.
Alongside a lineup of local names, a handful of fast-rising newcomers on the comedy circuit will also perform, including Fatiha El-Ghorri, Huge Davies, and Celya Ab – who’s been branded the “comic shooting to fame”.
Many of the acts delighting the critics at this month’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival are also set to appear on the Castlefield Bowl stage, such as Amy Gledhill with her four-star reviewed “cartoonish flair”.
Rounding-out the jam-packed Laughterama 2022 lineup is the unflinchingly funny Jamali Maddix, podcast and rollerskate aficionado Lou Sanders, and finally, the incredible Tim Key – who is currently riding high from his critically-lauded Fringe show.
LAUGHTERAMA is an all-new five-night comedy festival coming to Castlefield Bowl next month / Credit: Supplied
For the last fifteen years, sibling duo Will Briggs and Cass Randolph have been bringing a blend of comedy programming in boutique-festival settings to sell-out crowds, and the pair are now looking forward to arriving right here in Manchester next month.
“We’ve been dreaming of bringing this festival to Manchester for a long time now,” Will said.
“The city should absolutely have a stand-out event showcasing the wealth of comedy talent around at the moment [as] there’s a golden age for comedy right now, with so many platforms to enjoy amazing content.
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“Many of our acts have their own TV or podcast series, but nothing beats live, and we can’t wait to put these acts in front of a Manchester crowd – we already know the shows are going to be electric.”
The “comic shooting to fame” Celya Ab, and the joyous Rosie Jones are on the lineup / Credit: Supplied
LAUGHTERAMA 2022 has partnered with used car dealer heycar for this year’s event, with the company’s Chief Commercial Officer Karen Hilton already singing the praises of the “truly world-class” lineup.
“It’s shaping up to be an incredible feel-good summer,” Karen said.
“We have so much laughter to catch up on after the last few years and I can’t think of a better way to do it as the lineup is truly world-class and we’re particularly looking forward to seeing the incredible James Acaster, and my personal favourite, Aisling Bea in action.
“heycar is honoured to be sponsoring this incredible event and we can’t wait to see everyone in Manchester this September.”
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The unflinchingly funny Jamali Maddix will be taking to the Castlefield Bowl stage / Credit: SuppliedThe hilarious Kiri Pritchard-McLean will also be making an appearance / Credit: Supplied
LAUGHTERAMA 2022 is landing at Castlefield Bowl from Wednesday 21 – Sunday 25 September, with tickets now on sale at £25 per person.
You can grab yours on the Laughterama website before they sell out here.
Featured Image – Supplied
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adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to reward themselves with free Nell’s pizza this weekend, thanks to a collaboration with adidas and JD.
The sportswear giants will be teaming up with one of the city’s top pizza spots to hand out the ultimate post-race reward at Kampus this Sunday.
It’s all to celebrate the launch of the new adidas EVO SL ATRs, a shoe that’s built with running miles in mind.
And there’ll be a chance to grab an exclusive t-shirt too, and have your official marathon finish time branded on-site.
adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal / Credit: Supplied
As well as a free slice of Nell’s famous New York-style pizza and a drink, Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to enter into a range of giveaways, with prizes including the EVO SL ART, adidas merch, and range of other prizes.
And you’ll be recovering with a slice in hand and a live DJ keeping the post-race energy high
All you need to do is show your Manchester Marathon medal at Nell’s at Kampus, to grab your free slice, and check out adidas and JD’s latest drop.
Friends and family are encouraged to join too – after all, all runners know a marathon isn’t possible without that support crew.
There are also a bunch of giveaways and more to look forward to / Credit: Supplied
Pizza slices will be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis, so make sure your sprint to Nell’s is your fastest yet.
Thankfully, the adidas EVO SL’s are built for speed…
adidas x JD x Nell’s – Manchester Marathon event
Taking place on Sunday 19 April, from 12pm to 8pm
Free pizza slice and a drink when you show your Manchester Marathon medal (while stocks last)
Exclusive merch and great prize giveaways from adidas and JD
Plus photo moments, live DJs, and more
Find it at The Bungalow, Kampus, M1 3GL (next to Nell’s)
Parents in Greater Manchester say friendship is one of school’s most valuable lessons
Daisy Jackson
Some of the most valuable lessons that children learn in school are friendship and confidence, Greater Manchester parents have revealed.
It’s been revealed thanks to new research conducted by the Department for Education.
The data has found that 82% of local parents believe school has improved their child’s confidence, with a similar number (79%) believing that the social skills developed at school have also positively influenced behavior at home.
Parents also say that making friends is one of school’s most valuable lessons, with more than four in five (83%) saying that child’s school friendships extend beyond the classroom. This is helping to boost confidence and a sense of belonging for young people.
Reflecting on their own early years, more than two thirds (69%) of parents in Greater Manchester said their school years were the best years of their lives, and two thirds (66%) are still in touch with friends from school.
The Department for Education has found that 88% of parents believe children learn valuable social skills at school, well beyond traditional subjects and education.
The top five lessons gained at school are, according to parents, making friends (52%), confidence (50%), teamwork (48%), respect (42%) and problem solving (40%).
But school absence can really impact a child’s opportunity to learn and develop these social skills and life lessons, making the transition from school to the rest of life more difficult.
Which is why five high-performing schools in Greater Manchester have been selected by the Department for Education to run Attendance and Behaviour hubs.
Parents in Greater Manchester say friendship is one of school’s most valuable lessons
These are networks of schools that will share effective practice on attendance and behavior through collaboration, supporting thousands of children and families by working with other schools in the area to identify absence early, build strong routines, and create positive environments.
It’s hoped that this support-first approach will help schools to understand the barriers that stop children from attending school, and put plans in place to help overcome them.
The five local schools running Attendance and Behaviour Hubs will be among 93 hub schools nationally, which have capacity to support more than 3000 schools each year.
Kersty, a local parent in Greater Manchester, said: ”My daughter really struggled with anxiety and wasn’t able to go to school for a while.
“We got in touch with our local council attendance support team who were so supportive and they directed me to an attendance course to help support my child’s return to school.
“We take things one day at a time and she’s now starting to settle into the school routine, speak to other children, and make friends.
“From my experience, I’ve found that school is about a lot more than just classes, it’s where children gain important social skills. They learn how to make friends, sort out the little fallouts, and feel like they’re part of something.”
Other curriculum reforms coming into action from September 2028 will include an expanded curriculum with more focus on areas like arts, sport, digital skills and financial literacy.
Children will have more regular opportunities for enrichment activities like sport, arts, outdoor learning and community activities.
Schools will also provide clearer information about progress, behaviour and at-home support for parents, plus will identify learning or wellbeing issues to provide earlier support for children who struggle.
And mainstream schools will improve support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) so more pupils can succeed alongside their peers.
To find out more about the hubs and the government’s wider reforms to support belonging at school, head HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd August 2022 
