Griff Rhys Jones brings Each charity comedy night to Cambridge
An exciting new Comic Relief-style comedy night raising money for East Anglia’s Children's Hospices (Each) is coming to Cambridge on Monday (9 December).
For the past four years, actor, comedian, writer, television presenter and Cambridge graduate Griff Rhys Jones has hosted a seasonal fundraiser, titled Happy Christmas Ipswich, for Each at the town’s Regent Theatre.
This year, however, for the first time there will also be two smaller spin-off comedy nights taking place simultaneously in the region, for as well as the Cambridge edition – at Town and Gown in the city centre, put on by Big Deal Comedy – there will be another one in Norwich.
The Ipswich show – the ‘main event’ – is set to feature impressionist Jon Culshaw, comedian Nathan Caton, Gavin and Stacey favourite Ruth Jones, comics David Baddiel and Joe Pasquale, comedian, doctor and broadcaster Paul Sinha, and actress and singer Ruthie Henshall.
Cambridge, meanwhile, is set to welcome Rory McGrath, Geoff Norcott, Tom Alban, Esther Manito, and Jason Stampe, who runs Big Deal Comedy with his sister Leanne Clarke.
Martin Westgate, Tim FitzHigham, Leon Mallett, and John Mann are all on the bill at the Bowling House on Dereham Road in Norwich, and Joe Pasquale is also scheduled to make an appearance.
Pasquale will then travel to Ipswich, Phil Collins Wembley-to-Philadelphia-at-Live Aid-style, to perform there too.
Griff Rhys Jones, a celebrity patron of Each who has spearheaded the multi-venue event, spoke to the Cambridge Independent from Alabama, in the US, where he was working on a documentary for Channel 4.
“I started these fundraisers we do about eight years ago,” he explains, “and we’ve reached a fifth big one in Ipswich, and in order to celebrate that I’ve planned for world domination – or at least East Anglian domination.
“So we’ve decided to do simultaneous little shows, as a sort of toe-in-the-water, in Cambridge and Norwich, because there are hospices there as well.”
Griff, who lives near Ipswich, notes that previous fundraisers at the Regent, a 1,500-seat venue, have included the likes of Eddie Izzard, Bill Bailey, Rob Brydon, and Dara Ó Briain – “and all sorts of people who’ve turned up to help out”.
He says of 2024’s ambitious undertaking: “It’s basically three shows but we’re going to communicate, I hope, by electronic means, at the beginning, to make sure we all start at exactly the same time.”
On Joe Pasquale’s “Phil Collins moment”, Griff, one half of celebrated comedy duo Smith and Jones with the late Mel Smith, jokes: “I think it was probably easier for Phil Collins to get from Philadelphia to London than it’ll be for Joe!
“Joe will be coming down the A140, which is never anybody’s favourite trip – but good luck to him.”
Griff says: “It [the fundraiser] is a way of focusing on Each at Christmas time, and that has the virtue of meaning that people do make donations even if they don’t come to the show.”
He adds: “I think we’re almost on the point of selling out in Ipswich, we’ve got a few tickets left in Cambridge, and I think we’re sold out in Norwich already.”
As well as the money from ticket sales, donations made on the night will also go towards the overall total.
Tickets for the Cambridge show at Town and Gown, on Monday, 9 December – part of Happy Christmas East Anglia – are £10.94 and are available from bigdealcomedy.co.uk.
