About

Slapstick Festival, a celebration of silent and classic screen comedy, returns from 14-16 February with the help of an impressive line-up of celebrity guests. 

The aim of Slapstick Festival is to keep silent, visual, and classic onscreen comedy alive for future generations by raising awareness, interest, and appreciation of this unique art form, while also developing new audiences for archive cinema.

In 2025, the festival proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary! Over the past 21 editions, Slapstick Festival has sold more than 160,000 tickets and hosted over 400 unique events, all dedicated to showcasing the finest in silent, visual, and classic comedy. The annual Silent Comedy Gala is now on sale!

Programme highlights will include Ben Elton receiving an Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend award, Stephen K. Amos sharing his comedy heroes and introducing Mel Brooks’s BLAZING SADDLES as his favourite film and Peter Lord, Aardman co-founder, introducing a Wallace & Gromit bill that will include a big screen showing of the newest in the series: MURDER MOST FOWL.

Harry Enfield will be at the Bristol Old Vic on Sunday 16 February to share with fellow comic Robin Ince his favourite film and TV comedy moments and their influence on the many memorable characters he has created.

More highlights...

Watershed: Silent Comedy

Watershed presents a meticulously curated selection of rare and unseen silent comedies from the 1920s, including an extensive showcase of Soviet comedies. The programme stars silent film favorites like Buster Keaton, W.C. Fields, Mel Brooks, and Marty Feldman, along with first-time silent film actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Eddie Murphy, and Jessica Lange. Additionally, a special Wallace & Gromit double bill includes a rare big-screen appearance of their latest feature, Vengeance Most Fowl.

Comedians, actors, and film historians, including Robin Ince, Lucy Porter, Pamela Hutchinson, Paul McGann, and Aardman co-founder Peter Lord, will introduce this star-studded line-up. Esteemed musicians like John Sweeney, Dan van den Hurk, and The European Silent Screen Virtuosi will provide live accompaniment, bringing these classic films to life.

Bristol Beacon: Gala and Slapstick Conversations

This year’s programme returns to Bristol Beacon, the festival's birthplace, for The Silent Comedy Gala on Friday, February 14th (Valentine’s Day!). The evening will blend timeless onscreen comedy with live music, including performances from The Matinee Idles, featuring actor Paul McGann, and a pre-show by Trip for Biscuits, offering ragtime twists on popular chart hits.

Additionally, Rick Wakeman CBE will return to discuss the enduring appeal of Dad’s Army, Robert Lindsay will celebrate Citizen Smith, and Stephen K. Amos will explore his comedy heroes in a series of lively Slapstick Conversations.

Breaking Barriers: GOODNESS GRACIOUS ME 

Get ready to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Goodness Gracious Me, the groundbreaking comedy that forever changed British television. This pioneering series broke barriers, brilliantly spotlighting British-Asian experiences and challenging stereotypes with wit, humour, and insight. The show’s creators and stars — Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, and Anil Gupta will be on-hand for a live discussion with BBC Radio 4’s Matthew Sweet on Saturday 15th.

Slapstick Sundays @ Bristol Old Vic

The historic Bristol Old Vic will once again host Slapstick Sunday, an annual celebration filled with satirical comedy from iconic classics to contemporary films. Highlights include Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove, a landmark satire on the Cold War, and reflections on comedy pioneer Rik Mayall. The festival will also revisit Alan Bleasdale's 90s political satire G.B.H., featuring a panel with Sir Michael Palin and Robert Lindsay. Meanwhile, Adam Hills and Mike McCartney will look back on McCartney's life with The Beatles and his satirical comedy group, The Scaffold.

The festivities culminate in the awarding of the Slapstick Legacy Medal to the creators of the indie hit Hundred of Beavers (2022). On February 12th, the Megascreen will host a rare conversation and Q&A with co-writer and lead actor Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, led by Robin Ince, in celebration of this rising cult classic.

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