Oxford Comedy Festival comes to a close with big name comedians

The month-long Oxford Fringe Preview Comedy Festival, which comes to a close this Sunday, is the perfect chance for performers heading to the Edinburgh Fringe to test out their acts on a willing ‘guinea pig’ audience.

The Fringe is a star-making festival and tickets to see those en-route are likely to be a lot more expensive to see in the future, which makes the Oxford event the perfect opportunity to witness top tier comedy at an affordable price.

The festival is organised by the QED Comedy Collective – four seasoned comics from Oxford and London, headed by Matthew Chadourne, who joined forces to give opportunities to underrepresented voices, and get eyes on more experimental shows.

They have collaborated with Oxford’s Tap Social Movement brewery and Trinity College Bar for this year’s festival, which is in its second week. Events are happening around the city, focusing on Trinity College’s Bar, and the Tap Social’s Market Tap in the Covered Market – and there is something for everyone.

And with the festival reaching its finale, jump at the chance for some summer laughs.

• Amy Matthews: Commute with the Foxes

Trinity College Bar

Thursday, July 25 –7.30pm

A regular with two Fringe shows under her belt, and touring support for Ed Byrne, Tom Allen and Suzi Ruffell; Amy Matthews is critically decorated, sharp, youthful and witty. Her distinct style is refreshing, offering up food for thought over constant belly laughs. In her new show ‘Commute with the Foxes’ she untangles the transformative nature of context, the collapse of human connection, and smashing the mirrors we hold up to ourselves and, she says “turns them into a disco ball to dance under”.

• Louise Atkinson: She’s Got the Look

Trinity College Bar

Thursday, July 25 –10pm

Facing haters and super-fans head on, Northerner Louise Atkinson is taking a different approach to constructive criticism in her new Fringe show: She’s Got the Look. Atkinson uses previous comments, reviews and unsolicited feedback made about her comedy and appearance as fuel for funny, making us all reflect on the absurdity of judging someone on their appearance before truly understanding who they are. She will not only make you a better person, but also make you laugh the whole time.

• Chloe Jacobs: Twilight: Breaking Down

Trinity College Bar

Friday, July 26 – 7.30pm

If Tweens in Slough curating Twilight themed erotic fan fiction tickles your fancy, then Chloe Jacobs has it in bucket loads – she has even performed it at the Oxford Union. Twilight is a young adult book series involving a teenage girl called Bella being introduced to the mysterious Edward, who turns out to have some bloodsucking secrets. The three books were developed into an incredibly successful global film series – most of their audiences being lovestruck teenage girls with a penchant for vampires.

The series fuelled young writers, and in this case Chloe and her best friend. Their creation has now been brought into the public eye, and her one-woman show ‘Twilight: Breaking Down” not only explores the mind of a sexually repressed 11-year-old but also what it means to be a super fan and how it can change your life.

• Katlyn Bailey

Trinity College Bar

Friday, July 26 – 9pm

Something slightly different that your classic standup is ‘A Whore’s Eye View’ by Katlyn Bailey at the closing end of the festival. This one-woman show brings a fresh perspective by giving the audience a whistle stop tour of history’s 10,000 years of sex work in just an hour. She has been globally recognised and is at the forefront of sex workers’ rights advocacy.

Her podcast ‘The Oldest Profession,’ now in its fifth season, sees Bailey delve into the history behind sex work, the law and culture. With a collaboration between academics, comedy, and culture insight, it cements her level of expertise on the topic.

• Pauline Eyre: Body A Work in Progress

Trinity College Bar

Saturday, July 27 – 7.30pm

Pauline Eyre is ‘standing up’ and having a mid-life crisis. In her new show ‘Body’ she covers everything there is to the about the menopause, but also everything her body does for her, and that really, it’s all sort of pointless hating something so useful. Honest, witty with welcoming comedic warmth, watching her is like having a chat with a girlfriend over drinks. Not one to miss!

• Desiree Burch: The Golden Wrath

Trinity College Bar

Saturday, July 27 – 9pm

Comedian, Netflix host, Fringe Winner and all-round funny lady Desiree Burch is back with a stand-up show about her identity crisis, her body, youth, and memory and trying to navigate these very strange times. Burch’s popularity is indisputable from her sold out show this Saturday. But fear not... if you are keen to see this fabulous lady you can buy a comedy bundle to catch both her and Pauline Eyre, for an evening of proving that women are actually very funny indeed!

Sam Lake (Image: Library image)

• Sam Lake: Esmerelda

Market Tap by Tap Social

Sunday, July 28 – 7.30pm

Sam is described as a semi-camp gay man from Cornwall. He’s been noted in ‘The 40 best jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe’ and has been featured on TV’s Mock of the Week for his writing chops. His new show ‘Esmerelda’ is about embracing his Spanish heritage along with his collection of hilarious personal stories, and even the Ice Age movie franchise.

• Caroline Mabey: Caroline Mabey Will Ruin Your Life

Market Tap by Tap Social

Sunday, July 28 – 9pm

Kooky, mischievous and a fully accomplished MC Caroline Mabey may ‘ruin your life’ but she sure will make it hilarious along the way. Her new stand up adds to her long Fringe history and follows the woes of getting older, parenthood and trying to understand who you are, with unsolicited advice and a whole bundle of wacky fun.

Caroline Mabey (Image: Library image)

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