We hit our current comedic season running with February’s splendid show, and the ante is being upped with this gorgeous line-up of some of our very favourite acts. Make sure you don’t miss it; it won’t be available on catch up.
Stephanie Laing
Goofy and peculiar, Stephanie Laing’s comedy is partway between the needy oddness of Maria Bamford and the upbeat affability of Josie Long. Her material is a mix of silliness, filth and unusual observations, underpinned by a disarming honesty which makes her seem charmingly vulnerable.
“Truly commanded the crowd. Disgusting and delightful in equal measure. She is definitely one to watch.” — Three Weeks
“Laing is a jovial, baby faced performer who comes across as utterly unencumbered, so it doesn’t especially feel like adult humour when it plainly is. She looks thoroughly happy to be speaking to us and the atmosphere is relaxed. It’s quite a devastating technique. And thanks to her having natural comic timing and delivery, it’s funny, too. Laing has a Sarah Millican-esque appeal.” — Chortle
“Stephanie Laing offered up a gloriously silly set, coming across as wonderfully unpretentious and getting the audience on her side from the first line. Her off-the-wall observations about her own anxieties were delivered with awkward tenacity and came off as entirely believable mementoes of her everyday life.” — Broadway Baby
Gein’s Family Giftshop
Having won Audience Choice Award and Best Sketch Act at the London Sketchfest 2014, the group made their way to Edinburgh and were Nominated for Best Newcomer in the prestigious Foster’s Comedy Awards. They also won Curator’s Choice at the Noise Festival attending a ceremony at the House of Commons, Kiri ate 18 egg sandwiches at the buffet (21 including the ham and tomato) and Ed blocked a toilet, he now wears a V for Vendetta mask during rehearsals. Further accolades fell into the group’s muscular laps in 2015 with a nomination for Best Sketch and a victory for Best Newcomer in the Chortle Awards. Thanks to this, their muscular laps were allowed to create a Sky Arts Christmas short and six half hour BBC Radio Wales specials over 2015 and 2016 plus a 2016 tour. The group remain stoically humble in the face of unmitigated success, principally because they’re aware that their brand of jizzy, blood heavy (separate) comedy is going to get found out any day now and they’ve sewn cyanide pills into their collars to bite down on when that day comes.
“Gein’s Family Giftshop… work harder and tighter than James Brown. Even if you hate them, you will have seen something genuinely new.” — The Sunday Times
“They are exceptionally brilliant” — Reece Shearsmith
“Theirs is a dark and sinister comic world” — The Guardian
Michael J Dolan
Dolan has been a very welcome face at Square Hole for some time now. He is a truly distinctive voice in British comedy with exquisitely written material replete with deeply satisfying hyperbole and catharsis inducing honesty. Since 2007 he’s built a reputation as a highly cerebral comic with an innate ability to make audiences contemplate the world from a darker point of view, and thoroughly enjoy doing so.
“Savagely funny” — Chortle
“A very, very funny man” — The Skinny
“Skilful humour from the very dark side” — The Sunday Times
“Grumpiness has never been so smart or so funny” – Sarah Millican
with host
Rich Milner
Doors open at 7.00pm, show starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £6 when you buy online, £8 if you pay on the door.
Advanced booking is recommended.
The following food and drinks offers are also now available:
2 x tickets and a bottle of any wine £20
or
2 x tickets, a bottle of any wine and 2 main meals for £35
These must be booked in advance by contacting the Red Deer via (0114) 2722890 or reddeersheffield@gmail.com.