Bristol Comedy Garden 2026

Ground-breaking ventriloquist Nina is a star of BBC's Live at the Apollo, QI and HBO's Family Tree. Nina began her career as an actress at the Royal Shakespeare Company, before the genius and anarchic theatre director Ken Campbell inspired her to become a ventriloquist. In 2008 she won the prestigious Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for her solo show Complete and Utter Conti. In 2010, Talk to the Hand had sell out seasons in Edinburgh, London, Melbourne, the Sydney Opera House and New York. 'Put simply, Nina Conti is a genius' (The Daily Mirror) 'A gem... funny, poignant, novel’ (The Guardian) 'I laughed until I couldn't breathe' (Melbourne Age) 'Uproariously hilarious' (The Scotsman).

Rachel Parris is an award-winning musical comedian and standup who has appeared in The IT Crowd, Murder In Successville, The Mash Report and Austentatious. Her songs have been heard on BBC Radio 4 (The Now Show), BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio 6 Music. Her solo shows have found critical acclaim, and have earned her a Chortle Award nomination, a Funny Women Best Show nomination and a win for What’s On London’s Best Musical Comedy Show. “It’s startling quite how talented Parris is...hilarious” - Shortcom **** “Very easy to relate to and naturally funny” - Three Weeks **** "Tears of laughter, endearingly frank and funny" - Guardian "A gifted performer - her songs really score" - Times "Brutally funny" - Skinny "Classy, clever comedy...uproarious" - Scotsman

Since appearing in the guise of his redneck alter-ego Otis Lee Crenshaw in 1998, award-winning Rich has won critical acclaim across the Globe by performing to sell-out audiences each year at the Edinburgh Fringe, throughout sell-out UK tours and at comedy festivals worldwide. His grouchy, deadpan style has established him as a master of absurdist irony and the king of rapid-fire wit. Rich has also become well known for his television and radio work. Notable UK appearances include regular appearances on 'Stand Up For The Week' (Channel 4), 'QI' (BBC1/2), 'Live At The Apollo' (BBC1), 'Channel 4's Comedy Gala Live At The O2', 'Have I Got News For You' (BBC1), 'Rich Hall's Cattle Drive' (BBC4), 'Rich Hall's Gone Fishing' (BBC4), 'Otis Lee Crenshaw – London Not Tennessee' (BBC2) and 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' (BBC2). 'Creeps up on you and ambushes your funny bone like no one else' (The Scotsman) 'As close as it gets to a guaranteed good show' (Scotland On Sunday) 'Top drawer stuff from a comedian who just seems to get better and better' (STV) 'Immaculate wordplay imbued with a genuine passion for the songwriter's craft' (The Times) 'Hall's genius, on the spot lyrical rhyming is raucously entertaining and very clever' (Spears magazine) Rich Hall was #10 in Ents24's Hardest Working Comedians of 2018 list.

Comedian, actor, writer from Hull. Nominated for Best Live Show at the National Comedy Awards 2023. ‘Joyous hour… remember Gledhill’s name, because it’s about to be everywhere’ ★★★★★ Independent ‘Could hardly be more endearing… adroit joke-making at work’ ★★★★ Guardian ‘A jaw-droppingly good debut’ ★★★★ Times ★★★★★ The Skinny ★★★★★ Funny Women ★★★★ Telegraph ★★★★ Scotsman ★★★★ The List As seen on; The Jonathan Ross Show (ITV1) Alma's Not Normal (BBC2) The Emily Atack Show (ITV2) Hypothetical (Dave) Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled (Dave) Guessable (Comedy Central) Late Night Mash (Dave) Somewhere Boy (Channel 4) Life (BBC1)