# Slapstick Festival

Slapstick Festival is an annual celebration of silent, visual and classic film comedy held every year in Bristol, Southwest England. It is one of a select few events, dedicated to showcasing silent visual and classic comedy, featuring rare archival film comedies from around the world. The festival aims to source original film prints and present them as they were initially enjoyed- accompanied by live improvised music. These events take place in key venues in Bristol, such as The Bristol Old Vic, The Bristol Beacon, and The Watershed.
Since 2009, the festival has awarded the Aardman Slapstick Awards, which were developed in 2008. Notable recipients include Eric Sykes,Ken Dodd, and French and Saunders.

## History

Founded by Bristol Silents in 2004, the inaugural Slapstick Festival took place from January 13 to January 16, 2005. Since then, the festival has returned annually and has attracted high-profile guests such as:
* Sanjeev Bashkar
* Terry Gilliam
* Ben Elton
* Martin Freeman
* Eric Sykes
* Sir Michael Palin
* Christopher Chaplin
* David Robinson
* Shappi Khorsandi
* Graeme Garden
* Tim Brooke-Taylor
* Jean Darling (of Our Gang fame)
* Diana Serra Cary (aka Baby Peggy)
* Phil Jupitus
* Rob Brydon MBE
* Bill Oddie OBE
* Ian Lavender
The festival grew out of Bristol Silents' dedication to reviving and celebrating classic films from the early days of cinema. Initially planned as a one-off weekend event, its success highlighted the demand for a dedicated annual Slapstick Festival. While primarily focused on slapstick films from the silent era, the festival also celebrates contemporary comedians influenced by these early cinematic pioneers.

## Awards
### Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award

Slapstick Festival presents this award in collaboration with Aardman Animations. Winners are selected by a panel of comedy heroes, previous recipients and festival patrons. This award is dedicated to honouring contemporary comedians who have left an lasting mark on the realm of onscreen and live comedy. The trophy itself, featuring the beloved Aardman character Morph is sculpted by Aardman's model shop to capture the essence of the awardee.
Past winners:
* 2013: June Whitfield
* 2014: Barry Humphries
* 2015: Barry Cryer
* 2016: Ken Dodd
* 2017: Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
* 2019: Julie Walters
* 2024: Robert Lindsay
* 2025: Ben Elton

### Aardman Slapstick Visual Comedy Award

Created to recognise the excellence of comedians and film makers in the field of visual comedy. The award is a Morph sculpted to resemble the recipient.
Past winners:
* 2009: Eric Sykes
* 2010: Michael Palin
* 2011: The Goodies
* 2012: Pierre Étaix
* 2015: Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
* 2016: Michael Crawford
* 2024 Terry Gilliam

### Slapstick Legacy Award

This award is given to performers and filmmakers who have created Slapstick and Visual comedy onscreen work worthy of mention alongside the original performers in early silent comedy.
* 2024: Sylvester McCoy: Vision On, Dr Who, The Ken Campbell Roadshow
* 2023: Harry Hill: Harry Hill's Lonely Island (2021-2)
* 2022: Tiswas presented to Chris Tarrant, Sally James, Bob Carolgees and John Gorman
* 2021: Remy Archer & Tom Gaskin: Snake Oil
* 2018: The Young Ones
* 2017: Roy Hudd
* 2016: Steve Pemberton, Reece Shearsmith & David Kerr: A Quiet Night In
* 2015: Matt Lucas: Pompidou TV series (2014)
* 2024: Sylvester McCoy
* 2025: Ryland Brickston Cole Tews: Hundreds of Beavers

## Musical Accompaniment

The Slapstick Festival is committed to presenting silent films and classic comedies as they were originally experienced. Every silent film screening is accompanied by live music, with pianists improvising scores to match the mood of each film. Additionally, the Slapstick Silent Comedy Gala at Bristol Beacon features live orchestral scores.
To maintain this authentic experience, the festival has worked with an array of musicians under the guidance of Günter A. Buchwald (Musical Director). The list of regular musicians include:
* Günter A. Buchwald – Musical Director
* Frank Martin Bockius – Double Bassist
* Romano Todesco – Double Bassist and Accordionist
* John Sweeney – Pianist
* Stephen Horne – Pianist
* Elizabeth-Jane Baldry – Harpist
* Daan van den Hurk – Pianist
* Rick Wakeman
* Adrian Utley
* Meg Morley – Pianist
Additionally, the festival has featured performances by The Matinee Idles, a doo-wop a cappella group.

## Patrons

- Kevin Brownlow
- Mike McCartney
- Marcus Brigstocke
- Rob Brydon MBE
- Bernie Clifton
- Dr Harriet Fields
- Graeme Garden OBE
- Peter Lord CBE
- Matt Lucas
- Paul McGann
- Bill Oddie OBE
- Sir Michael Palin
- Nick Park CBE
- David Robinson
- David Sproxton CBE
- Suzanne Lloyd