Following the late cancellation of last month's 13th anniversary show, Hitchin's Mostly Comedy club returns to the Town Hall on November 18.
The scheduled line-up includes The Fast Show’s Simon Day and Red Dwarf’s Norman Lovett, with both comics performing and being interviewed for the club’s More Than Mostly Comedy podcast.
Born in Blackheath, London in 1962, Day began his career as a character comedian, winning Time Out’s New Act of the Year award in 1991 as the music hall performer Tommy Cockles.
He continued to work live across the UK, joining Reeves & Mortimer for two tours and then two series of Vic Reeves’ Big Night Out for Channel 4, before rising to prominence in BBC2’s The Fast Show in 1994.
As well as being a comic, Day is an actor, whose credits include the films Shakespeare in Love and Run Fatboy Run, plus numerous television appearances in Jonathan Creek, Midsomer Murders, EastEnders, Hustle, Casanova, Mount Pleasant and more.
He also played multiple characters in two series of BBC Radio 4’s The Simon Day Show, including the fictional prog-rock star Brian Pern, who was the focus of three additional series and a TV movie for BBC4.
In 2020, he played Mike Middleton in The Windsors for Channel 4.
Norman Lovett is a veteran of the stand-up circuit.
He played the original Comedy Store on countless occasions, once supporting The Clash, which he sees as a career highlight.
TV credits include his BBC2 sitcom I, Lovett and Paramount Comedy's Asylum, though he’s obviously best known for portraying the ship's computer Holly in four series of Red Dwarf.
In 2013, he performed alongside Doggett & Ephgrave in a reading of their sitcom pilot Nick & Joe at London’s Soho Theatre.
He could recently be heard alongside Lucy Beaumont and Maureen Lipman in the new BBC Radio 4 comedy To Hull and Back.
In 2020, he resurrected his role of Holly in the TV film Red Dwarf: The Promised Land following a cameo in the previous series.
The gig will be emceed by comedian David Ephgrave, who will also interview both acts in the second half for forthcoming episodes of the popular podcast More Than Mostly Comedy.
Audience members can submit questions in advance via the Mostly Comedy website or by using the hashtag #MTMCpodcast, both before and on the night.
The doors and bar open at 7.15pm with the show starting at 8pm.
Tickets are £15 and are available at www.mostlycomedy.co.uk
Seating in Hitchin Town Hall will be socially distanced with mask-wearing encouraged, with the show sold to a maximum of 50 per cent capacity to mitigate COVID-19 transmissibility.
Mostly Comedy organisers Doggett & Ephgrave have also launched another JustGiving crowdfunding page to raise £1,800 to help cover running costs.
"The pandemic kept Hitchin Mostly Comedy shut for 19 months, which was far longer than we'd envisaged," says David Ephgrave.
"As we gradually reopen in autumn 2021, sales are so low we're not even breaking even – and funds are fast running out.
"Meanwhile, our running costs continue, and, before long, we'll be forced to close for good."
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