IT’S breakfast time on Friday morning and I’m sitting in Greenbank restaurant in Llangollen with the man who has ‘accidentally’ become Wales’ biggest comedy promoter.
The night before, Silky had compered another successful show in the town, one of many Kill For a Seat comedy nights he runs, not just in Wales, but across the UK.
His nights are known for their relaxed atmosphere and for attracting big name acts alongside the best new talent on the circuit – “150 million life-sapping evenings making other people happy at the detriment of my own social development,” he says with a grin.
Some of you will already know Silky – he’s quite easily recognisable. For those of you who don’t, he’s an instantly likable character: a ‘slaphead’ Scouser who lives in Leeds and who has been running a club night at Llangollen’s Royal Pavilion for some time and at Theatr Clwyd in Mold even longer.
This summer, however, he has taken things one step further, putting together June’s Llangollen Comedy Festival.
“It’s a bigger event with the same heart,” he says, patting his chest. “It’s quite a natural progression as a centre point for all the gigs we run all year round.”
Silky has a number of reasons for choosing to hold the festival in Llangollen – some of them selfish.
“It’s a great location, it’s easy enough to get to and there’s plenty of accommodation,” he continues, pausing every so often for a forkful of his hearty Welsh breakfast. “I’m hopeful people will come from other places where we run clubs and stay for a few days.
“Plus I really like spending time here. there’s lots of places I like being at but there’s a significant difference waking up after a good night out in Birmingham and having a half-hour drive to the nearest green space. Here you just open the curtains and feel the breeze.”
The festival, in the green and pleasant land of North East Wales, will be staged over three days – June 10 to 13 – at two venues in the town, the Royal Pavilion and the RAFA club.
It opens with a show at the Pavilion featuring the fantastic John Bishop and the prolific Lloyd Langford, who proved a real hit at a Kill For a Seat show in Llangollen last year.
The second show of the evening will take place at the RAFA Club, where Alun Cochrane’s flights of fancy are sure to amuse.
Friday sees the irrepressible Sarah Millican headline, with Silky as compère, before the second show at the RAFA with Craig Campbell topping the bill supported by John Bishop
Saturday sees a cracking line-up of Welsh comics compèred by Elis James, headlined by Lloyd Langford with the excellent Jon Williams and Dan Mitchell as wingmen.
There will also be two extraordinary kids shows – one each weekend day, featuring Elis James, Silky and others.
“Anyone who’s been to the shows at Theatre Clwyd or Llangollen, or to any of the gigs I run, will know what it’s about,” says Silky.
“It’s fun, we give people a great night out at a reasonable price. That translates into happy audiences and that makes comedians happy. We don’t want people sat there having paid £50 for a ticket thinking ‘what?’”
And Silky has adopted the same formula for the festival. Despite big names such as Millican and Bishop, both of whom have become TV and radio regulars, tickets cost as little as £8 for the RAFA Club shows, £10 for the Pavilion shows, and £5 for the kids’ shows.
There is even a discounted combined ticket for both the RAFA and Pavilion shows.
Tickets are already selling like hot cakes – Silky hopes to make Llangollen Comedy Festival an annual event.
“The amount of interest we’ve had so far has been beautiful,” he says. “It’s been heartening to see. It’s a natural extension of the audience we’ve built up and I know we’ll sell a lot of tickets regionally before it goes on to the national audience.”
Tickets for all shows are available from www.llancomedy.com and www.pavilion-llangollen.com or by calling the Pavilion on 01978 860111. Tickets will also be available from the next Kill For a Seat show in Llangollen on March 25.