Comedy / The John Sebastian Lightship
New monthly comedy show comes to the John Sebastian Lightship
Set to begin on June 7, a new monthly Sunday afternoon comedy show has been launched on the 140-year-old John Sebastian Lightship.
Moored at Bathurst Basin, the vessel is one of only two surviving wooden lightships in the world, and makes for a unique and intimate space for comedy and performance.
Hosted by Burt Williamson, local standup and one of the organisers of the Bristol Comedy Festival, Lightship Comedy will be welcoming Norwegian comic and fast-rising star Thor Stenhaug as its first headliner.
Audiences will be able to set foot on the ship an hour before curtain up, with pre-show drinks available on deck or in the downstairs bar.
“The below deck theatre is a little bit of magic that most people won’t have experienced before, and it’s a thrill to be opening the doors to the public for these shows”, says Jessica Jolly of the Cabot Cruising Club – which has been based at the lightship since 1959.
The John Sebastian Lightship is moored at Bathurst Basin
“It’s intimate, unusual, and feels completely different from a traditional comedy venue. Lightship Comedy is going to be a genuinely special experience.”
A share of the proceeds from the event will go towards the ongoing care and restoration of the historic vessel, and ticket-buyers can add an optional donation to help “keep the boat afloat”.
Lightship Comedy is at the John Sebastian Lightship on June 7 at 4pm (doors 3pm). Tickets are available at headfirstbristol.co.uk.
All photos: Lightship Comedy
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