Let's face it; winter is the time of year when we all need cheering up a little and the Exeter LOL Comedy Festival could be just the tonic that you are looking for. January and February are always a little flat for so many people. Colds, flu and depressing economic news are all likely to get us down at this time of year, so why not book tickets for a little laughter and fun.
As the old song goes, 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life'. So, with that in mind, this fantastic 10-day event, which takes place from the end of January through the first week in February, is something that is well worth investigating further.
Book tickets for top comedy shows as part of the Exeter LOL Festival
The Exeter LOL Festival takes place in various theatres and venues in Exeter including the Northcott Theatre, the Exeter Phoenix, City Gate Hotel, the Corn Exchange and the Bikeshed Theatre. Many other pubs and clubs around the city also join in the fun.
The LOL Festival offers a whole range of comedy events, sketches and open mic nights. Past performers include many well-known standup comics such as ex-teacher David Trent, Dartmouth local Josh Widdicombe and Suzi Ruffell, who wowed the audience at the Edinburgh Comedy Fest in 2012. Other acts in the past have been as diverse as Sock Puppets, comedian duo Peacock and Gamble and a team effort from the Exeter Comedy Club itself.
Restaurants and pubs join in the Exeter LOL Comedy Festival
It's great to see something like this and visitors will be able to combine the various shows that make up the festival with any of the highly attractive offers that are being advertised by some of the very good restaurants in the area (as always happens at this time of the year).
Out of all of the cities in England there can't be many which are more suited to this kind of festival than Exeter. Walking around during the evening is a very relaxed experience in this compact city centre and you don't find that underlying feeling of trouble which is apparent with so many other cities. The LOL Festival may not be as big as the long established Edinburgh Festival, but its heart is most definitely in the right place.
Exeter has a large student population that obviously laps up festivals of this type so all in all it is a great experience. However, due to the adult nature of most of the shows at the festival they are not really suitable for those under the age of 16, or for those who do not appreciate adult humour. Most attendees would agree that this is all part and parcel of anything like this.
Leave the car at home and enjoy Exeter city centre on foot
As already mentioned, if you want to make an evening of it there are plenty of cracking offers at this time of the year from restaurants in the city. Make your way to the Cathedral at the centre of Exeter where you will find everything from the highly acclaimed Abode eatery from Michael Caines to the more common high street chain restaurants such as Prezzo and Nando's.
As the LOL venues are also situated in the middle of the city there will be no need for buses and taxis. If you are able to leave the car at home you will no doubt find it all to be an extremely relaxing and enjoyable experience and the perfect tonic for the so called winter blues.
Is the Exeter LOL Festival something that you would love to attend? How do you think it would compare with other comedy festivals which are held up and down the country? Please let us know…
Born in Cheshire, Gillian Birch moved to Cornwall at her earliest opportunity and never looked back. After 20 years, her ongoing discovery of popular attractions, quiet footpaths and local eateries has made her a fount of knowledge as she entertains readers with her informative articles on the hidden gems of Devon & Cornwall from a local point-of-view.