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Darlington, November 24th 2022
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Hilarity Bites presents Reginald D. Hunter, Ivan Brackenbury, Nina Gilligan & Host Brennan Reece
Show details:

Reginald D. Hunter
Since his first UK comedy gig twenty-one years ago Georgia-born Reginald D Hunter’s searingly honest observations both onstage and on TV and Radio have garnered him a cross-generational fan base.
During that time he has become one of the comedy industry’s best-known performers for his distinctive take on the most diverse range of subjects. His work can be brutally honest and is often considered to be controversial but it is always meticulously thought out and he has never been afraid to face challenging issues head on even when the focus is on his own principles or beliefs.
He reached the final of So You Think You Are Funny in 1998 during his first visit to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and was nominated for The Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer in 2002 for his debut full-length show I Am What I Am. He was then nominated for The Edinburgh Comedy Awards main prize in 2003 for White Woman and 2004 for A Mystery Wrapped In A Nigga.
In 2006 he won the Writers’ Guild Award for Comedy for his show Pride and Prejudice and Niggas.
His TV appearances have included Never Mind The Buzzcocks, QI and Have I Got News For You? He also filmed two series of the BBC2’s hugely popular Reginald D Hunter’s Songs Of The South & Reginald D Hunter’s Songs of The Border, documenting Reginald’s epic road trip through 150 years of American popular song.
Reginald regularly tours the UK and Ireland and he has been seen by audiences around the world from America to Australia.
His highly popular debut DVD – Reginald D Hunter Live – was one of the top sellers in the DVD comedy charts as was his follow up DVD – Reginald D Hunter: In The Midst of Crackers.
“Hunter is a gifted story teller... he has the audience in the palm of his hand with his surprisingly gentle tone and clever turn of phrase” - ★★★★ - Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
“A cerebral comedian with every performative grace in his back pocket” - ★★★★★ - Voice Magazine
“It is rare for comedy to be so resonant and moving” - ★★★★ - The730Review

Ivan Brackenbury
Top Ten Fosters Comedy God Awards
Best Established Comedian Nomination Adelaide Fringe 2010
Chortle Top 50 Most Memorable Gigs of the Decade 2000-2010
Edinburgh Comedy Award Nominee 2007
Cat's Does Countdown favourite Ivan Brackenbury's fantastic 'Hospital Radio Roadshow', complete with inappropriate records and bungled cues, is a regular fixture on the live circuit. A daft, inept yet adorable radio DJ takes you on a hilarious broadcasting journey. This is a unique, wonderfully brilliant show, guaranteed to make you cry with laughter.
Ivan captures the fun and excitement you'd expect from being in hospital, with games, giveaways, patients requests and his special blend of music and chat. An absolute must-see.
“For simple laugh-'til you ache humour, Ivan Brackenbury is the hit of the Fringe” - Evening Standard
“Laughs per minute the funniest show at the Fringe” - Time Out
“The whole room was in hysterics from the word go, endorphin-filled laughter indeed proving the best medicine. Brackenbury is absolutely utterly hilarious - I can’t recommend this enough. Go see it” - The Age

Nina Gilligan
Chortle Best Club Comic 2023 - Winner
North West Comedian of the Year 2023 - Winner
Leicester Mercury Award 2021 - Winner
Liverpool Hot Water Comedian of the Year 2021 - Winner
English Comedian of the Year - Finalist
Nina Gilligan is sometimes outrageous, always hilarious with a charming, loveable persona which belies an acerbic wit. Equally at home in clubs as art centre’s, Nina is performing at gigs of all sizes up and down the country.
2021 saw her crowned as the winner of the prestigious Leicester Mercury Award after also winning Liverpool Hot Water Comedian of the Year and being a finalist in English Comedian of The Year in previous year’s.
Recent work includes a sell-out show ‘Late Developer’ at Leicester Comedy Festival which transferred to The Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, whilst recent tour support includes Jason Manford, Clinton Baptiste and Rachel Fairburn.
“A bolshier Mrs Merton she’s not one to suffer fools lightly so watch out for a razor-sharp wit used at will” - The Skinny
“A hidden gem of the circuit” - Kiri Pritchard-McLean
“Naturally funny” - John Thomson (Cold Feet)

Brennan Reece
Best Newcomer (nominee), Edinburgh Comedy Festival 2016
English Comedian of the Year 2015
Best Show (nominee), Fringe World Australia
As seen on Live At The Apollo (BBC), Celeb Coach Trip (E4), and Roast Battle (Comedy Central), and supporting Joe Lycett on his 2022 UK Arena tour.
Brennan is a multi award winning working class wordsmith (Edinburgh Best Newcomer Nominee and English Comedian Of The Year Winner). A stand-up, a storyteller, and self confessed mummy’s boy, his boyish cheeks recently cropped up on Survival Of The Fittest (ITV), The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV) Live At The Comedy Store (Comedy Central) and racking up over 6 million YouTube hits for his stint on Top Gear (BBC).
A true Northern voice, with family close to his heart. Your Mum is going to love him! Not like that, you dirty little perve.
“A powerfully entertaining, unstoppable force” - Chortle
“A teenage Alan Bennett” - The Skinny
“Beautiful, raucous and touching” - The Independent
“Absolutely incredible” - Phoebe Waller Bridge
Note: Line-ups are subject to change in extreme, and unavoidable, circumstances.
Show may contain strong language and adult themes.
Timings
Doors open: 6:30pm
Show starts: 7:30pm
Buy tickets:
Tickets for this show can be bought online at www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk, in person from the Darlington Hippodrome box office in the Cornmill Centre, or telephone 01325 405405.
Tickets for this show are £15 each, with doors opening at 7pm and the show starting at 7:30pm.