Names added to Latitude Festival 2015 arts line up

From the comedy gold of Russell Kane, to the writings of Kate Mosse, Latitude have shocked us with even more acts and artists who are limbering up for the four day bonanza.

The line-up features numerous names from the comedic world including Andrew Maxwell, Russell Kane, Jason Byrne and Mark Steel. All names of which you may have heard of from shows like Live at the Apollo or BBC One’s Have I Got News For You.

Returning for another year to the Comedy Arena is stand up comedian Joel Dommett who’s featured on BBC Three’s hit comedy show, Impractical Jokers. Here is a short backstage video from Latitude 2014 featuring comedians Joel Dommett, Joe Lycett and Josh Widdicombe with wine tasting and banter.

One of the hottest young comedians and presenters on the circuit is British comedian, Tom Deacon who will be performing in the comedy arena this year.

Performing live stand-up for the past six years you may recognise him from his TV, Radio and online shows on channels such as BBC Two, Radio 1 and from his football Eurofan YouTube channel, Copa90.

Deacon is not a comedian to be missed, along with a great style of performance, Latitude promise that he’s what contemporary comedy has been crying out for – a real person on stage.

Of course Latitude wouldn’t leave the comedy all to men so if you don’t like football talk and male comedy then Joanna Griffin has joined the bill for this year’s festival with her semi-autobiographical one woman show – Clown Slut.

With tales of nervousness of growing up and having to deal with the eventuality of adulthood, her light approach to societal taboo makes her accessible to all audiences.

But Joanna isn’t the only female presence gracing the comedy arena. This year Jenny Bede whose rise to fame came after she became a YouTube hit featuring, directing and writing in a series of topical parody music videos gaining over 2million views. A mixture of pop parody and brutal take downs of daily sexism.

Do you want to hear a melodic outline of the truth about mental health following tales of her mum secretly being the rapper Drake? Of course you do – and that’s what Jenny will give you.

Along with Bede, BAFTA nominated ‘Big Babies’ star Spencer Jones will be joining the star studded line up with his funny, foolish and something else style.

Literary Arena

One of the UK’s leading multi-arts festivals, Latitude Literary Arena offers a whole host of literary heavyweights, top wordsmiths and up-and-coming talent.

Latitude has announced the esteemed playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker and novelist Hanif Kureshi who has authored novella including The Buddha of Suburbia and The Black Album. Audiences will get the rare opportunity to learn from a master of arts as Kureshi will be giving a talk on creative writing.

A king of crime fiction, Mark Billingham will also be appearing in collaboration with country band My Darling Clementine to present a new show: The Other Half – a story of love, loss and murder told in music and words.

Exploring Latitude’s 2015 theme For Richer for Poorer, For Better for Worse, bestselling author Kate Mosse whose collection includes literature such as Labyrinth and most lately The Taxidermist’s Daughter. Mosse will discuss Weddings in Literature: from Shakespeare to Game of Thrones with Dr John Mullan presented by the New Statesman.

Not only have Latitude lined up more than 20 acts for the literary arena, but they’ve included singer song writer Frank Turner who recently released The Road Beneath My Feet, an incredible diary of his tours who will be interviewed by journalist Ian Winwood about the publication ahead of the release of his sixth EP later on in the year.

Thrilled to announce I’m appearing at the Literary Arena @LatitudeFest, 16-19 July. http://t.co/ofTSZIAe1r

— Frank Turner (@frankturner) May 20, 2015

Poetry Arena

Joining a stellar line up in the Poetry Arena this year is Jaz Coleman presenting his antithesis of a conventional rock biography Letters from Cythera. Killing Joke singer and Classical Music legend Coleman writes his intensely personal memoirs through Killing Joke, Music and Mysticism.

Letters From Cythera was written between years 2007 – 2008 in the South Pacific and outlines how the occult sciences shaped Jaz Coleman’s philosophical outlook expounding on his preferred system for a personalized renaissance.

The Shed of Stories Arena will play host to a heady mix of bestselling authors, ground-breaking artists and important voices.

Bestselling fiction writer and literary critic Wendy Holden will talk about her new novel Wild & Free, a book based on a boho boutique festival held in the grounds of a West Country stately home.

There’s something for everyone at Latitude as they provide audiences with Ali Ray who is sure to get the audience’s taste buds going as she cooks up a storm from her new book Pitch Up, Eat Local which will be followed by a talk discussing the joys of eating and sourcing local food whilst travelling in the UK. 

Acclaimed artist Karrie Fransman hosts a graphic novel workshop around the release of her latest publication Death of the Artist, a love letter to the wonderful possibilities of visual storytelling and experiments with the very form of the novel.         

Also appearing in the shed with her new show, ‘As Funny As Cancer’ is talented actress and comedy performer Beth Vyse, whose previous show ‘Get Up with Hands’ was repeatedly named one of the best shows of the Edinburgh Fringe.

Time Out deemed Vyse: ‘insane, chaotic and stupidly funny…She’s a superb comic actress. Allow yourself to be swept away in her weirdness and you’ll have a blast’.

Vyse is back and this time it’s personal! A bodacious and ballsy look at her battle with breast cancer audiences will hear the tale of her Stoke-on-Trent family; The Waltons on Alcohol, her time with Nelson Mandela, acting and thieving at the Royal Shakespeare Company, settling down with Michael Jackson and finding cancer. And all before the age of 30!

Film and Music Arena

Concert goers and record holders will have heard him play with greats such as Van Morrison and Paul McCartney, and Latitude has announced that Geraint Watkins & The Mosquitos will be performing in the Film & Music Arena as part of Mark Lamarr’s God’s Jukebox this year.

Joining the arena is The Congo Faith Healers who are like nothing you will have heard or experienced before. The band combine down and dirty swamp infested gypsy blues with wild savage guitar playing, voodoo vocals, Latin American drum and trumpet grooves and tie it together with a rockabilly swing double bass. It’s sure to leave you singing for days.

Latitude hasn’t missed any detail and this year will be showing an exclusive preview of Eden before its general release. Largely an autobiographical film about the rise of the French electronic music scene in the 90s and written by Sven Love, the film shows scenes of house parties and has several portrayals of DJs such as Daft Punk’s Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter.

Visitors to The Faraway Forest will get the chance to engage directly with this year’s theme, For Richer For Poorer, For Better For Worse with design artists Morning, David Shillinglaw and Sam Wyer & Laura Drake- Chambers creating a special art installations over the course of the festival.

In The Little House situated in the Faraway Forest, A Curious Invitation present The Faerie Tale Ball, a grim faerie tale world of the creatures only whispered about after dark and a party that isn’t to be missed. Featuring promenade theatre, live music, interactive creatures, puppetry, art installations and more, the Faerie Tale Ball is a party exploring the darker side of fantasy.

In a bespoke mask, get lost in the woods and find your happily ever after…http://t.co/xd7HQ5r1Ep pic.twitter.com/7kEtM2ZqVj

— Latitude Festival (@LatitudeFest) May 15, 2015