Happy Hour Q & A Online Interview with Tom Allen: Leicester Comedy Festival 2021, Online, 2021
Happy Hour Q & A Online Interview with Stewart Lee: Leicester Comedy Festival 2021, Online, 2021
Happy Hour Q & A Online Interview with Angela Barnes: Leicester Comedy Festival 2021, Online, 2021
Happy Hour Q & A Online Interview with Ed Byrne: Leicester Comedy Festival 2021, Online, 2021
Happy Hour Q & A Online Interview with Al Murray: Leicester Comedy Festival 2021, Online, 2021
Happy Hour Q & A Online Interview with Iain Stirling: Leicester Comedy Festival 2021, Online, 2021
Leicester Comedy Festival 30th Anniversary Celebration: Leicester Comedy Festival 2023, Sue Townsend Theatre, Leicester, 2023
Geoff Rowe is the co-founder and developer of the Leicester Comedy Festival, which in 2023 celebrated 30 years. Billed as Europe’s biggest Comedy Festival, Rowe set up the annual event with fellow students in 1994 while studying Arts Management at Leicester’s De Montfort University. Taking place every February; in 2023, there was more than 800 performances.
Rowe was awarded a British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2013, recognising his contribution to British Comedy. He has interviewed many comedians over the years on stage at the Festival, and in 2021, amidst a national pandemic where a live festival could not take place, the next best thing was to interview a number of comedians online. I watched six of the Happy Hour Q & A Online Interviews in February 2021 with Rowe interviewing Tom Allen, Stewart Lee, Angela Barnes, Ed Byrne, Al Murray and Ian Stirling talking about their comedy careers.
In February 2023, after 30 years, it was announced that Rowe was to step down as founder of the Festival. I attended a special celebratory event that took place during the Festival at the Sue Townsend Theatre where comedian Arthur Smith interviewed Rowe about his amazing career. I want to wish Rowe all the very best in his future endeavours and thank him for thirty incredible years of the Leicester Comedy Festival.