Late Night Comedy

Please note this page lists our comedians from Wickham Festival 2025. When this message is removed it will be accurate for our 2026 event.

We’re delighted to say that our late night comedy is planned to return for Wickham Festival this summer from Thursday through to Saturday. The comedy will start after music on the main stages finishes at 23.00. There’s also late-night storytelling and other entertainment until the arena closes at 01.00.

Thursday:

MIKE COX (MC) will be hosting all nights (Thursday, Friday, & Saturday)

Mike has been performing comedy since 2011 and quickly made his mark on the comedy scene with his sharp witted observational style which saw him crowned South Coast Comedian of the Year in 2014 as well as making the final of the prestigious Amused Moose Laugh Off in 2016.

“Like an Everyman, if that Everyman had delicious cynicism and razor sharp wit.”
– Romesh Ranganathan

“Mike has the sharpness of any highbrow comic, but with the wealth of material to appeal to the Everyman with ease. A refreshing and hilarious act to watch and work with.”
– Dane Baptiste

“If Rob Beckett is the new Micky Flanagan then Cox could be the new Rob Beckett”
– Bruce Dessau

“Mike’s set was packed with relatable observational content that the audience enjoyed from start to finish. The delivery was spot on.”
– The Stand, Newcastle

TOM DEACON

Since winning the Chortle Student Comedy Award in 2007, Deacon has hosted his own BBC Radio 1 show, done some telly (The Rob Brydon Show, Fake Reaction, Dave’s One Night Stand), and followed The Champions League around the world as The Eurofan – notching up over one million views on YouTube. A slick, upbeat, confident and loveable performer.

RAYMOND AND MR TIMPKINS

Lightning fast choreography meets uber swift editing in a fantasmagorical collision of quality entertainment. An overload of velvet, sandals and multi-hued wool provides a startling accompaniment, the whole effect being that of a slim man and a fat man putting their bums in your face.

Headlining at venues from the Falklands to Ashby De La Zouch, they’ve circumnavigated the planet, spurting amusement in concentrated twenty minute bursts but now an hour show is gestating, due to arrive bloody and screaming at some point, if not slightly before.

If you like music and let’s face it, who doesn’t, you’ll like it. If you like silliness, middle aged men dancing and unsavoury acts, you’ll probably love it.

You should try it either way. See you there.

Friday:

BEN VAN DER VELDE

Ben Van der Velde is a stand-up comedian, actor, improviser and presenter.

Over the past decade he has spread joy and nonsense to all four corners of the British Isles, as well as Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Norway.

He is a regular host and act for respected British comedy clubs such as The Comedy Store, Komedia, The Glee, Headliners, Up the Creek, The Stand, Just the Tonic, Top Secret Comedy, Outside the Box and Comedy Club 4 Kids, as well as hosting stages for Bestival, Festival No.6, End of the Road and Sunday Papers Live.

JUSTIN PANKS

Justin is regularly seen at Avalon, Fuzzy Bear, Off The Kerb, Backyard Comedy Club, Top Secret, Covent Garden Comedy Club, Toby Foster’s Last Laugh Comedy Club, The Secret Comedy Club Brighton, The Comedy Cellar Bracknell, Jongleurs, LOL Comedy Clubs, Rangatainment, The Comedy Club, RBM Comedy, Daves Comedy Clubs, Comedy Lounge Hull, Laughter Craft Comedy & House of Stand-Up.

Professional stand up comedian Justin Panks has many a time been given the title “the comedian’s comedian”. Justin prides himself on being able to adapt to any room, be it rowdy and crowded, intimate comedy clubs or large theatres which is the byproduct of over a decade of experience on stage.

Saturday:

MARY BOURKE

Before Mary Bourke became a stand up comedian, she was a burlesque dancer and choreographer in San Francisco.

Born in Dublin during a cross-fire hurricane, she now lives in leafy Buckinghamshire with a large collection of Betty Page memorabilia.

A regular at major comedy clubs across the UK, Mary has been featured at London’s free speech comedy club, ‘Comedy Unleashed’.

STEVE DAY

Steve Day describes himself as Britains only deaf comedian, if there are any others he hasn’t heard.

For the past twenty years Steve has been performing to huge laughter around the country and abroad, well they tell him the laughter was huge to humour him, he doesn’t know either way.

Steve has been described as ‘warm and witty’ by the Scotsman and Revelatory and very funny by The Guardian. From 2011 onwards Steve has been the main support on Gary Delaney’s mammoth UK tours.