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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Entertainment
Mark Taylor

TV game show legend Chris Tarrant added to line-up for Bristol's Slapstick Festival

TV legend Chris Tarrant will reunite with former stars of the classic show Tiswas at a Bristol comedy festival.

The former host of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? will be joined by fellow stars Bob Carolgees, John Gorman and Sally James to mark the 40th anniversary of the show ending its nine-year run.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Tiswas show was one of the most watched Saturday morning programmes and boosted the careers of Lenny Henry, Jasper Carrot and former Dr Who Sylvester McCoy.

READ MORE: Oscar-winning actor coming to Bristol theatre this week

The anarchic show was famous for splattering in-studio fans with custard pies and buckets of water.

Big name guests to appear on the show included rock stars like Robert Plant, Iron Maiden and The Pretenders.

Tarrant and his fellow Tiswas stars will reunite for the Slapstick festival in Bristol, celebrating silent and classic screen comedy.

They will share the stage of St George’s Bristol and talk about the show with Andrew Kelly, Director of Bristol Ideas.

Andrew Kelly said: “This event is a dream come true. I recall with great fondness Saturday mornings when young when Tiswas was on. I don’t think I have ever laughed so much.

“I can’t wait to host the Bucketeers. I just hope the Phantom Flan Flinger isn’t around!”

Tiswas ran from 1974 to 1982 and Tarrant hosted 55 episodes. Billed as being for children, its weekly mix of cartoons, sketches, live music, celebrity guests and anarchic pranks made it equally popular with teenagers and adults.

The single The Bucket of Water Song, performed by Carolgees, Gorman, James and Tarrant (AKA The Four Bucketeers) reached the Top 30 and resulted in an appearance on Top of the Pops.

The evening at St George’s Bristol will conclude with the Tiswas team receiving Slapstick’s Comedy Legacy Medal, recognising comedy building on the work of the late great comics of the silent film era.

Anarchic TV show Tiswas was famous for its pranks, including throwing custard pies and buckets of water at the audience (ITV)

Tiswas: The Reunion is a co-production by Bristol Ideas and Slapstick and all profits from it will go to Children’s Hospice South West.

The show is one of more than 20 being staged by Slapstick this year. Others include its annual festival, running from January 26 to 30, and events with Barry Cryer, Andy Day, Lee Mack and Tim Vine at the Redgrave Theatre, Clifton, on Sunday 27 March.

Tickets for Tiswas: The Reunion on April 16 are now on sale here.

For details of all Slapstick events go to www.slapstick.org.uk.

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