Art Laughs: Art-Themed Comedy Night

About the evening

Come take a pew as Verity Babbs is joined by award-winning comedians Bebe Cave, Mary O'Connell, and Rosalie Minnitt for an evening of stand-up routines inspired by paintings in the Leighton House collection.

Art Laughs was founded by art historian and comedian Verity Babbs ('30 Under 30' BBC HistoryExtra) and has performed to packed-out audiences at the National Gallery, Christie's, Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Royal Museums Greenwich .... and to 3 people in a BrewDog at the Edinburgh Fringe. Bringing stand-up, improv, guided tours, quizzes & panel talks to art galleries, museums, fairs, and auction houses, Art Laughs encourages us to take art a little less seriously. 

Book tickets

Useful information:

• Doors open at 6:30pm for the chance to explore the historic house and our current exhibition.
• Comedy Night performance in Leighton's studio runs from 7pm-8:00pm.
• Doors close at 8.30pm.
• With paid bar and museum shop open throughout the evening.

Watch Verity Babbs' in our Voices of Leighton House series

Aestheticism and the Pre-Raphaelites

Leighton and his Muse
 

Meet the comedy panel

Verity Babbs is an art historian, comedian, and author of Bloomsbury's The History of Art in One Sentence: 500 Years of Art (but funny). She has appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC World News, and BBC 2 as an arts expert, as well as on several hit podcasts including Lateral, The Harry Hill Show, and After Dark. @veritybabbsart

Bebe Cave is an acclaimed English actress and character comedian. She gained early recognition acting alongside Helen Mirren in The Audience and starring in Tale of Tales. Now a rising star on the comedy circuit, she creates acclaimed solo shows like Christbride and Swoon at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and was named 'one of the most exciting young voices in British comedy' by the New Statesman. @bebecave

Mary O’Connell is an award-winning silly billy, comedian and writer. Her critically acclaimed debut solo hour Money Princess was named ‘Top 15 Must-See Comedy Shows 2023’ by Rolling Stone, ‘Top 12 Rising Stars’ by Evening Standard. ‘A truly talented storyteller’ ★★★★ Fest ‘One of the most relatable shows of the Fringe’ ★★★★ Telegraph. @marywiththegoldshoes

Rosalie Minnitt is an award-winning comedy writer and performer. She has written for BBC Education, Radio 4 and CBBC. Her character show, Clementine, debuted in 2023 and transferred to Soho Theatre for three sold-out runs, followed by a sold out UK tour, and was developed into a special for BBC Radio 4. Winner of the Funny Women Comedy Shorts Award and the Chorts Judges Award, she has appeared in the new Alan Partridge and co-wrote Literally! an original sketch series for BBC Education. @rosalieminnitt

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