THE team who run Bristol’s annual Slapstick Festival are smiling, after Victoria Wood agreed to take over as host of the event’s biggest attraction and fund-raiser, the Slapstick Gala, at Colston Hall on Friday January 25.

Slapstick’s Gala is the centrepiece of a four-day festival programme, running from January 24-27 and expected to attract more than 5,000 visitors.

Other celebrity participants are Marcus Brigstocke, Tim Brooke- Taylor, Graeme Garden, Ronnie Golden, Instant Wit, Ian Lavender, Peter Lord, Bill Oddie, Nick Park, Lucy Porter, June Whitfield, Colin Sell and Matthew Sweet, while the featured on-screen stars will include Charlie Chaplin, Marion Davies, Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, The Goodies and Harold Lloyd. One strand is called Funny Ladies – a salute to early silent film The Gala’s advertised master of ceremonies, Dara O’Briain, had to pull out because of an unexpected clash with filming commitments in Africa for next year’s Comic Relief.

Slapstick director Chris Daniels said: “We were absolutely delighted when the very first person we approached, Victoria Wood, said she’d be delighted to step in to introduce our other celebrity guests, including Barry Cryer and Paul McGann, and our bill of classic comedy films which will be accompanied live by the Bristol Ensemble and European Silent Screen Virtuosi.”

Colston Hall is offering refunds to anyone who has already bought Gala tickets on the strength of Dara O’Briain’s involvement, but a box office spokesperson said: “We’ll be very surprised if many requests for refunds come in.” Gala tickets are £20 (£17, concessions) or £8.50 for under 12s, bookable at Colston Hall in person, on 0117 922 3686.