Comedy at the Taproom Showcase 2023

Reading’s first-ever independent comedy festival will take place between Friday 19 May and Sunday 21 May 2023. Tickets £15 or attend for free with your Reading Comedy Festival Pass.

The Comedy at the Taproom Showcase 2023, the biggest event of the festival, takes place at Double-Barrelled Brewery on Saturday 20 May between 7:30pm – 9:30pm.

Headlining the show is Zoe Lyons with support from Sara Baron.

The Comedy at the Taproom Showcase 2023 will be followed by the Festival’s Offical Afterparty which will last until 12am.

Advance – £15.

Festival Pass – £30

Lineup is subject to change. Timings may change slightly as we finalise the festival schedule.

Please note you may need ID to get into Double-Barrelled Brewery.

Zoe Lyons

“Zoe Lyons has what it takes to delight any crowd” – THE GUARDIAN

Host of BBC2’s Lightning and Live at the Apollo, and guest co-host of Sunday Morning Live (BBC1) and The Frank Skinner radio show (Absolute Radio). A regular on Have I Got News for You (BBC1), QI (BBC2), and Mock the Week (BBC2).

TV also includes a special on Alopecia for Women’s Health (C5) and a feature on The One Show (BBC1), Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (BBC2), Stand Up and Deliver (C4), House of Games (BBC2), Funny Festival Live (BBC2), Guessable (Comedy Central), The Apprentice: You’re Fired (BBC2), Hypothetical (Dave), Between the Covers (BBC2), Celebrity Eggheads (BBC2), University Challenge The Graduates (BBC2), The Blame Game (BBC1 NI), The Dog Ate My Homework (CBBC), Dave Gorman’s Terms and Conditions Apply (Dave), Pointless Celebrities (BBC1), The One Show (BBC1), Room 101 (BBC2) Alan Davies As Yet Untitled (Dave) and the winner of Celebrity Mastermind (BBC1).

Sara Barron

Sara Barron is one of the fastest-rising comedians of her generation. Since her 2018 debut at the Edinburgh Fringe, she’s starred on shows including Live at the Apollo (BBC), Would I Lie to You? (BBC) and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order (BBC).

A powerhouse live act, Sara’s two stand-up hours, For Worse (2018) and Enemies Closer (2019) have sold out at both the Edinburgh Festival and at multiple runs in London’s Soho Theatre. She was nominated for ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards and at the Chortle Awards, as well as receiving rave reviews from publications including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Evening Standard and The Scotsman.

Sara’s further television credits include 8 Out of 10 Cats (C4), Hypothetical (DAVE), Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC), Alan Davies’ As Yet Untitled (DAVE), Roast Battle (Comedy Central) and Hello, America (Quibi). On radio, her credits include appearances on The News Quiz, The Now Show, and Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 and she co-created and co-hosts the hit Succession recap podcast Firecrotch and Normcore which has previously featured guests including Jesse Armstrong, Self-Esteem, Chris Addison and Lorraine Kelly.