Tuesday 13 August, 7.20pm at McEwan Hall, Underbelly Bristo Square
- So far, Underbelly has raised over £110,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity from these benefits alone, including nearly £20,000 at the last Fringe benefit in 2023.
- Dara Ó Briain, Milton Jones, Rose Matafeo, Angela Barnes, Ian Smith, Carl Donnelly, Kanan Gill, Amy Gledhill are confirmed to appear in this year’s show with more guests to be announced soon.
- The show was created by Underbelly in 2017 following the diagnosis of an aggressive and rare form of brain cancer called Ependymoma in Alfie Bartlam, the son of Underbelly’s co-founder Ed Bartlam. Alfie sadly died, aged 7, in August 2019.
- Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and adults under 40. They shorten life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the most of any cancer. Despite this, brain tumour research is more underfunded compared to many other cancers.
Underbelly has today (9th August) announced its much-anticipated line-up for the sixth annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit in the majestic McEwan Hall. 100% of the box office income is being donated directly to The Brain Tumour Charity, the world’s leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.
Starring in this year’s show will be:
- Irish comedy legend Dara Ó Briain
- King of the one-liners Milton Jones
- Kiwi Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner and tv actress Rose Matafeo
- UK tv star and stand up comedian Angela Barnes
- 2023 Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Show nominee and BBC Radio 4’s Ian Smith
- Indian comedy super star Kanan Gill
- Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Amy Gledhill
- And our MC will be Fringe favourite Carl Donnelly
All money raised via ticket sales and in donations on the night goes to The Brain Tumour Charity – a cause which is very close to Underbelly’s heart. Co-Founder of Underbelly, Ed Bartlam’s, son Alfie was just 4 years old when he was diagnosed with a form of aggressive brain cancer in 2016 and sadly died three days after the end of the Fringe in 2019.
Research into brain tumours is significantly underfunded in the UK compared to other cancers, despite being the leading cancer killer for those under 40. Each year, over 11,400 people in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour – meaning 31 families face the devastation of this diagnosis every day.
Ed Bartlam, Underbelly’s co-founder said: “I’m delighted that we are announcing another superb line up for Underbelly’s sixthBig Brain Tumour Benefit show at the Edinburgh Fringe.
“We have raised over £110,000 for The Brain Tumour Charity since our first show in 2017, and we cannot thank both the comedians and the audiences enough for their support so far.
“My wife and I are raising £1.5M for the charity to fund a specific paediatric brain tumour research and new treatment project based in Cambridge.
“We’re doing this through a range of fundraising events and this annual Fringe show is a vital part of that. Call me biased, but this show is an amazing evening of comedy for the very best of causes. So please buy a ticket!”
Hannah Bowler, Corporate Partnership Manager at The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We are thrilled that the Big Brain Tumour Benefit comedy gig is returning this year, for its sixth show, and we are incredibly grateful for our amazing partners, Underbelly, for their ongoing support in raising crucial funds for research and awareness of the devastating impact of brain tumours.
“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, The Brain Tumour Charity is committed to fighting brain tumours on all fronts.
“We can only work towards our goal of helping people with a brain tumour live longer and better lives with the support from people like Ed, Charlie and the truly incredible Underbelly team.”
To book tickets for Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit, please visit:
https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/underbellys-big-brain-tumour-benefit-2024
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