Phil McIntyre Live proudly presents

BEN ELTON
AUTHENTIC STUPIDITY
UK & IRELAND TOUR 2024
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend on Sea
14th October 2024
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM BENELTON.LIVE

'Just give him a stage and a microphone and Ben Elton is the best. No contest'
The Sunday Times

‘Elton’s timing and phrasing remain impeccable, his structure is masterly’
Daily Telegraph

‘There is nothing, absolutely nothing, to beat Ben Elton live!’
Evening Standard

‘Vital, relevant and passionate’
The Scotsman

Following the huge success of Ben Elton’s critically acclaimed sold-out UK tour in 2019, which marked his return to stand up after a 15 year hiatus, the undisputed godfather of modern stand-up is going back on the road with a brand new live show – Authentic Stupidity. Taking in 54 dates across the UK & Ireland, the tour opens at York Barbican on 1 September and culminates in London’s West End on 18 November.

The world has changed a lot since Ben last toured five years ago - a whole new existential threat has emerged to challenge our very existence: Artificial Intelligence. Apparently, it’s going to render all human life meaningless, but Ben is here to warn you that AI is not the greatest threat that we face; it’s Authentic Stupidity! 

Ben said: “The verdict’s in! Humanity is thick! Homo halfwit. The idiot branch of the Ape family! We need signs to tell us to step off escalators, we elect gibbering fools to lead us and now we’ve invented Artificial Intelligence which is actually going to replace us! I’ve spent 45 years in comedy exploring the outer limits of human idiocy and my mission has never been more timely. Forget AI! It’s AS we need to be worrying about!” 

Authentic Stupidity will travel all over the UK & Ireland visiting York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Warrington, Nottingham, Birmingham, Sheffield, Cambridge, Bristol, Milton Keynes, High Wycombe, Bedford, Colchester, Hayes, St Albans, Basingstoke, Guildford, Leeds, Swindon, Cardiff, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Stevenage, Ipswich, Canterbury, Aylesbury, Salford, Oxford, Folkestone, Woking, Southend, Tunbridge Wells, Poole, Portsmouth, Hastings, Weston-Super-Mare, Barnstaple, Yeovil, Torquay, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Leicester, Northampton, Worthing, Crawley, Weymouth, Brighton, Lincoln, Chatham, Dorking and London’s West End.
Ben Elton’s multi-award-winning career spans over four decades and includes seminal and groundbreaking television shows (The Young Ones, Blackadder, Upstart Crow), West End plays (Popcorn, Upstart Crow), West End musicals (We Will Rock You, The Beautiful Game, Close up: The Twiggy Musical), best-selling novels (Stark, Dead Famous, Two Brothers) and feature films (Maybe Baby, Three Summers, All is True). In October last year, Ben returned to Channel 4 for a one-off revival of Friday Night Live to rave reviews. The reincarnation of the original smash-hit Saturday Night Live was critically acclaimed and Ben won the BAFTA for Comedy Entertainment Programme 2023. Channel 4 will also broadcast a special recording of Ben’s last stand-up tour - ‘Ben Elton Live’ which will TX on 15 December, to coincide with tickets going on sale for Authentic Stupidity.

Ben Elton – ‘Authentic Stupidity’ UK & Ireland Tour 2024

1 September
York, Barbican

2 September
Newcastle, Tyne Theatre and Opera House

3 September
Edinburgh, Queen’s Hall

4 September
Glasgow, Pavilion Theatre

5 September
Aberdeen, Music Hall

7 September
Warrington, Parr Hall

8 September
Nottingham, Theatre Royal

9 September
Birmingham, Symphony Hall

10 September
Sheffield, City Hall

11 September
Cambridge, Corn Exchange

12 September
Bristol, Beacon

15 September
Milton Keynes Theatre

16 September
High Wycombe, Swan Theatre

17 September
Bedford, Corn Exchange

19 September
Colchester, Charter Hall

20 September
Hayes, Beck Theatre

21 September
St Albans, Alban Arena

22 September
Basingstoke, Anvil Theatre

23 September
Guildford, G Live

27 September
Leeds, Playhouse

28 September
Swindon, Wyvern Theatre

29 September
Cardiff, New Theatre

2 October
Wolverhampton, Grand Theatre

3 October
Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre

4 October
Stevenage, Gordon Craig Theatre

5 October
Ipswich, Corn Exchange

6 October
Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre

7 October
Aylesbury, Waterside Theatre

10 October
Salford, The Lowry

11 October
Oxford, New Theatre

12 October
Folkestone, Leas Cliff Hall

13 October
Woking, New Victoria Theatre

14 October
Southend, Cliffs Pavilion

15 October
Tunbridge Wells, Assembly Hall

19 October
Poole, Lighthouse

20 October
Portsmouth, Guildhall

21 October
Hastings, White Rock Theatre

24 October
Weston-Super-Mare, Playhouse

25 October
Barnstaple, Queen’s Theatre

26 October
Yeovil, Octagon Theatre

27 October
Torquay, Princess Theatre

31 October
Belfast, Ulster Hall

1 November
Dublin, 3Olympia Theatre

3 November
Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall

4 November
Leicester, De Montfort Hall

6 November
Northampton, Royal and Derngate

7 November
Worthing, Assembly Halls

8 November
Crawley, Hawth Theatre

9 November
Weymouth, Pavilion Theatre

11 November
Brighton, Theatre Royal

14 November
Lincoln, Engine Shed

15 November
Chatham, Central Theatre

16 November
Dorking Halls

18 November
London, Lyceum Theatre

Listings Information

Website: Benelton.live