‘TILTING AT WINDMILLS’
TASKMASTER STAR AND DOUBLE EDINBURGH COMEDY AWARD WINNER JOHN KEARNS PLAYS THE PALACE THEATRE
Wed 12 April 2026
Palace Theatre, Southend
Booking: palacetheatresouthend.org.uk or 0343 310 0030
“hilarious… unlike-anyone-else”
Brian Logan, The Guardian ★★★★★
TASKMASTER STAR AND DOUBLE EDINBURGH COMEDY AWARD WINNER JOHN KEARNS PLAYS THE PALACE THEATRE
Wed 12 April 2026
Palace Theatre, Southend
Booking: palacetheatresouthend.org.uk or 0343 310 0030
“hilarious… unlike-anyone-else”
Brian Logan, The Guardian ★★★★★
Winner of Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show and Best Newcomer and Taskmaster breakout star, John Kearns (Live at the Apollo, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Guessable) brings his brand-new tour to Southend in April. Titled Tilting at Windmills, the show is at the Palace Theatre on Wednesday 29 April.
Directed by Olivier winner Jon Brittain (Baby Reindeer, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho), Tilting at Windmills is a fragmented, digressing portrayal of a 38-year-old man’s life, alluding to books he hasn't read, touching on the modern condition. Plus VAT! More allusive and bleak as ever, it is unreal the comedian you become. And for who? Decent craic with the right crowd. A show for those who have read about but not committed to the Guinness Nitrosurge.
Twelve years on since he first debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe, John is still the only comedian to have ever won both the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show (Shtick) and Best Newcomer (Sight Gags for Perverts) in the awards forty-five-year history. An internationally acclaimed live act, he has delivered his “richly, idiosyncratic comedy” (The Guardian) across the world, notably picking up three Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award nominations along the way. Over the past year, John teamed up with fellow Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Adam Riches to become one of music’s most bangable duos in Ball & Boe, imagining themselves as the nation’s favourite power balladeers, crooning and clowning their way through a set both affectionate tribute and gleeful parody.
On television, John was a breakout star of series 14 of Taskmaster (Channel 4) and the co-host of Guessable (Comedy Central) with Sara Pascoe and team captain Alan Davies. He played the lead in cult hit Top Coppers (BBC Three) and has also appeared on shows including Live at the Apollo (BBC), 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4), Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Sky) and Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC).
“John Kearns has restored my faith in comedy”
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard ★★★★★
“comedy as ridiculous as it is profound… unexpectedly moving”
John Bailey, The Age ★★★★★
John Kearns – Tilting At Windmills
Wed 12 April 2026
Palace Theatre, Southend
Booking: palacetheatresouthend.org.uk or 0343 310 0030
Directed by Olivier winner Jon Brittain (Baby Reindeer, Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho), Tilting at Windmills is a fragmented, digressing portrayal of a 38-year-old man’s life, alluding to books he hasn't read, touching on the modern condition. Plus VAT! More allusive and bleak as ever, it is unreal the comedian you become. And for who? Decent craic with the right crowd. A show for those who have read about but not committed to the Guinness Nitrosurge.
Twelve years on since he first debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe, John is still the only comedian to have ever won both the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show (Shtick) and Best Newcomer (Sight Gags for Perverts) in the awards forty-five-year history. An internationally acclaimed live act, he has delivered his “richly, idiosyncratic comedy” (The Guardian) across the world, notably picking up three Melbourne International Comedy Festival Award nominations along the way. Over the past year, John teamed up with fellow Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Adam Riches to become one of music’s most bangable duos in Ball & Boe, imagining themselves as the nation’s favourite power balladeers, crooning and clowning their way through a set both affectionate tribute and gleeful parody.
On television, John was a breakout star of series 14 of Taskmaster (Channel 4) and the co-host of Guessable (Comedy Central) with Sara Pascoe and team captain Alan Davies. He played the lead in cult hit Top Coppers (BBC Three) and has also appeared on shows including Live at the Apollo (BBC), 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (Channel 4), Never Mind the Buzzcocks (Sky) and Richard Osman’s House of Games (BBC).
“John Kearns has restored my faith in comedy”
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard ★★★★★
“comedy as ridiculous as it is profound… unexpectedly moving”
John Bailey, The Age ★★★★★
John Kearns – Tilting At Windmills
Wed 12 April 2026
Palace Theatre, Southend
Booking: palacetheatresouthend.org.uk or 0343 310 0030