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Leek Arts Festival 2026 in association with Edge Street Live presents Nigel Planer in Young Once. Nigel Planer, beloved as Neil the hippy from The Young Ones and a founding figure of the 80s alternative comedy scene, brings his memoir Young Once to life in a warm, sharply funny live show of storytelling.
From the wild early days at The Comedy Store to the chaotic brilliance of The Comic Strip Presents, Filthy Rich & Catflap, and beyond - to West End musicals and hit pop records - Nigel will share a trove of outrageous tales of the backstage chaos that shaped a generation of comedy: from 20-foot-éclair-related injuries to gatecrashing raves with Robin Williams, Top of the Pops and Band Aid, to auditioning for a stony-faced Robert De Niro.
Alongside the laughs, he will reflect on the bittersweet moments behind the scenes - the friendships, fame and rivalries, and the winding path of a creative life.
Woven throughout the show is a moving, often mischievous account of the long, on-off-on-again love story between Nigel and his wife Roberta, and a life lived somewhere between the footlights and the fallout.
Full of dry wit, theatrical flair, and a knack for finding humour in both disaster and triumph, don’t miss the once-young Nigel as he offers a wildly entertaining and gloriously sideways glimpse into his quietly remarkable career, in a show that is part performance, part confession, and all heart.
Tickets are £19.50 + booking fee
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Foxlowe Arts Centre, Market Place Leek Staffordshire ST13 6AD,Leek, Stoke-On-Trent, United Kingdom
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