Take art a little less seriously this November as Art Laughs brings an evening of art-inspired stand-up comedy to Kensington’s historic Leighton House.
Founded by art historian, comedian, and presenter Verity Babbs (30 Under 30, BBC HistoryExtra), Art Laughs bridges the gap between high art and high laughs. Launched over five years ago after Babbs started stand-up alongside her Oxford History of Art degree, the format has brought stand-up, guided tours, improv, and panel talks to elite spaces like the National Gallery, Christie’s, and Royal Museums Greenwich. It also inspired her book, The History of Art in One Sentence: 500 Years of Art (but funny).
Set inside the colourful former studio-home of Victorian painter and sculptor Frederic, Lord Leighton, the evening offers audiences a chance to experience comedy routines directly inspired by the museum’s collection.
Host Verity Babbs (pictured above) will be joined by a powerhouse line up of award-winning comedians, including Funny Women Awards alumni Mary O’Connell and Rosalie Minnitt, alongside acclaimed character comic Bebe Cave.
Guests are invited to arrive early to explore the historic studio-home, currently celebrating 100 years as a public museum. Highlights of the collection include Leighton’s Aesthetic portraits, mythology scenes, works by Pre-Raphaelite contemporary John Everett Millais, and the gold-domed Arab Hall featuring 16th-century Syrian tiles.
Host Verity Babbs says: “I’m so excited to bring Art Laughs to Leighton House – while most of our Art Laughs gigs take place in collections with a huge variety of artworks by different artists, coming to Leighton’s home gives us the opportunity to really dive into his work and life. People sometimes ask me which artists lend themselves best to comedy and assume it would be the more out-there movements like the Surrealists or Dada, but actually what I find is that it’s the Victorians who take themselves very seriously – that’s where you’ll find the best hypocrisies, oddities, and controversies! The space is so beautiful and intimate and the line up is ludicrously good, so I can’t wait.”
Charlotte Villiers, Leighton House Learning and Public Programme Manager, adds: “We believe that museums can be playful and fun spaces, that Art History should be loud and lively and that Leighton House is as much exuberant and theatrical, as it is peaceful and reflective. What better place to host comedy and this incredible line up of funny women? Also, fair to say that the Victorians weren’t quite as poker faced as we sometimes think too.”
Art Laughs at Leighton House takes place this Thursday 12th November. For more information and to book tickets, head to the website.
