Coronavirus: Jimmy Carr to host comedy gig in car boot field

Jimmy Carr is to perform in a field in rural Leicestershire this weekend to support a comedy chain that helped start his career.

The comedian will appear in front of hundreds of people as part of a series of gigs known as Laughter In A Field.

The shows, near Bottesford, have been organised by comedy club Just the Tonic.

It was forced to close due to the coronavirus outbreak which has led to financial difficulties.

Darrell Martin, owner and founder of Just the Tonic, said he had hired a field outside the Leicestershire village for the three stand-up performances on Saturday and Sunday nights.

"It is usually a car boot sale site," he said.

"The area is marked off in socially distanced areas to allow people to sit in their groups.

"We were thinking of doing an outdoor festival a while ago but it didn't pan out. This is a result of Covid, to be honest."

The event follows an appeal earlier in the year by Ricky Gervais, who called on people to support Just the Tonic, where he made his stand-up debut.

The Just the Tonic night started at the former Old Vic pub in Fletcher Gate, Nottingham, in 1994, and now has venues all over the UK.

Mr Martin said Carr had also worked for the chain "when he was very new".

"He once thanked me for booking him," he said.

Mr Martin said that while a few other outdoor comedy events had been held since lockdown, he believed the Bottesford events were among the biggest.

"We are expecting 470 to each gig," he said. "They will sell out. We are putting Bottesford on the comedy map."

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