Rosie Jones, Nish Kumar, Emmanuel Sonubi, Larry Dean and Felicity Ward have been announced for the eighth annual Big Brain Tumour Benefit held by Underbelly
Rhys James, Catherine Bohart and Justin Moorhouse are also on the bill – with more names to be announced.
Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit takes place on Wednesday 19 August, 7pm at McEwan Hall, Underbelly Bristo Square.
All box office income (less VAT and commissions) will be donated to Professor Richard Gilbertson’s Lab at The Cancer Research Centre in Cambridge, helping to fund new treatments for the most aggressive forms of brain tumours in children.
The show was created by Underbelly in 2017 following the diagnosis of an aggressive and rare form of brain cancer called Ependymoma in Alfie Bartlam, the son of Underbelly’s co-founder Ed Bartlam. Alfie died, aged seven, three days after the end of the festival in 2019.
Ed Bartlam, Underbelly’s co-founder said: “It’s always such a special moment for us to announce the line-up to Underbelly’s Big Brain Tumour Benefit. I’m incredibly grateful to the brilliant comedians and audiences for continuing to generously support this event.
“This year’s show marks the start of an incredibly exciting new fundraising drive for us, supporting the work of world-leading oncologist Professor Richard Gilbertson and his lab at the Cancer Research Centre in Cambridge. Underbelly and our wider Angel Child Fund will be fundraising for two new, groundbreaking projects that Professor Gilbertson and his team are working on to find cures for brain tumours in children. There is genuinely no better person for us (and you the audience!) to be supporting in this field and we’re thrilled to launch this partnership at the show this year.”
Brain tumours are the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in children and adults under 40. They shorten life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the most of any cancer. Despite this, brain tumour research is underfunded compared to many other cancers.
Underbelly’s Big Brain Benefit shows have to date raised over £200,000, contributing to over £800,000 raised by Underbelly and Ed & Lucinda Bartlam’s Angel Child Fund since its inception.
https://underbellyedinburgh.co.uk/event/underbellys-big-brain-tumour-benefit-26
