The Book of John

Rhod Gilbert

Back on the road again

After a a six-year break from touring, Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert is back on the road in 2019 with a new show, The Book of John.

The tour kicks off on Saturday, 2 February, at the William Aston Hall in Wrexham and spans 52 venues over six months, with two nights at both London's Eventim Apollo and Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena.

But it's not as if Gilbert has been a stranger to UK audiences during his comedy hiatus, he's been a regular panelist on TV shows such as Have I Got News For You, 8 out of 10 Cats and Mock the Week, and also racked up eight series of Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience for BBC Wales. His blend of music, comedy, idle chat and banter can also be heard during his regular Saturday morning slot on Radio Wales.

But last year the comedian switched his regular panel show engagements to make a BBC documentary, Stand Up to Shyness, talking about his own experiences and hope of helping others faced with social anxiety.

Gilbert might hide it well, but he's an incredibly shy person, something that he has spoken about often in recent years.

Although he can stand up in front of 20,000 people and make them laugh for two hours, he has always found it virtually impossible to talk to people one to one. From childhood, it has been a life-limiting condition.

And Gilbert is certainly not alone in this, it is estimated that about half the population in the UK have some issues with shyness and social anxiety. For many it is a minor irritation, but for others it is a condition that can virtually destroy a life.

Due to his crippling shyness Gilbert even he finds it hard to go into a cafe to buy a coffee. In fact, his social anxiety has had a massive effect on his life and in his BBC documentary, which aired last year, he examines why and what can be done to improve this.

Talking to fellow comedian Greg Davies, other shy people and scientists, he comes up with a radical solution about how we can all stand up to shyness.

And now the multi-award-winning comedian is ready to get back in front of live audiences on his whopping 52-date tour that will occupy his time for six months.

"Frankly, I've been in no mood to get on stage... it'll all be a bit raw, personal and honest; no more lies, no more nonsense," Gilbert reveals, ahead of the tour. "There's enough of that in the world right now. Come along and see for yourselves."

For more information about Rhod Gilbert's The Book of John visit his website.

Rhod Gilbert Tour Dates 2019
Sat 2 Feb, William Aston Hall, Wrexham
Sun 3 Feb, Empire Theatre, Liverpool
Wed 27 Feb, St George's Hall, Bradford
Thu 28 Feb, King George's Hall, Blackburn
Fri 1 Mar, Victoria Theatre, Halifax
Sat 2 Mar, Pyramid & Parr Hall, Warrington
Sun 3 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stoke
Fri 8 Mar, Bonus Arena, Hull
Sat 9 March, Empire, Sunderland
Sun 24 Mar, The Olympia Theatre, Dublin
Wed 27 Mar, The Lowry, Salford
Thu 28 Mar, De Montfort Hall, Leicester
Fri 29 Mar, Royal Hall, Harrogate
Sat 30 Mar, City Hall, Newcastle
Sun 31 Mar, Grand Theatre, Leeds
Wed 3 Apr, Manchester Opera House
Thu 4 Apr, Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham
Fri 5 Apr, Sheffield City Hall
Sat 6 Apr, York Barbican
Sun 7 Apr, Middlesbrough Town Hall
Thu 11 Apr, Eventim Apollo, London
Sat 13 Apr, Eventim Apollo, London
Thu 25 Apr, Belfast Waterfront
Sat 27 Apr, G Live, Guildford
Sun 28 Apr, Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells
Wed 1 May, Venue Cymru, LLandudno
Thu 9 May, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Fri 10 May, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Sat 11 May, Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Sat 18 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Conventry
Sun 19 May, Derby Arena
Wed 22 May, Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
Thu 23 May, The Anvil, Basingstoke
Fri 24 May, Regent, Ipswich
Sat 25 May, New Theatre, Oxford
Tue 28 May, Princess Theatre, Torquay
Wed 29 May, Swan, High Wycombe
Fri 14 Jun, Brighton Dome
Sat 15 Jun, Bournemouth Pavilion
Sun 16 Jun, Guildhall, Portsmouth
Wed 19 Jun, Swansea Grand Theatre
Thu 20 Jun, Swansea Grand Theatre
Sat 22 Jun, Aberdeen Music Hall
Sun 23 Jun, King's Theatre, Glasgow
Mon 24 Jun, The Alhambra, Dunfermline
Thu 27 Jun, Hippodrome Theatre, Bristol
Fri 28 Jun, Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Sat 29 Jun, The Hexagon, Reading
Sun 30 Jun, Royal & Derngate, Northampton
Fri 19 Jul, Blackpool Opera House
Thu 25 Jul, Cheltenham Town Hall
Fri 26 Jul, The Dome, Doncaster
Sun 28 Jul, New Victoria Theatre, Woking