Will Adamsdale: Building Exeter's Comedy Scene From Pub To Festival

Perrier Award winner, actor, and the man behind Locally Sourced comedy night, Will Adamsdale traces the unlikely journey from a comedy emergency in a Sidwell Street cafe to founding Exeter's own annual comedy festival, now running around 90 shows across some of the city's most unexpected spaces.

Locally Sourced comedy night began in 2021 at Ebdon's cafe, born from a chance meeting with comedian Charlotte Evans. Since moving to the Little Drop of Poison on Fore Street, it has become a community, with returning faces, an alphabetical raffle, and a WhatsApp emergency group to keep things moving.

The festival grew in the same way: developed with Spencer Jones and Georgia Thomas, it has expanded from a single day at the Sidwell Street Bakehouse into a multi-day programme taking over bars, music shops, and established venues across Exeter. This year's festival runs from 3rd to 6th June.

Get Involved

• Exeter Comedy Festival website https://www.exetercomedyfestival.com/
• Locally Sourced on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/locallysourcedcomedy/
• Exeter Comedy Festival on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/exetercomedyfestival/

Locally Sourced runs every Tuesday from 7:30pm at the Little Drop of Poison, 154 Fore Street, Exeter. Free entry / pay what you can.

Exeter Comedy Festival 2026 Gala on 3 June, festival 4–6 June (plus family shows 7 June). Volunteer sign-up available via the website.