Rhod Gilbert has announced new live dates this summer after undergoing treatment for cancer. The much loved Welsh comedian is making a return to the stage as part of the Edinburgh Festival in August 2023 with a short run of "work in progress" shows where he will test out new material.
The 54-year-old from Carmarthen announced in Juy 2022 that he was receiving treatment at Velindre Cancer Hospital Centre in Cardiff, for which he is a patron. The comedian was forced to cancel his latest stand up tour Book of John due to persistent neck and throat pain which was later diagnosed as cancer.
Last year he explained to the BBC how he first discovered the cancer. He said: "I had a terribly sore throat, tightness through my neck. I was having to cancel shows because I couldn't breathe. I was having all sorts of problems and we couldn't get to the bottom of it."
Read more: Rhod Gilbert reveals cancer sees him spending 'whole weeks' in bed
He added that his symptoms became worse when he was in Cuba, while he was fundraising for Velindre. He said: "In May, I noticed lumps started popping up in places they shouldn't be. It turns out I've got Stage 4 cancer. I also caught Covid on that walk as well. I came home with cancer and Covid from a Velindre fundraising trek... the irony of that! I went as a Velindre patron and came home as a patient."
Last December, in an interview with the Guardian, he said the treatment for cancer sees him spending weeks at a time in bed. You can read more details about that here.
In the same interview, he detailed how he was living with his diagnosis and how it was informing parts of his new material. He said: "As I got older, I started to feel – and maybe this is a bit wanky – that I’ve got a bit of a platform here. And I should be doing more with it than just talking about toothbrushes." He also added “I have definitely become somebody who wants to be really open and talk about stuff, and who sees the value in talking.
Speaking of the future, he said that while "the cancer is on my mind 24/7", when he can he is writing new material based on his experiences. “All my work has gone. My social life has gone. Everything has gone. Everything. It’s just me and this bloody cancer, really," he told the newspaper. “Having them is something to look forward to, really. But I’m making things sound very gloomy, and they’re not.” He continued, "I feel fine, weirdly. I’m happy, optimistic and hopeful that next year it’ll all come good.”
His new gigs will take place on 21-23 and 25-27 August, 8.45pm at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh and tickets can be found here.
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