Richard Ayoade: Afterthoughts

Part of Harrogate Comedy Festival 2026 – proudly sponsored by Vet Dentist

Join BAFTA-winning actor, comedian, director and writer Richard Ayoade for an evening of reflections as he shares insights from his latest book, Afterthoughts or Some Pistachios Won’t Open: Wisdom for the Unreflective. 

Partially recognisable for being in The IT Crowd, his acclaimed films Submarine and The Double, he has also hosted TV landfill like Travel Man and The Crystal Maze, and lent his nasal voice to The Boxtrolls, Early Man, Soul and The Bad Guys.

But you may well know him best for his role as ‘photographer’ in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers in which he delivered the iconic line: ‘Please, Mr Sellers, can I get a shot of you and your mum?’

Now, in the midst of some self-inflicted financial difficulty, he turns to the stage, inviting you to explore over 500 of his colossal notions. Thoughts like…

Where’s the box to tick if you ARE a robot?

If, when one door shuts, another door opens, there’s something wrong with your doors. They shouldn’t be doing that.

TV detectives need a gimmick. Mine would be not caring who did it.

Afterthoughts goes beyond rumination, past pondering, probing further than ever before. Drawing from a deeply private pool of questions – a reservoir so refreshing you may never need to think again.