Bug Hotel opens Wednesday 14th October at the Bread & Roses Theatre (John Burns Room), inviting audiences to check in for two-nights of comedy. Learn more about what you can expect:
1: Why did you choose hotels and travel as the theme?
We’re tapping into a long tradition of blending comedy with travel in our stand-up show. If you think about the golden era of UK sitcoms, there are so many great examples with a hospitality setting, from Fawlty Towers to Alan Partridge. Also, how many classic comedies use road trips, coach trips and camping holidays in their plots? Fringe festivals are typically close to holiday season too, making travel and stopovers a relatable topic for audiences. Hopefully everyone can get on board with the hotel premise really easily.
2: Is there an overall story connecting the five sets?
Each Bug Hotel show is different, as we combine five different stand-ups from our troupe of eleven comedians. We have a loose framing device, inasmuch as all the action happens in the lobby of the Bug Hotel, a low budget British hotel. Each comic is either playing the role of a staff member, an unsuspecting guest or visitor for their set. All the audience are hotel guests and they might even get involved too.
3: What’s the strangest thing you’ve found in a hotel room?
Can we offer two? First one, just a weird choice: a framed third place certificate on display for “Four in a Bed” the British reality show where four B&B’s compete Come Dine With Me style for a prize each episode. So, this was not quite the worst rated place to stay… but pretty close.
Second one: A spud gun. This odd find was at a hotel in Spain. The weapon in question had been abandoned by a previous guest, who presumably didn’t want to risk taking it on their flight home. No patatas bravas in sight.
4: Is there a particular performer you are most excited to see audience’s reactions too?
Aled Gomer is a Cardiff-based Lovebug and is joining us for one of our shows. Aled gives a characterful and exuberant performance as a Welsh Man of the Cloth. He’s been called to the hotel to deal with a delicate situation, which starts to unravel and cause him to question his faith. It’s a comic play within a comic play.
5: How did Lovebugs Comedy come together?
We all met in summer 2025 at the Bill Murray /Angel Comedy in Islington. We were on Dec Munro’s brilliant intensive stand-up course together. Lovebugs is a collective nickname Dec would use for students on his course, so we decided to honour that. We’re a mixed bag of actors, a clown, a games designer, with a sprinkling of corporate adventurers. Most of our group is London-based and carried on with stand-up after the course. While we all perform solo on the circuit, we come back together regularly with specially selected guests at our monthly Lovebugs showcase night at Hiver, Bermondsey.
We developed the Bug Hotel as a shorter flexible show that we can take on tour and to Fringes and festivals.
6: What has been the most enjoyable part about creating The Bug Hotel?
Both format and theme have been a complete joy to perform and write for.
It’s a very adaptable show and a great way to bring together five different acts or characters in new combinations, smashing them together with improv and some gentle crowdwork. There’s the loose connecting thread of hotels to riff off, and so many absurd stories and fish-out-of-water moments from travel to draw on.
Bug Hotel opens Wednesday 14th October at the Bread & Roses Theatre (John Burns Room). Many thanks to Kate Mcghee for answering our questions. Book your tickets here!
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