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Sporting stories before bedtime at The Criterion

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Time 22:30
Date 10/08/12
Price £15

Starring Brian Blessed, Stephen Fry and Eddie Izzard.Kind of like your dream dinner party.

Stories Before Bedtime is a series of late-night readings designed to champion the love of reading and stories and to transport the audience back to when being read aloud to before bedtime was a fundamental part of one's daily life. Come and listen to classic short stories come to life in the mouths of some of this country's leading actors and actresses.

This Olympics-themed special brings you some of literature's funniest and most iconic sporting tales, read by a selection of Britain's most-loved actors.

Brian Blessed reads an extract from WE Bowman’s mountaineering exploits in The Ascent of Rum Doodle Brian Blessed is one of this country’s best known and most highly respected actors. Blessed climbed Mont Blanc at the age of seventeen and he has remained an active mountaineer throughout his life. He attempted to climb Mount Everest on three separate occasions, but never reached the summit. During his attempt on his birthday on 9th October in 1993, the then 57 year old became the oldest man to reach 28400 feet without oxygen, which was a world record……the height record was broken by Sir Ranulph Fiennes in 2009 but he used oxygen. Blessed has successfully climbed Aconcagua in Argentina as well as Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. He also holds the record for being the oldest man to trek on foot to the magnetic North Pole, and has undertaken an expedition deep into the jungles of Venezuela.

Stephen Fry reads Clicking of Cuthbert by PG Wodehouse Stephen Fry is a celebrated author, as well as being an accomplished actor, presenter, and director. His work includes best-selling novels, an autobiography, as well as a book on poetry form, The Ode Less Travelled. He is well known amongst a younger generation as the reader of the audio book versions J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels.

Eddie Izzard reads an extract from Tim Moore's French Revolutions.

Award-winning stand-up comedian and actor Eddie Izzard completed 43 marathons in 51 days for Comic Relief for which received a special award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2009 for his achievements.

.............................................................................................................. COMPETITION: Win 1x Pair of tickets to attend Sporting Stories 10th August. To enter the competition, send an email to Katie at katie@run-riot.com with the correct answer in the ‘subject’ box. The winner will be randomly selected.

Q: Stephen Fry presents which TV show?

A: 1)Mock the week 2)QI 3)Have I got news for you?