John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett - The Christmas Bash

On the road again in 2026 with their latest tour: ALIVE AND GIGGING!

John Otway and Wild Willy Barrett have been at it .... and each other.... for over 50 years. Hilarious …. totally outrageous …. superb musicianship: It's guaranteed you'll never see anything like it again. Totally unmissable!

On the road again with their ALIVE AND GIGGING tour, this magnetic bond still holds after more than 50 years of attempted escapes. Still loved for their total in-yer-face originality, the contrast between the deadpan humour of Barrett and mad onstage antics of Otway are hilarious to watch.

John’s lyrical genius is ably complimented by Willy’s outstanding musicianship (he seems to play almost every stringed instrument known to man, plus a few hybrids of his own making including the Bagpuss!) .

For any Otway/Barrett virgins out there who don’t know what to expect, be prepared for everything from bare-chested theremin playing to wah wah wheelie bin as the duo jump from one hit and 40 near misses to another: An amazing and irreverent performance by two master entertainers.

This show is unreserved reserved seating

All enquiries / disabled bookings directly through the Box Office on 07879 208141.

• Tuesday 8 December 2026 — the show starts at 8:00 PM.
• Colchester Arts Centre is in Colchester.
• New to gigs? What doors, curfews, age limits and presales mean.