Posted on 5 December 2019
Following his US Late-night debut on Conan, critically acclaimed comedian Garrett Millerick has announced that he is set to embark on his debut UK tour with his hit Edinburgh show Smile across 13 dates in 2020, including a week-long run at London’s Soho Theatre from 20th to 25th January. Check out the fantastic clip below, and click here for tour dates.
Posted on 29 October 2019
Introducing Environmental Economist and Stand-up Comedian Dr. Matt Winning: a hilarious and accomplished stand-up comedian, Matt Winning is the ideal speaker for any corporate event.
Dr. Matt Winning is a comedian unlike any other; a stand-up comic by night, by day he works as an environmental economist at the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources. Full of energy, quick humour and terrifying statistics, Matt’s Powerpoint based comedy sets both entertain and educate audiences, giving them a hilarious and shocking fast-paced look into the planet’s future if the human race doesn’t get its act together on climate change, along with tips about what we can do to make a difference.
What makes Matt unique is his suitability for both daytime an evening events; whether delivering an informative after-dinner performance or an amusing keynote climate change speaker, his topical comedy works in all sort of contexts and covers issues that every kind of company should be concerned with. He is also experienced at hosting awards ceremonies.
With many companies focusing on climate change and sustainability, it’s the ideal time to hire Matt Winning for your next after-dinner speaker, keynote speaker or corporate event comedian.
Check out his full profile here or get in touch to find out more.
TEDx Talk by Dr Matt Winning:
Posted on 17 September 2019
It’s not just Live gigs keeping Avalon and ARG artists busy at the moment, so here’s a round-up of where you can catch our clients’ latest appearances.
Chris Ramsey made his first appearance as a celebrity dancer on the new series of Strictly Come Dancing, starting on Saturday 7th September on BBC One – we’re all rooting for him!
Dave Gorman will return to UKTV with a brand-new show, Dave Gorman: Terms and Conditions Apply. Once again Dave will be bringing his trusty screen along but now, in each episode, he will also be joined by three comedy guests. They will cast their eye over his latest modern world discoveries, compete in mischievous games and generally try to unscramble the baffling morass of non-stop information that surrounds us in the internet age.
Greg Davies is the Taskmaster and returned to Dave on Wednesday 4th September for a glorious ninth series of the TV show that bears his grand title. In one hand he brandishes his sparkling golden face-trophy, in the other sits Little Alex Horne, his ever-popular personal secretary. This series, the pair are joined by fellow Avaloners David Baddiel, Ed Gamble and Rose Matafeo, as well as comedians Katy Wix and Jo Brand.
James Nesbitt and Robert Bathurst continue film the much anticipated TV series Cold Feet (Series 9), which is due to air in 2020.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has been nominated for Best Nighttime Talk Show in the E! People’s Choice Awards. Winners will be announced Sunday November 10th and votes can be entered here.
Comedian and impressionist Luke Kempner is the voiceover to ITVs new dating TV show Singletown.
Richard E Grant shoots on Dispatches from Elsewhere for AMC and his much anticipated appearance in the new Star Wars film Star Wars: Episode IX will be in cinemas from 19th December.
Russell Howard and his mum Ninette are off on brand new and unusual adventures in India, South Korea, Thailand and Japan. The highly anticipated fourth TV series of Russell Howard and Mum: Globetrotters premieres on Comedy Central UK in October.
Paul Chowdhry, Ed Gamble, Chris Ramsey and Flo and Joan all have fantastic 1 hour comedy specials online on Prime Video, streaming now. Later in the year, Jayde Adams and Rob Delaney will also have specials available – stay tuned!
If you’re looking for more than TV, Film and Streaming, check out our artists’ upcoming gigs and tours here.
Posted on 10 September 2019
Ahir will embark on a run at Soho Theatre from 16th September before his biggest UK tour to date begins on 23rd October with brand new show Dots, following a run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The Pub Landlord will extend his tour ‘Landlord of Hope and Glory’ with 20 dates around the UK from October 2019.
Carl’s tour continues into 2020, with dates nationally until February 2020.
Chris is set to embark on a brand new tour, Chris Ramsey 20/20 from 26th March to 5th December 2020, with over 40 dates, including a performance at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.
David Baddiel returns to the stage with a brand new one-man show, Trolls: Not The Dolls. The 52-date UK tour will start in January 2019.
Ed will perform at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Friday 20th December on the final date UK stand-up tour Blizzard, which continues to run nationwide between now and December 6th.
The musical comedy duo are set to embark on a UK tour of their brand new show Before the Screaming Starts from 28th October.
Frank is back after four years, performing at 44 venues across the UK and Ireland starting on 13th September until 11th December – supported by the amazing Pierre Novellie.
Glenn is taking his latest Edinburgh show ‘Love Don’t Live here Glenny Moore’ on tour from now until the end of January 2020.
Comedy-Rap-Jazz duo are embarking on their 3rd national tour from October to December 2019
The Horne Section’s tour continues into the Autumn with nationwide dates until December.
2020 sees Iain embark on his biggest nationwide tour to date with brand-new show, Failing Upwards.
Jayde is set to record the celebrated show ‘The Ballad of Kylie Jenner’s Old Face’ as a special for Amazon Prime which will be captured in two performances at the Bloomsbury Theatre on Saturday 21st September at 6pm & 9pm, before embarking on a UK tour from 23rd October 2019 to 26th April 2020.
US comedian Jen Kirkman is returning to the UK with her latest stand-up show Jen-X at Soho Theatre from 30th September to 5th October, before performing in Manchester on 6th October and touring across Europe.
This year, John Kearns embarks on his biggest UK tour yet, from 11th October and a run at Soho Theatre from 25th November, with the brand new show Double Take and Fade Away.
Catch the last few dates of ‘Great British Take Off‘ in October and November.
The musical-activist-comedians Jonny & The Baptists returned to the Edinburgh Fringe this year with Love Edinburgh and Hate Bastards and will embark on a 33 date UK tour this Autumn.
Kai takes his solo Edinburgh show to the Soho Theatre Mon 21 – Sat 26 Oct at 9.00pm
Lou recently announced a UK tour of her brand-new solo show Say Hello To Your New Step-Mummy from 1st October 2019 to 11th April 2020, including a fortnight at Soho Theatre from 28th October to 9th November.
Luke recently announced his new tour House of Faces; he is performing 24 dates nationally in October and November.
Catch Matt’s sold-out Edinburgh Fringe show Brexit, Pursued by a Bear at the Southbank Centre on 6th October, and as usual at his monthly podcast show Political Party.
Phil is set to embark on his biggest nationwide tour to date, starting with a run at London’s Soho Theatre from the 3rd -7th September, Phil will then perform 29 dates nationwide.
Award-winning comedian and poet Rob will embark on his biggest tour to date from 1st February to the 29th April 2020, playing his new comedy/theatre/spoken word show over 29 dates nationwide.
Best Newcomer Nominee 2019 Sophie Duker will present the hit show Venus at Soho Theatre from 29th October – 2nd November at 20:45.
Check out the latest Amazon Prime Comedy Specials from Paul Chowdhry, Ed Gamble, Flo and Joan and Chris Ramsey. Jayde Adams and Rob Delaney coming soon.
Avalon are the managers to the most successful and cutting-edge comedy performers in the industry. Together with ARG, the prestigious acting agency, we collectively represent an impressively varied roster of exceptional artists, many of whom are available to book for private and corporate events – from up-and-comers to household names. We place Avalon’s fantastic comedians, presenters and actors into commercial events: Gala dinners, Awards Ceremonies, PR Events, Product Launches, Private Parties – you name it, our artists have done it. To hire a comedian for your next corporate event, get in touch here.
Posted on 5 September 2019
Undoubtedly one of the UK’s best known and most respected impressionists, Jon’s enormous cache of voices make him the ideal choice for any corporate comedy set or awards hosting. Whether he’s performing to a group of 15 people in a private dining room or to 2000 delegates in a top London hotel, his quick audience interaction and legendarily impressive stand-up material have made him one of the most popular comics on the corporate entertainment circuit. Off stage, clients report he is a firm favourite when it comes to dining with the corporate guests and socialising with them after the show.
One booker remarked; “Jon was great…delivered a brilliant performance – exactly what we wanted. A true talent and pro – very happy. He then stuck around with guests and was a real gent. We are delighted to have hired Jon Culshaw and he will be a tough act to better next year!”.
A new and exciting face in the stand-up comedy world, Steff Todd exploded onto the Edinburgh Fringe scene in 2019 with her debut hour “Reality Check”. Her topical take-offs of entertainment stars and reality TV contestants regularly go viral, amassing over 1m views online. The Evening Standard named one of her quips in their ‘Funniest Jokes of the Edinburgh Fringe‘ and one reviewer commented, “ I have no doubt that Steff has a bright future ahead of her and Reality Check is an impressive debut”.
Rising star Luke has a background in musical theatre and a stage presence to match. Not only has he delighted audiences throughout the latest series of Love Island with his hilarious impressions and commentary, his solid material and quick audience interaction have made him a fast favourite with corporate audiences. Experienced at both after-dinner sets and hosting awards ceremonies, Luke has voices to suit audiences of all kinds – and will even teach a lucky delegate how to do impressions of their own on stage! A regular on TV and radio, and now on tour, one of Luke’s viral video ‘Downstairs at Downtown’ which featured a spookily accurate array of voices from the hit show Downton Abbey, served as the jumping off point for his first hit show “The Only Way is Downton”, which was described by the Telegraph as a “remarkable, tour de force… an hour of unalloyed pleasure.”
And while we’re here, we couldn’t not mentioning the incredible political satirist Matt Forde! While Matt is best know for his cutting edge political satire, his Donald Trump impersonation is one of the most impressive in the business and he is regularly called on to delight corporate audiences of all kinds, combining sharp current affairs observations with brilliant impersonations. Matt’s other uncanny impressions include William Hague, Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Prime Minister* Boris Johnson.
*correct at time of writing
To hire Jon Culshaw, Steff Todd, Luke Kempner or Matt Forde as the entertainment for your next awards ceremony, gala dinner or function, get directly in touch with Avalon, their official management.
Avalon are the managers to the most successful and cutting-edge comedy performers in the industry. Together with ARG, the prestigious acting agency, we collectively represent an impressively varied roster of exceptional artists, many of whom are available to book for private and corporate events – from up-and-comers to household names. We place Avalon’s fantastic comedians, presenters and actors into commercial events: Gala dinners, Awards Ceremonies, PR Events, Product Launches, Private Parties – you name it, our artists have done it. To hire a comedian for your next corporate event, get in touch here.
Posted on 26 July 2019
Stand up Chris Ramsey is going on tour in 2020 and it’s his biggest tour to date – Chris Ramsey 20/20. The critically acclaimed stand-up and star of The Chris Ramsey Show, and Stand Up Central will be touring for over 40 dates from from 26th March to 5th December 2020. Chris has appeared on I’m a Celebrity: Extra Camp (ITV2), Virtually Famous (E4), as well as performing on the Royal Variety Performance (ITV), Live at the Apollo (BBC1) and as a regular on Celebrity Juice (ITV2). Chris and his wife Rosie Ramsey recently launched a brand new podcast series – ‘Shagged. Married. Annoyed‘ which has now been downloaded over 4.5 million times. This new tour follows the hugely successful sell out tour, Chris Ramsey Live 2018: The Just Happy To Get Out Of The House Tour.
Check his website to see if he’s coming to a town near you – and don’t forget Chris is an excellent choice for awards hosting roles or stand-up comedy sets after-dinner. Drop us a line to find out more. Check out some testimonials from previous events on his profile page. Don’t forget to follow Chris on Twitter for the latest updates – and get news from across the industry from @Livecomedy.
Posted on
Enjoy this new clip from the genius impressionist Jon Culshaw, showing him parodying the The Sunscreen Song As Donald Trump. Jon is one of our most experienced and popular corporate comedians. Jon is a fantastic awards host and performs after dinner cabaret sets. He can also turn his hand to all manner of branding events and private parties. Drop us a line to find out more – and don’t forget to follow him on Twitter.
Posted on 11 July 2019
It’s been another busy week for the Corporate Team at Avalon HQ. We’ve had Rose Matafeo and Ed Gamble do Q&As for trendy media audiences and Paul Chowdhry hosting an awards for a whopping 1600 at the Royal Albert Hall. Chris Ramsey also brought the house down in the round at a hair and beauty conference. Jon Culshaw wrapped up the week with a fantastic ‘In Conversation with…’ loaded with impressions for delegates from the logistics industry.
Here is a snippet of some of the audience reactions, as told by social media.
@jonculshaw making us laugh @RHANews Annual Lunch #RHA75 #RHAAnnualLunch pic.twitter.com/B8Tj20Wagb
— Claire Pearsall (@claire_pearsall) July 11, 2019
Thank you to the brilliantly funny @Rose_Matafeo for coming in to tell us all about everything she’s loving on YouTube! We loved having you @GoogleUK #ThisisMyYouTube pic.twitter.com/jBQnabydGo
— Merkle | Periscopix (@Periscopix) July 10, 2019
So great to interview the brilliantly funny @Rose_Matafeo today for #ThisIsMyYouTube @GoogleUK.
We talked k pop, Chinese cooking & choreography & there was even some dancing involved.
If you haven’t seen Rose’s award-winning show #Horndog yet GO SEE IT. pic.twitter.com/hYX8l89HnI— Hannah Beckerman (@hannahbeckerman) July 9, 2019
Good luck to everyone at the 2019 British Insurance Awards! #BIA2019 @InsuranceAge 🌟🌟🌟 pic.twitter.com/SXjJBaetyz
— iCAN (@I_CAN_UK) July 10, 2019
Great start to the @Insurance_Post British Insurance Awards. @paulchowdhry is brilliant! #BIA2019
— Bavita Rai (@Bavitarai) July 10, 2019
@paulchowdhry performing wonders with a very ‘restricted’ subject…….#BIA2019
— Jeremy Balcombe (@JeremyBalcombe) July 10, 2019
@paulchowdhry rocking the #BIA2019
— Heather Smith (@heather_smith9) July 10, 2019
Posted on 4 July 2019
We came across a Twitter thread yesterday that really resonated with us.
Written by comedian Ashley Blaker (whose permission we sought to reproduce this thread), it describes every comedian’s worst case scenario when it comes to a corporate performance.
2/9 The whole restaurant had been booked for around 50 mostly middle-aged north London Jews. After about an hour or so my wife’s uncle stood up and said they’d hired a comedian to perform. I didn’t know in advance but being a TV comedy producer at the time I was very interested.
— Ashley Blaker (@AshleyBlaker) July 3, 2019
4/9 He tried his best without a mic or a stage and I could see he had some very good material but no one was interested. In fact the audience behaved quite appallingly and used him for sport, heckling and trying to disrupt him.
— Ashley Blaker (@AshleyBlaker) July 3, 2019
6/9 My wife’s uncle was angry, not with his guests but with the agency who provided the comedian and said he’d be calling them to demand his money back. I said I could see he was good and that it wasn’t his fault the environment was completely wrong.
— Ashley Blaker (@AshleyBlaker) July 3, 2019
8/9 I booked the comedian on a TV show I produced a couple of years later and I reminded him about this gig. His face went white as I think he’d blocked it out. I don’t blame him. These gigs are horrible.
— Ashley Blaker (@AshleyBlaker) July 3, 2019
9/9 The comedian’s name is @iamjohnoliver and he’s now one of the biggest comedy stars in the US. The idiots in the restaurant just didn’t realise it.
— Ashley Blaker (@AshleyBlaker) July 3, 2019
It seems impossible that a comedian as talented as John Oliver could struggle in front of any audience but, sadly, lots of comics who have dabbled in the world of corporate and private performances have at least one similar story.
With that in mind, here are some top tips about making the most out of your comedian at your next corporate event, from the combined feedback and wisdom of the whole Avalon corporate roster!
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It’s the fantastic comedian and impressionist Luke Kempner with another episode of Alternative Love Island! Learn more about Luke and what he can bring to your corporate event here.
Don’t forget to follow Luke on Twitter too.