Winner of the 2014 award for Best Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Best Show nominee in 2017 and 2018, Ahir Shah is an exciting young, sharp and intellectual comedian, whose unique brand of sophisticated stand-up features a blend of emotional frankness, poetic language, and jokes.

In August 2015, Ahir debuted his show, Distant, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, receiving huge critical success and packed houses, he went on to perform the show at the Soho Theatre for a week in October. Centering around the importance of faraway things, the show saw Ahir turn his incisive brand of comedy to topics spanning World War One, cigarettes, vegetarianism, Islamism, capitalism, politics, climate change, love, and pirates. 2016 will see Ahir return to Edinburgh with his hotly anticipated new show Machines.

Ahir began occasionally doing stand-up at fifteen (i.e. too young), and over the course of the last ten years the development of his erudite, philosophical style has seen his position in the circuit skyrocket from “curiosity” to “interloper”. Distant is the fourth hour Ahir has performed at the Fringe, succeeding Texture (2014) which was described by Chortle as being “a delightful, considered and intelligent piece of work from a comedian who’s gained his wings”, Anatomy (2013) which Fest regarded as being “as thoughtful and compelling a show as you’re likely to come across all August”, and Astrology (2011).

Outside of stand-up, Ahir is currently writing a sitcom pilot for Channel 4 titled Strange Land, about immigration in 1960s London. He has also been a contributing writer on Skins (Channel 4), The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4) and Newsjack (BBC Radio 4 Extra). His television credits include Brotherhood (Comedy Central), The Midnight Beast (E4), Live At The Electric (BBC Three), Campus and The Seven Ages of Love (both Channel 4).

“Passionate, poetic and powerfully funny” ★★★★ The List

Al Murray with his alter-ego, The Pub Landlord, is one of the most recognisable and successful comics in the UK. For over 20 years Al has filled arenas around the world, won numerous awards and accolades and has successfully hosted and an array of TV series. He has been surprising and delighted corporate audiences for almost as long – hosting awards ceremonies and performing after-dinner cabaret sets guaranteed to bring outrageous humour and energy to your next event. A dab hand at hosting corporate quizzes and other commercial events, Al’s experience and quick-witted audience banter make him the ideal choice for hosting or performing comedy.

His TV credits include Al Murray’s Happy Hour (ITV) and the ground breaking sitcom Time Gentlemen Please (Sky One). Al’s other live TV appearances as The Pub Landlord includes three appearances on The Royal Variety Performance (ITV1), Stand Up Central(Comedy Central), hosting Live at the Apollo (BBC1) and Live at the Palladium (ITV) to name just a few.

As himself, Al hosted ‘Al Murray: Why Does Everyone Hate The English?’ (History) in October 2018, travelling to England’s nearest neighbours to try to find out why everyone seems to hate them so much. He has combined his passion for film and history and filmed two specials for BBC 4; Al Murray’s Great British War Movies and Al Murray’s Great British Spy Movies. He has also hosted Al Murray’s German Adventure (BBC Four) and Al Murray’s Road to Berlin (Discovery). In 2019, he will host the new quiz show, Al Murray’s Great British Pub Quiz (Quest) which pits the UK’s most passionate pub quiz teams against each other.

Al continues to sell-out stand-up national and international tours, which has made him one of the most popular live comedy acts in the country. He won the Perrier Award (after a record four successive nominations) and secured Olivier Award nominations for both of his celebrated sell-out West End runs. Internationally, Al has forged an enviable reputation with numerous sell-out runs in Melbourne, Sydney, Montreal and New Zealand.2019 sees him embark on a new 43 date tour of the UK, Landlord of Hope and Glory.

In 2015 he took on the leadership of the Free United Kingdom Party (FUKP), announcing his candidacy to stand for election at the General Election for the hotly contested Kent constituency of South Thanet. He also released his 5th book Let’s Re-Great Britain, a 13-point ‘#commonsense action plan’ which pledges that the UK will leave Europe by 2025 and the edge of the Solar System by 2050.

“Quick note to let you know all went really well at the Awards on Saturday, Al was fantastic – went down a storm” Auto-Awards, 900 pax

“The best host we’ve ever had!” Children With Cancer Charity Ball

“Simple: outstanding. Best one yet & no one had anything but the highest praise for Al” Q Awards

“Al was amazing last night. I really don’t know what we would have done without him. It was a tough crowd but he handled them expertly. Very sharp and clever and knowing. He just got them straight off and then found the right angles. Masterful. I cannot thank you and Al enough for making last night such a success. And Al was never anything short of utterly professional and a joy to be with. What a guy” BSME Awards

“[Al] was AWESOME. He really got it spot on. Client also said he was fantastic and went down really well. Thank you for all your help with it, and please pass our thanks onto Al” Mobile News Awards

“Al was lovely and hilarious” – Private Birthday Party, 300 pax

“Just thought I’d let you know that the feedback we’ve had on Al Murray has been tremendous. He scored perfect marks from our sponsors which is unheard of. So we now need to start thinking about next year… It’s going to be a very hard act to follow!” The newsawards 

“Al was hilarious. He did a brilliant job, set the audience alight from the start, connected with them perfectly and clearly knew what we were after. In particular he really amped up the awards, getting laughs all the way through. Not all comedians do this, so we were delighted he made this (potentially very dry) bit his own.” Network Rail Awards

Bilal Zafar is an up and coming stand-up comic with a friendly, story-telling style. He has experience hosting awards ceremonies and performing at corporate events.

Bilal was nominated for the Last minute.com Best Newcomer Award for his debut show at the Edinburgh fringe 2016.

Earlier the same year Bilal won the New Act of the Year award  joining the company of previous winners such as Stewart Lee, Ardal O’Hanlon, Joe Wilkinson and Linda Smith.

In 2015 he was the runner up at the Leicester Square Theatre New Comedian of the Year competition. He has appeared on BBC3, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Asian Network, and has written for The Independent.

“witty and absorbing…highly entertaining.  I look forward to whatever Zafar cooks up next”
Dominic Maxwell, The Times

“Delivers big laughs” Brian Logan, The Guardian

“fascinating and hilarious in equal measure”
Ian Jones, i-D

“Zafar really delivers on the absurdity of an escalating social media farce running in parallel with growing prejudice and tensions, joyously exposing the stupidity on all sides”
★★★★
Ben Venables, The Skinny

“endearing, relaxed and naturally funny…hilarious”
★★★★
Emily Phillips, EdFest Mag

Carl started performing stand-up in 2005 and quickly established himself as one of the UK’s most exciting young comedians. His conversational sense of humour saw him win a host of awards (Chortle Best Newcomer 2007, Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year 2007 among others) and become a regular at all of the finest comedy clubs in the UK and Ireland.

In 2009, Carl performed his debut solo show Relax Everyone, it’s Carl Donnelly! at the Edinburgh Fringe for which he was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Newcomer. Since then, Carl has returned to Edinburgh with three further solo shows and will return with another in 2015, after his nomination in 2013 for the Fosters Comedy Award.

Recently, Carl has been developing as an international act, with a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2013 and a second in 2015, as well as performing at the biggest comedy festivals in the world (Montreal Just for Laughs, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Sydney Comedy Festival, Kilkenny Cat Laughs etc).

Carl has also appeared on various TV shows including Mock The Week, Dave’s One Night Stand, Stand Up for the Week, Russell Howard’s Good News, Follow The Football, Comedy Store and, most recently, Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled. He is also a regular on radio appearing as a guest on such shows as BBC 5live’s The Back End of Next Week, Radio 4’s Loose Ends and Act Your Age as well as being a regular guest on talkSPORT. He has also co-hosted a radio show for the Fubar Radio app after his acclaimed podcast which he recorded with Chris Martin.

Visit Carl’s website at: www.carldonnelly.co.uk

Follow Carl on Twitter: @CarlDonnelly

Like Carl’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/carldonnellycomedian

“It went really well, Carl is brilliant! And great to work with, our Editor is very happy.” International Drama Awards

“Donnelly has developed a style that is the antithesis of the loud, sweaty, manic comic so prevalent on the telly and live tours at the moment.” The Guardian

Undeniably hilarious, brilliant characterisations and expert timing. Geordie comic Carl Hutchinson has reached the final of So You Think You’re Funny? and been nominated for the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year Award.

Carl’s debut Edinburgh Fringe Festival solo show Acceptable? made the Top 10 shows of the Amused Moose Laughter Awards 2012.

His relentless live work has led him to be named ‘One to watch’ by Chortle and ‘One of the hardest working comedians of 2018’. This year he played to an audience of 1100 at Newcastle Tyne Theatre, selling out the venue 3 months in advance as part of his sold out 2019/2018 tour  I Know I Shouldn’t Behave Like This…

Over the past two years, Carl has appeared on Stand Up Central and The Chris Ramsey Show (Comedy Central). He also supported Chris Ramsey on his tours The Most Dangerous Man on Saturday Morning Television and most recently, Chris Ramsey Live 2018: The Just Happy To Get Out of the House Tour. 

Visit Carl’s website at: www.carlhutchinson.net

Follow Carl on Twitter: @CPHutchinson

“Please pass on our thanks to Carl, as always he was hilarious. Really top bloke” The Bradley Lowery Foundation Gala Ball

“Everything went fantastic thanks, Carl was great.” Bradley Hall Chartered Surveyors

“Hutchinson’s trump card is the way he interacts with the audience, rolling with every ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ his material generated, giving a dynamism and spontaneity to his performance” Chortle