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Featured Artist: Environmental Economist and Stand-up Comedian Dr. Matt Winning

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:

Tours Galore

Posted on 10 September 2019

We’ve got new tours galore! Here are just a few of the exciting live shows coming up from Avalon‘s fantastic artists.

Don’t forget, you can get in touch to hire a comedian for your next corporate dinner or awards ceremony – just drop us a line.

Ahir Shah

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.

Al Murray

The Pub Landlord will extend his tour ‘Landlord of Hope and Glory’ with 20 dates around the UK from October 2019.

Carl Hutchinson

Carl’s tour continues into 2020, with dates nationally until February 2020.

Chris Ramsey

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

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 Gamble

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.

Flo & Joan

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 Skinner

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 Moore

Glenn is taking his latest Edinburgh show ‘Love Don’t Live here Glenny Moore’ on tour from now until the end of January 2020.

Harry & Chris

Comedy-Rap-Jazz duo are embarking on their 3rd national tour from October to December 2019

The Horne Section

The Horne Section’s tour continues into the Autumn with nationwide dates until December.

Iain Stirling

2020 sees Iain embark on his biggest nationwide tour to date with brand-new show, Failing Upwards.

Jayde Adams

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.

Jen Kirkman

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.

John Kearns

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.

Jon Culshaw

Catch the last few dates of ‘Great British Take Off‘ in October and November.

Jonny and the Baptists

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 Samra

Kai takes his solo Edinburgh show to the Soho Theatre Mon 21 – Sat 26 Oct at 9.00pm

Lou Sanders

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 Kempner

Luke recently announced his new tour House of Faces; he is performing 24 dates nationally in October and November.

Matt Forde

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 Wang

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.

Rob Auton

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.

Sophie Duker

Best Newcomer Nominee 2019 Sophie Duker will present the hit show Venus at Soho Theatre from 29th October – 2nd November at 20:45.

Don’t fancy going out?

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Make a Good Impression

Posted on 5 September 2019

If you’re looking to hire a comedian, one kind of performer that never fails to delight at corporate events is the impressionist. Here we are shining the spotlight on a few of Avalon’s spectacular artists available to book for corporate events.  They’re a great choice for after-dinner comedy and hosting awards ceremonies because, if you book an impressionist, there’s always something for everyone.

Jon Culshaw

Hire Jon Culshaw

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!”.

Steff Todd

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”.

 

 

 

 

Luke Kempner

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.

This Week in Tweets

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.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

@iamchrisramsey who knew!!😂what a great day and evening at #wellabnl

A post shared by Vicki Mahon (@mahon.vicki_wella) on

 

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Had a wicked day yesterday at #IMFestival even had the bonus of getting my photo taken with the #Legend @edgamblecomedy 😀

A post shared by Chris Parkes (@daddyclaytime) on

We hope this doesn’t sound familiar…

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.

 

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!

Tips:

  • Audience – it all starts with your guests. We often find ourselves chatting to event managers who are having trouble deciding between acts is. Our advice is “Think about who your guests will like, not who your CEO’s favourite’s panel show comic is”. Have a think about the mix of your audience too; their age range, backgrounds, nationality etc. A sober dinner of international senior bankers will require a different sort of comedian to a boozey sales audiences in their 20s; although there are of course those who can adapt to both!

 

  • Time – this is a crucial point that is often overlooked. Does the event definitely have a slot that lends itself to a comedy performance? Is it placed strategically in the timeline of the rest of the event? For an after-dinner performance, 9.30pm is the sweet spot. Everyone has been well fed and watered and got some of their chatting out of the way – time to make them laugh! For an awards hosting role, keep the opening set short and consider what time you need the act there  – do they really need to be on site for a 2pm rehearsal and a 9.30pm start, or can things be switched around to make everyone comfortable? In addition, more minutes doesn’t necessarily mean more enjoyment or better value for money. 20 minutes is the absolute optimum time for an after-dinner performance – long enough for everyone to feel they’ve had their own private show but short enough to hang on to those flighty post-dinner attention spans!

 

  • Space – Having a corporate event in a space that’s a bit quirky or different? Great! Chat it through with us first so your act can best advise on where they should be positioned – they know best! Standing audiences, performances without stages and venues with pillars are notoriously challenging for corporate comedy sets, as is the dreaded dance floor in front of the stage. Fortunately, a lot of the large hotels have had enough comedians inside their walls to know how to set up a stage for speakers/performers – but we can always talk things through with your AV team if it’s helpful.

 

  • Light and Sound – it sounds obvious but you need to make sure the comic can be seen and heard! Often the hotel PA system won’t be up to the job and general lighting though-out the room doesn’t highlight the artist as a focal point. If you’re in any doubt, we have great recommendations as to where you can lay your hands on the correct gear.

 

  • Don’t give the audience vuvuzelas. Seriously.

Getting Trendy…

Posted on 13 February 2018

Are you looking to deliver over and above the usual dinner and entertainment format for reward events this year? Why not host your very own comedy night for your staff and clients.

 

Last year, we noticed a growing trend in corporate events; forward thinking companies are asking more and more for mixed bill comedy nights. Shaking up the traditional format, you can give the bulk of the night over to entertainment with quick and easy bowl or street food replacing a traditional sit down meal and the all important Networking to follow.

We know committing your whole entertainment budget to one 20 min act can be nerve-wracking. By spreading the budget across a variety of acts and styles, you can efficiently ensure there’s something for everyone. We can supply two, three or even four acts, in addition to a fantastic MC who gets the audience on board from the word go and links the evening together.

Give us a call to find out more and make this Autumn the most entertaining yet.

FEATURED ARTIST: Phil Wang

Posted on 1 February 2017

Phil Wang’s sense of humour is ideal for a corporate after-dinner set; observational, witty and delivered in his friendly, laid back style, he’d be especially suitable for a younger, trendy audience. Have a look at some of his stand-up below, or visit his profile for more information.

FEATURED ARTIST: Carl Donnelly

Posted on 24 January 2017

A regular on the TV panel show and Live stand-up circuit, not the mention the Edinburgh Fringe, Carl Donnelly is a brilliant choice for an after-dinner comedy cabaret set at a corporate event. Carl’s story-telling, laid-back, hipster style would particularly appeal to a younger trendy crowd at an edgier event, such as marketing and digital sectors. Have a watch of his video and check out his biography here.

 

FEATURED ARTIST: Adam Hess

Posted on

Adam Hess is an up-and-coming comedian perfect for injecting some fast-paced humour into your corporate event. Whether you want an energy boost at the start of an awards or to finish your gala dinner on a bang, Adam’s high-energy style is spot on – video with a corporate audience below! Please click here for his biography.

 

FEATURED ARTIST: Matt Forde

Posted on 18 November 2015

A Labour-advisor turned stand up, Matt Forde is a breath of fresh air on the corporate comedy circuit. Matt will give your delegates cutting edge political issues delivered in a hilarious style, peppered with uncanny impersonations of the key players in British and American politics. In additional, he’s is a highly experienced football pundit and regularly interviews sporting stars on his monthly Sport Party podcast. Matt’s style is a rare one – as well as being a spectacular stand-up, he can adopt a more ‘after-dinner speech’ style – making him a great choice for both edgy events as well as more traditional crowds – such as Chartered Institutes and Associations. Check out one such ‘speech’ below – and check out his biography for some TV stand-up!