Martin Cheeseman, Simon Rusty

Two of Manchester’s Finest – Marvin Cheeseman and Simon Rusty.

Marvin Cheeseman made his debut as a comedy performance poet in 1999 at Manchester’s Frog and Bucket Comedy club. Since then he has appeared at many comedy and literature events around the country, gigging with such people as Alan Carr, John Bishop and Badly Drawn Boy. He’s been described as the “Doyen of the Deadpan” by the Cheltenham Literature Festival. Journalist Rob Cochrane describes his work as “a report from the launderette of life.” His work has been featured on BBC television and radio and he has published three collections: “Full Metal Jacket Potato”, “Making Prawn Sandwiches for Roy Keane” and “We Hate It When Our Ex-Lodgers Become Successful.” A fourth collection, “Moston Tea Party”, is due to be published later this year. In 2014 Marvin was named Comedian of the Year at the Hull Comedy Festival.

Simon Rusty has published two collections of comedic poetry – “The Satiric Verses” And “Rhymes Against Humanity.” Born in Blackley, a Manchester suburb a stone’s throw away from a pile of stones, Simon, a former postman, (not his ideal career but “better than walking the streets”), is now a regular and accomplished performer on the North West comedy circuit. His work is very much in the here and now – “Fracking Town” a nod to John Cooper Clarke’s “Chicken Town” is a hilarious and ingenious analysis of this controversial shale gas extraction process type thing. Simon has been receiving standing ovations at recent performances, he’s that good.