The Best in Comedy

A former Cambridge Footlighter, Mark Watson first made an impact on the comedy circuit in 2002 when he won the Daily Telegraph Open Mic competition and was a runner-up in So You Think You're Funny?

He has become known for his Edinburgh shows (2005's 50 Years Before Death And The Awful Prospect Of Enternity was nominated for the Perrier) and his gruelling shows that last more than 24 hours. Perrier's successor, the if.comeddies, awarded the panel award for best capturing the spirit of the fringe, in 2007.

Watson won the Chortle award winner for innovation in 2005, when he was also nominated for best breakthrough act, and was nominated for best compere in 2007.

He is also a novelist, with his debut Bullet Points, published in 2003; has written for TV and in 2007 landed his first radio series, Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better.

Before becoming a comedian, Angela worked in health and social care. In 2011, she won the BBC New Comedy Award and became a finalist at the 2011 Latitude Festival New Act of the Year competition. Since then Angela has become a regular on BBC’s The News Quiz, Newsjack and Mock The Week.

She has also appeared on BBC Three’s Russell Howard’s Good News, Russell Kane’s Whistle Stop Tour (BBC Radio 2), and BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show.

“Feels like a sure-fire bet the instant she utters her opening lines.” (The Scotsman).

“The pace is fast, the material strong and the delivery perfect” (Chortle).

“She’s just a gloriously down-to-earth, straight-talking and extremely funny comic” (The Guardian).

Angela Barnes was #8 in Ents24's Hardest Working Comedians of 2018 list.

Laughing Horse New Act of the Year Winner in 2010.

'Deane's well timed deadpan delivery was on cue every time, he'll definitely be one to watch' (Medway News)

'A particularly nice line in understated pay-offs' (Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard)

'Well written gags, well executed one liners' (Chortle)

'... he's able to generate a stream of seriously good gags, the kind of quick,

sharply written and endlessly repeatable lines that'll always keep a comic in work and an audience richly entertained' (The Guardian)

'It's just a matter of time before Julian Deane gets a boost up the comedy rankings... His trick is to make you think you're watching standard stand-up fare, then twisting expectations with sharp, original punchlines' (The Independent).

Probably best known as being a third of the We Are Klang sketch group with Greg Davies and Marek Larwood, Steve Hall is a superb stand-up in his own right and has provided support for Russell Howard on three of his sell-out national tours.

Steve has been called a Steve Coogan 'lookalike and soundalike', which makes sense as they are distantly related through a convoluted web of Irish cousins. Hecklers tend to think Steve looks more like Mr Bean. Daily Telegraph Comedy Awards 2003 and BBC Comedy Awards 2003 runner-up.

'The most intelligent stand-up you've never heard of' (GQ)

'His phrasing is joyous and choice of words close to poetic' (Metro)

'Deadpan brilliance' (Time Out)

'Wonderfully misanthropic' (Sunday Times)

''Russell Howard's fine tour support' (The Times)

'A lovely, friendly, thoroughly entertaining show' (Chortle)

'This is stand-up as it should be: snappy and smart, occasionally nasty, and always funny' (The List).