Purple CactusAmerican » Purple Cactus

Abigoliah Schamaun

cactus — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 10:46:41 +0000

A product of her New York stand up roots; frank, funny, and unapologetic. She first showed her face in the UK comedy scene when she became a finalist in the Funny Women Comedy Awards 2010 and has grown a Edinburgh Fringe following coming back yearly ever since. She moved to London in 2014 and has become a regular on the circuit. She was named “One to Watch” at Leicester Comedy festival 2017 and The List named her “Top 5 Up and Coming Female Comedians”

As the only yoga instructor/comedy in comedy Abigoliah presents her always hilarious comedy with an open heart chakra. Bringing her audience into her world with the warmth and excitement like a friend who you haven’t seen in a while.

Her comedy extends past the stage as she was nominated in 2016 for a Malcom Hardee “Cunning Stunt Award” for buying an incredible amount of outside advertising and then plastering them with fake reviews poking fun at the usefulness of the critics words.

She has been featured on Channel 5′s Outrageously Funny Comedy, BBC Radio 4 Extra, and The Guilty Feminist Podcast with Deborah Francis-White. She also appeared in Comedy Central’s season 2 of I Live with Models and has opened for Jim Norton, Kyle Kinane, and Gad Emelah.

“Bayley’s material surprises with inspired and sparkling punchlines…with comic timing that is rarely less than brilliant. An assured performer who doesn’t have much trouble getting audiences laughing.” - Chortle

“I saw her recently and she blew my socks off. She doesn’t dwell too much on “lady issues”. Funny in her own right, she was brilliant, clever and she’s gonna be huge.” BBC Online.

“Likeable headstrong persona- packing a considerable performing punch.” The List

“the night’s star attraction” Tamworth Herald

“Karen is one of the most consistently hilarious comedians I have had the pleasure of working with . She’s a sharp writer and an unflappable compère, able to cajole any room with her warm audience interaction and precise intelligent gags, ” Joe Lycett

Dave Fulton

cactus — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:32:22 +0000

Started making a living doing stand-up comedy stateside back when there was only clubs and Letterman. Never envisioned it would lead to living in London England and to have done shows in 25 different countries including Australia to Kazakhstan to Helsinki to Tokyo to Hong Kong and even Mumbai India but through all that I still find time to do the occasional show back in America. Not satisfied with just stand-up and a bit of acting there’s also the series of dark comedy short films written and directed by me soon to be available on Amazon and iTunes. Television credits include numerous appearances of Live at The Comedy Store in London, Live at Jongleurs, Comedy Train International at Toomler in Amsterdam, Raymond Is Laat in Rotterdam, The World Stands Up, The World Comedy Tour filmed in Melbourne, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and They Think It’s All Over on the BBC, Brain Candy a Baby Cow Production as well as being asked as to express his views as a frequent guest on various BBC news programs both on television and on radio. Acting credits include the character ‘Glenn’ in the horror film Blood Mood and ‘Vinny’ in the UK Comedy Central 8 part sitcom I Live With Models. When nothing else is going on I’m building motorcycles, climbing frozen waterfalls and looking after my son.

Dave Fulton is opinionated, isn’t afraid to pull punches in his observations, and yet has a deceptively laid back stage manner that disguises a raw aggression. A varied melting pot of issues that sometimes even he doesn’t want to explore. This is unmissable comedy from one of the most dynamic and innovative comedians breaking on the comedy circuit at the moment. His mother would never have thought it possible from someone who holds a Masters in Music Composition.

He’s been seen on the BBC series The Stand Up Show, and Channel 5′s The Comedy Store series where he took the roof off the prestigious club with his highly inventive perspective on life. Dave Fulton has also presented a feature for Newsnight on American culture to tie in with an exhibition at The Barbican.

Quotes about Dave Fulton:

“Whiplash delivery and relentless pace” – The List

“Compelling… a real breath of fresh air” – The Independent

“It’s only comics with something to say that cross the Atlantic.” – The Guardian

“Dave Fulton is left as a sole crusader for US topical comedy.” – The List

“(Fulton) represents the tough talking, risk-taking school of yankee comic..he’s intelligent, remarkably relaxed on stage and clearly out to create a bit of mischief.” – Time Out-London

Louis Ramey

cactus — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:14:17 +0000

Louis is an award winning comic who is definitely prime time. He has performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ABC Daytime’s “The View” and has had his own half hour comedy special, Comedy Central Presents: Louis Ramey”.

College campuses voted him “Campus Entertainer of the year for both 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he was a finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Since then he’s done quit a bit of traveling, performing in clubs from Mumbai to Melbourne and for American troops overseas.

Ramey’s first stand up gig was at a jazz club in his hometown of Atlanta Georgia. Ever since he has been hitting all the right notes with audiences around the world.

He has performed on television in the States, Canada and Hong Kong. Louis has also opened for musical legends including Ray Charles, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson, Isaac Hayes, The Temptations and Donna Summer.

Reginald D Hunter

cactus — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:46:11 +0000

“His presence and intelligence make him one of the most brilliantly unpredictable comics in the country” - The Sunday Times

Reginald D. Hunter is an American born comic who has been residing in the United Kingdom since the age of 27, when the classically trained theater student did his first stand-up on a dare. That experience derailed his studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and Hunter shifted from acting to stand-up.

He makes people uncomfortable, shaking their suppositions and airing plenty of his own dirty laundry. If his television appearances have presented him as a comic of companionable yet risque wit, then Hunter’s stand-up proves him a hard hitting pugilist. His jokes ring true and often hit very close to home. The Times called him “Comically astute, rewardingly provocative”.

Born in 1969 in Albany, Georgia, Hunter’s early life experiences as a boy growing up in the deep south influence his work and sharply contrasts with his life as an American black man in England. Global politics, the cultural variances from both sides of the pond, sex and relationships all provide fodder for his muse. His style is honest, his material is controversial, and his delivery … well see it for yourself.

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In November 2011, Hunter released his first DVD Live, recorded at two sell-out shows from London’s iconic HMV Hammersmith Apollo earlier that year. He supported that release with a wildly successful tour, playing to sold out audiences throughout the UK, that was extended with an encore tour in early 2012. Live was produced and distributed by Universal.

“EXCITINGLY INTELLIGENT…COMEDY FROM THE HEAD AND THE HEART, DELIVERED WITH CHARM AND CONTROL” – The Times

Even the titles of Hunter’s tours have caused controversy. He won the Writers’ Guild Award for Comedy in 2006 for his show Pride and Prejudice… and Niggas, and played to capacity crowds during his tour with Trophy Nigga, although many venues wouldn’t post the name of the show and the London Underground banned the promo posters.

Hunter was nominated for the Perrier Award in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 Edinburgh Fringe Festivals, where in 1998 he was a finalist in the So You Think You’re Funny Competition.

Hunter has been a consistent presence in British television with regular appearances on Have I Got News For You (BBC), Live at the Apollo (BBC 1), It’s Only A Theory (BBC 4) (Reg did the complete series), 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4) and has appeared on the BBC Radio 4 comedy show The Unbelievable Truth.

“MAGIC…HIS IS A PERFECT SET” – The Guardian

The success of his live performances has led to Reginald becoming a regular face on television with appearances in The 11 O’Clock Show (Ch 4), Does Doug Know with Daisy Donovan (Ch 4), Boozy Britain (Ch 4) and Comedy Store Stand-up (Ch 5) amongst others.

In November 2004 he recorded Eight Out Of Ten Cats, a TV pilot with Jimmy Carr (Ch 4) and has just completed filming a new pilot, Black Out, for Channel 4. Conceived by Reginald – who also stars in the show – and written by him in collaboration with John Gordillo, Black Out is a social comedy exploring the human condition through the eyes of a white, middle-class woman who suffers from a surreal reaction to stress.

Currently working on a new show that he hopes to take to Montreal and a television chat show, Reginald is planning his debut performance in the USA later this year.

Ria Lina

cactus — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 16:25:42 +0000

Ria has every degree up to a PhD in Virology under her belt so it’s not only her comedy that is highly intelligent and no subject is too taboo. Her audacious routines always pack a punch and are brimming with charm and biting wit.
This multi-award winning artist has performed for audiences across the world and has been the finalist in multiple comedy competitions. She won Best Comedy Show at the Greater Manchester Fringe and was a finalist in Amused Moose Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Fringe. Ria can be seen on Amazon Prime and BBC iPlayer for BBC World Service, BBC Scotland and BBC Asia.
Also a prolific writer, Ria currently has a sitcom optioned and has previously written for the Ladyboys of Bangkok ‘Fantasy & Feathers’ and ‘Glamorous Amorous’ tours, and wrote and acted in ITV2 comedy sketch show ‘Meet the Blogs’. She has also written and presented her own Channel 4 documentary that revealed the truth behind the myths that surround oriental women in Britain. Other projects include ‘Sweet n’ Sour Comedy’ and ‘Malai Monologues’ for BBC3 and ‘The World Stands Up’ for Comedy Central (USA), the Paramount Comedy Channel (UK), and the Comedy Network Channel (AUS).

OTHER PROJECTS
In the past, Ria has written for the Ladyboys of Bangkok “Fantasy & Feathers” 2010 & “Glamorous Amorous” 2013 tours, and wrote/acted for the ITV2 comedy sketch show (Meet the Blogs). She has also written and presented her own documentary for Channel 4 revealing the truth behind the myths that surround oriental women in Britain; other projects include the comedy series, Sweet n’ Sour Comedy and Malai Monologues, for BBC3; The World Stands Up, for Comedy Central (USA), the Paramount Comedy Channel (UK), and the Comedy Network Channel (AUS). She also maintains her own YouTube channel of sketches, song parody’s and original numbers and as an actress has been seen in a variety of projects: see her ACTING CV for more information.

QUOTES
‘Fearless, provocative and very funny’ Scotsman
‘Engaging, endearing and eye-opening’ Time Out
‘She’s like a Filipina Sarah Silverman’ Dusty Limits
‘Slickly done – there’s no denying that the girl’s got talent’ Chortle

Rich Hall

cactus — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:49:12 +0000

Rich Hall, the grouchy, deadpan, comic genius quit his job as a hurricane namer for the United States Meteorological Service two decades ago and hasn’t looked back.

Looking like a Pearl Jam roadie, Rich is a master of absurdist irony while eschewing the human condition. He particularly likes to lay into Americans and life across the Pond at every opportunity. As Rich Hall the stand-up, he has visited the Edinburgh Fringe Festival several times and performed at the major comedy clubs in Britain and across the world. He is well known in the United States for appearing and writing on The David Letterman Show – for which he won two Emmy Awards.

In 1998, Rich Hall created the character Otis Lee Crenshaw, a redneck jailbird from Tennessee, who has been married seven times, all to women named Brenda. A singer-songwriter, Otis writes bourbon-soaked, Tom Waitsian tunes and blends this with audience banter, producing a perfect fusion of music and comedy.

Since then, Otis Lee Crenshaw has been charming sell-out audiences each year at the Edinburgh Festival, throughout the UK (on tour), at several festivals in Australia including Adelaide and Melbourne and at London’s famous Comedy Store, where he had a monthly slot for six months. At the Edinburgh Festival 2000, Rich Hall is Otis Lee Crenshaw won the highly prestigious Perrier Award.

Rich has written and presented his own TV shows in the UK, in particular How the West Was Lost (2008) a thought-provoking documentary for the BBC. He also wrote and starred in Rich Hall’s Cattle Drive, Rich Hall’s Election Special and Rich Hall’s Fishing Show with Mike Wilmot.

In the United States Rich Hall has appeared on The David Letterman Show and Saturday Night Live. In the UK, Rich has appeared on: Have I Got News For You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Jack Dee’s Sunday Service and Edinburgh Nights.

QUOTES

“Belly laughs and aching sides… whimsical and splenetic. The man is an extempore powerhouse…” – The Times

“Anecdotal, observational, inspirational, confrontational, apoplectic, aggressive, vitriolic comedy.” – Melody Maker

“He is a supremely talented comedian, quick-witted, topical and charismatic on stage.” – The Times

Rick Right

cactus — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:23:58 +0000

“The Rock & Roll Comic”, Rick Right is a unique comic and musical talent who stands in a class by himself.

With the uncanny ability to sing and play any song that has been a major hit over the past 50 years, even if he has never played it before, Rick has observations and sly-as-you-like sardonic witticisms to undermine every artist that deserves it. No artist who has ever charted, good or bad, is safe from Rick’s barbs.

In the early 1970’s, Brian and his best friend Monica Ganas started an act called Rick & Ruby that worked out of San Francisco. The act was a mix of music and comedy, with Rick mostly as the straight man, and became well-known among the Bay Area club scene.

“… be sure to see him before he discovers how shit it is here and f**ks off back to America!” Viz

Within five years, the act, by then a trio with the addition of keyboardist Joshua “Raoul” Brody, was playing large venues all across the country, gaining national exposure through a 1979 tour as opening act for Robin Williams. From there came TV appearances on the national talk show circuit, as well as guest spots on “Mork & Mindy,” “The Pee Wee Herman Show,” and HBO’s Young Comedians Special.

In 1986, Monica, now married and mother of two, chose to retire from the scene to go back to school and get her Ph.D, while Brian chose to try a career as a solo stand-up with his guitar. During the whole Rick & Ruby era, Rick never had a surname, and needed one for a solo career. Enter an ex-girlfriend who was into numerology at the time, and she determined that Ricky Right would make him a 7, a good show business number to be, apparently. Brian just liked the sound of the name, but then when his first solo gig listed his name as Rick Right, he liked that better, forget the 7 stuff.

23 years, a few thousand gigs in 37 of the 50 states and 21 countries later, Rick Right is still out there, entertaining people sometimes one-third his age with his knowledge of all that’s good and bad and worth ridiculing in the world of music. He combines not only a love and knowledge of music, but is a fine guitarist, singer, impressionist, and humorist, and uses all those skills to create an act which delighted US audiences for 15 years before discovering a UK scene which liked him even more.

Brit audiences have appreciated not only the variety of music that he can explore in 30 minutes on stage, but also his ability to create on the spot material solely by audience suggestion.