Purple CactusNorthern – Liverpool » Purple Cactus

Brendan Riley

cactus — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:19:22 +0000

Brendan Riley -there’s nothing bland or predictable about this stand-up comic.

Brendan Riley‘s Liverpudlian accent and lively blend of anecdotes, gags and inspired improvisation bring a refreshing blast of cheerful North Western humour to any gig and make him a sought after host and headline act.

Quotes about Brendan Riley:

“One of the brighter names from the North West .. a great compere” – Guardian

“incredibly refreshing” - Metro ‘Irreverent, inventive and most importantly hilarious’ – Liverpool Daily Post

..more quotes about Brendan Riley:

“excellent interaction with the audience … A+ to Mr Riley” – BBC online

“Brendan Riley does the business … bouncy and engaging” – The Scotsman

“Worth the price of the admission alone .. Scouse wit and raconteur who holds the show together and doesn’t so much warm up the crowd as set them on fire” – Lancashire Evening Post

“I have never, ever seen so many bikers crying tears of laughter in my life” – 100% Biker Mag

2009 – Brendan Riley performed at the Linz Fest Austria as part of the European capital of culture celebrations. Performed Alive and Live Unity Theatre (one man show) for Liverpool comedy fest.

2008 – Presented and wrote A Sense of Liverpool for BBC Radio 4 Comedy Shop Tour. The Life of Riley Unity Theatre (one man show).

Wrote and performed Hyena Stomp for The Tate Liverpool 20th birthday celebrations.

2007 – Happy Days solo show sell out at Unity Theatre.

Supported Al Murray Royal Court theatre.

2006 – Headlines and hosts at all major comedy venues, Universities and festivals.

2005 – Liverpool 3 Collaboration with Simon Bligh & Steve Gribbin – sell out Liverpool Comedy Festival

2004 – ‘Kulture Vulture’ solo show sell out at Liverpool Comedy Festival.

Royal Court Theatre ‘Best of Liverpool’ show plus performed Singapore and Dubai.

2003 – Liverpool, Leicester and Edinburgh Festivals – ‘Comedy Sushi’ (solo show)

Edinburgh Fringe Sunday (host) Festival Fringe Launch party (featured performer)

C4 So You Think Your’e Funny (regional host)

UK tour ‘The Perfect Match’ live comedy gameshow BBC.

New Act Of The Year (regional host)

Santa Pod Bikers Rally Isle of Man tour during TT Races.

Liverpool and Birmingham Comedy Festivals – solo show ‘Comedy Sushi’ Royal Court Theatre ‘Best of Liverpool’ show.

John Bishop

cactus — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:42:27 +0000

“Bishop has funny bones” – The Times

“Frankly hilarious” – The Telegraph

“A gloriously gifted storyteller” – Evening Standard

John has been performing stand-up comedy since October 2000, and the following year made it to the final of all the major new act competitions, including So You Think You’re Funny, the Daily Telegraph Open Mic Awards, the BBC New Comedy Awards and the City Life North West Comedian of The Year Award, which he won.

In 2002, he was named best newcomer by BBC Radio Merseyside, and in 2004 he won the North West Comedy Award for best stand-up. And in 2009, he was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Award.

His material is drawn from his life’s experiences, from fatherhood to cycling around the world, to playing semi- professional football, to working as a nightclub doorman.

“A comic revolutionary..Not to be missed” – The Independent

“If you fail to laugh like a lunatic, check yourself into a mortuary: You are probably dead” – Metro

“The most exciting thing to emerge from the Manchester comedy scene since Peter Kay” – City Life

Television credits include:
John Bishops Britain, BBC1
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, BBC1
A League of Their Own Sky One
What do Kids Know WATCH
Mock The Week BBC2
8 Out of 10 Cats Channel 4
Live At The Apollo BBC1
The Byrne Ultimatum RTE
Michael McIntyres Comedy Roadshow BBC1
The Increasingly Poor decisions of Todd Margaret Channel 4
Lunch Monkeys BBC3
The Late Late RTE1
Skins E4
The Cafe RTE2
This is Anfield Setanta
John Bishops Dream Team Setanta
Celebrity Kop Club Setanta
For One Night Only ITV1
Soccer AM Sky One
Comedy Cuts (series 3) ITV 2
Sky News Sky News
Boom Bang A Bang UKTV Gold
The Panel RTE
Comedy Store (Series 4 & 6) Paramount
Brain Candy BBC 3
Blame Game BBC Ulster
Liffy Laffs RTE Ireland
How To Survive BBC 3
Celebrity Poker Challenge TV
Soccer Night Granada
Bishop’s Comedy Christmas Special Liverpoolfc.tv

Les Dennis

cactus — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:26:26 +0000

Les Dennis is acknowledged as one of Britain’s most popular stage and TV entertainers. He has appeared in many TV productions including soap operas Brookside, Merseybeat, Casualty and the short-lived revival of Crossroads, plus Hotel Babylon and the second series of the UK Celebrity Big Brother.

As a comedian Les Dennis worked the North West social and working-men’s clubs. In 1974, he won New Faces ITV talent show and appeared on numerous light-entertainment shows. In 1982 he joined as one of the team on Russ Abbot’s Madhouse and The Russ Abbot Show before forming a comedy partnership with fellow impressionist Dustin Gee, which in turn led to a series of their own, The Laughter Show, which he carried on as a solo performer following Gee’s death. His big screen debut was in the film Intimate Relations.

As a comedian in the 1980s Dennis has appeared on numerous light-entertainment shows and worked originally as a stooge to Russ Abbott on Russ Abbott’s Madhouse before forming a successful comedy partnership with fellow impressionist, the late Dustin Gee. Following Gee’s death in 1986, he is probably best known as the host of Family Fortunes, a fifteen year run from 1987 to 2002. He has also acted in soap operas Brookside, Casualty and the short-lived revival of Crossroads. Dennis also appeared in the second series of the UK Celebrity Big Brother.

On August 11, 2005 Dennis appeared as a guest star in the BBC-series Extras starring Ricky Gervais. In this appearance, Dennis played himself and made several jokes about his career, or the lack thereof. He received praise from reviewers for being so honest and open about his career (and being willing to be the punchline of jokes about his apparent lack of success), and is even rumoured to have rejected the original script, claiming that it was too tame. This performance was also critically-acclaimed from all quarters. In September and October 2005 he appeared in Ant & Dec’s Gameshow Marathon, in which he appeared at the winners’ homes to present the prizes they had won.

In 2006, Dennis presented and performed in the BBC’s The Sound of Musicals.

In recent years he has maintained regular TV appearances both as host and actor as well as touring in numerous theatre productions ranging from Shakespeare to musicals, his latest being ’Hairspray’.

Silky

cactus — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:31:09 +0000

Liverpudlian-in-exile Silky has been a full time comedian for half his life. He did his first gig waaaaay back in 1994, and his fourth gig (the final of the 1995 BBC New Comedy Awards alongside Lee Mack, Daniel Kitson and Julian Barratt) was shown on BBC1’s Stand-Up Show. Other TV Work includes The World Stands Up (Paramount), the Comics Lounge (AUS).

International work includes China, Kuwait, UAE, Singapore, the US, thePhilippines, Kosovo, the Falkland Islands, the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and all over Europe, including at the Glastonbury Festival,where no-one lobbed bottles of wee, much to his relief. He’s performed at Bestival, Camp Bestival, The Big Chill, the Green Man, GlobalGathering, the Big Bang at Santa Pod, and in the houseband for the Kilkenny Festival.

He is also the evil mastermind behind the Kill for a Seat Comedy clubs across the UK, (“Silky runs lovely gigs all across the country” – Rhod Gilbert) and has performed with the Comedy Store’s MEN at Work satirical team, and the Grand Theft Impro, Dublin Comedy Improv and Monkey Lab Improv teams.

Glorious Failures:

Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year (prize-winning runner-up).
Liverpool Echo Arts and Entertainment Award Nominee (the only person to be nominated twice, still not won it).
Time Out Award (didn’t get entry form in on time).
The list gets longer every day. He did, however, win the BAF ‘Out There’ award for Artistic Courage, for a show at the Bakewell Arts Festival, where they were genuinely expecting folk music.

A tall, versatile, funny and very likable performer, whether you need an MC, an extended set, or simply something down from the top of a cupboard, Silky headlined the inaugural Frampton Mansell comedy festival, the world’s smallest. He acted in ‘All Shorts’ for Club West (winners of the coveted Spirit of the Fringe award), and presented WorldArt Media’s TV Stage in Princes Street Garden.

He’s compered the Big Value Comedy Show Edinburgh Fringe (**** Edfringe.com), the final of the FHM Comedy Award and has played from Manila to Berlin, Belfast to Prague, Shanghai to Croydon, but he’s never been to me, and actually enjoys making people laugh. He acted in a pilot for SO TV that was bought for broadcast by Disney, and will never show the tape as Bee Costumes and spandex are involved.

Warm-up work includes Strictly Come Dancing for BBC1, a Saturday evening primetime show attracting 9.1 million viewers. He’s always doing interesting stuff.

Corporate clients include NISSAN, UMIST, GSK, and Tubedale Films amongst others.

QUOTES

‘a very, very funny fella.. just brilliant’ – John Bishop

‘funny and clever’ – Tim Minchin

‘Skilful and entertaining’ – Time Out

‘One of the comedy circuit’s most popular headliners … On the cusp of Superstardom’ – Yorkshire Life

‘Among the best of the circuit … born funny.’ – City Life

‘massively engaging guitar-playing stand-up whose instinctive rapport with audiences makes him welcome wherever he goes.’ – Guardian Guide (Pick of the Week)

‘In front of a capacity crowd in the famous Cavern Club, Silky’s mix of witty chat and cheery songs delighted all present’ – Liverpool Echo

Simon Bligh

cactus — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 13:51:23 +0000

As a fifteen-year-old Liverpudlian schoolboy, Simon Bligh was told by his headmaster that he would go to hell. His mum wanted him to be a priest; he wanted to be a plumber. His dad was a mad Catholic Communist; he was a Kung Fu mad Buddhist. Growing up in Toxteth, his childhood was odd, but full of strange passions: Philosophy and Zen, leather trousers and motorbikes, Japan, unarmed combat and stand up comedy.

The young Simon loved comedy and, upon seeing a Richard Pryor film in an empty Manchester cinema, he realised his true calling. He knew he should be a comedian. Faced with this revelation, there followed a decade of travelling, teaching and trying to pluck up the courage to ring for open spots. Finally, he did it. He hasn’t looked back since.

Ten years on, Simon is one of the finest, and most sought after performers in this country, and beyond. With a Time Out Comedy Award and Perrier Award nomination under his belt, Simon is in great demand. Aside from being a top compere at the world famous Comedy Store, he regularly delights audiences nation-wide at comedy clubs and corporate events throughout the UK. His cheery, conversational manner and manic storytelling involve acute observations and he juxtaposes a cheery, affable conversational style with a wild, frenetic and fast-moving performance engaging audiences in a whirlwind of unadulterated comedy. His corporate clients include Halifax Building Society, The British Newspaper Association and he has recently returned from Barcelona where he hosted the ‘Achievers Awards’ for Nat West.

Simon has worked all over the globe and has made appearances as far and wide as Dubai, Hong Kong, Thailand, America, Malaysia, Amsterdam, Germany and France. Spring 1999 saw him take his unique brand of humour down under where he represented the cream of British talent by co-headlining the ‘The Cutting Edge of British Comedy’.

He has a string of TV credits to his name, most notably: – The Comedy Store (CH5), The Stand–Up Show (BBC), Not The Jack Docherty Show (CH5), Good Stuff Comedy (Carlton), Edinburgh Nights (BBC2), Saturday Live (ITV) and That’s Showbuisness (BBC1). Simon recently recorded a pilot for Channel 4 entitled ‘Dojo Rising’, where he indulged in his love for Martial Arts and took a look at all aspects from Kung Fu to Capoeira to the ‘beat ‘em up’ video game phenomena.

Tom O’Connor

cactus — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:09:35 +0000

Tom O’Connor has become a household name through the realms of television, hosting his own shows “Tom O’ Connor”, “Wednesday At Eight”, “Night Out At The London Casino”, ” London Night Out”, “The Tom O’Connor Show”, and ” The Tom O’Connor Roadshow”. He has emerged as one of the most popular entertainers in the country and one of Britain’ s funniest comedians.

Not only that, Tom has carved a fine reputation for himself as a most accomplished quiz and game show host with no less than eight successful series to his credit – “Name That Tune”, “Gambit”, “Zodiac”, “Password”, “I’ve Got A Secrets”, “A Question Of Entertainment”, “That’s News To Me” and the ever popular “Cross Wits”.

Tom was born in Bootle, Merseyside. His father was a docker and it was in Liverpool that Tom became a schoolmaster. Whilst working as a maths teacher and assistant headmaster at St Joan of Arc School in Bootle he developed his unique comedy routines.

In actual fact, the school’s headmaster had a lot to do with the progress of Tom’s career in comedy. When his pupils showed very little interest in the academic side of mathematics, the headmaster told him, ‘Never mind the algebra and logarithms – just remember you are saving souls’

It had a great effect, for Tom found a distinctive way of teaching his subject and communicating with his charges. ‘The only way I could think of getting through to them was to tell jokes’, says Tom. ‘It worked a treat…and that’s really how the comedy all started. I actually started my showbusiness career as a singer and would have been quite happy doing that but I soon found out that comedians got paid more money than singers so I gradually introduced comedy into my act and concentrated on talking to the audience about people, and observing life. Real life can be very funny. It really took off from there’.

For several years Tom O’Connor lived a double life – teaching his pupils by day and entertaining club audiences by night. His reputation spread throughout showbusiness and it soon became obvious that he would have to make a decision about his future career.

‘I was working very late at night, sometimes getting home at three or four o’ clock in the morning’, says Tom. ‘I had to be up at seven for school. So I had to decide whether to give up teaching in order to concentrate on a full – time showbusiness career… or forget the entertainment industry altogether in favour of school. Actually it wasn’t much of a gamble to take, for when I had twelve months engagements in my diary, I took the plunge.

In 1974, Tom hung up his cap and gown for good to become a professional entertainer. He hasn’t looked back since.

Success rapidly followed success. He made such an impact on television – winning three separate shows on ‘Opportunity Knocks’ – that within a year of his TV debut, he was hosting the Thames TV series “Wednesday At Eight”, followed by his own series “The Tom O’ Connor Show”. A year later he received the highest accolade in the theatrical profession, when he was invited to appear in the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium. In 1977 Tom was the subject of “This Is Your Life”.

Tom’s success, however, has not just been confined to television. In cabaret he starred at every major night – spot in the country, and headlined his own summer season shows in the country’ s top resorts. His work has taken him to most English speaking countries including America where he featured at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in Manhattan.

Tom is in constant demand for corporate functions both here and abroad and his client’s list includes many multi-national companies where his ability to mix with and relate to people from every station in life from the M.D. to the tea lady coupled with his hilarious and scrupulously clean material has placed him firmly at the top of the Premier division of after – dinner speakers.

No mean golfer, Tom took the literary world by surprise in 1992 when his first humorous golf book, ‘From The Wood To The Tees’ made the best seller’s list. Subsequent successful books include’ One Flew Over The Clubhouse’, ‘Take A Funny Turn’, ‘Follow Me, I’m Right Behind You’ and ‘Eat Like A Horse…Drink Like A Fish’.