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Jan Ravens at E4 Udderbelly

June 24, 2009 – 3:39 pm | by Allan McKay

Honestly, I was stone cold sober but I swear that the venue for this gig was inside an upside-down purple cow on London’s  South Bank next to Hungerford Bridge, which made for a interesting, if somewhat surreal, setting for the evening.  As an impressionist, Jan Ravens has an impressive CV including Spitting Image and Dead Ringers which automatically put her into the “worth a listen” bracket.  The gig is part of the ongoing E4 Udderbelly series (which explains the unusual venue) currently taking place on the South Bank.

The gig wasn’t billed as a comedy event, more of “An Evening With…”, which is exactly how it played out.  The venue was about half full the majority of the audience seemed to be there to see Jan Ravens rather than to watch whichever artist happened to be performing on that night.
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BBC Comedy for Spring/Summer

April 30, 2009 – 11:44 am | by Admin

BBC Two has announced a raft of new comedy this spring/summer.

Having created the kind of northern town that nightmares are made of, The League Of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton return to BBC Two with a spine-tingling, jaw-dropping, thrilling comedy serial, Psychoville. Joining them in Psychoville is a rich mix of talent, including Dawn French, Eileen Atkins and Nicholas Le Prevost, plus there will be an expanded Psychoville experience online, written by the show’s creators.

Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson bring their controversial phone-in host Gary Bellamy to BBC Two. As with the Radio 4 show, Down The Line will be performed in a semi-improvised style with Bellamy taking to the road each week in his “Bellamymobile”, eager to meet the great British public (played by the cast) to discuss everything from immigration and religion to class and culture.
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Thomas rides for charity

April 27, 2009 – 10:30 am | by Peekay

Comedian, Author and Activist Mark Thomas has announced that he will once again be doing a sponsored London to Brighton bike ride, and has threatened that if he fails to reach £1,000 in sponsorship he will be releasing pictures of himself in Lycra!

The big day is the 21st of June when Thomas will “set out at 6.00am with the hope of covering the 58 miles without the use of steroids or ending up in a cardiac unit.” 

All of Mark’s sponsorship money is this year going to the the PSP Association - PSP, or Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, and CBD, or Cortico Basal Degeneration, are degenerative brain diseases and The PSP Association supports both.

Support Mark, the PSP, and the visual cortex of the world by making sure he raises more than £1,000 by donating at his Just Giving page.

Jan Ravens - A Funny Look at Impressions

April 21, 2009 – 10:29 am | by Peekay

BBC’s Dead Ringers star Jan Ravens has announced dates around the Greater London area for her show “A Funny Look at Impressions” running from May to October 2009.

As one of the UK’s foremost impressionists, Ravens takes the experience of her distinguished career and distils it into a revelatory evening of entertainment. This is a unique glimpse into the fascinating and hilarious world of satirical impersonation. Ravens’ starring roles include all the women over Dead Ringers seven series; Alistair McGowan’s Big Impressions  and the legendary Spitting Image.  

Following its 2008 premiere at The National Theatre as a Platform performance, an extended version of the show will tour during 2009. Through the performance, Ravens reveals how she creates her remarkable takes on politicians and celebrities, treating her audience to many of her most renowned impressions along the way. From Anne Robinson and Nigella Lawson to Ann Widdecombe and Her Majesty The Queen, plus of course her unforgettable takes on Fiona Bruce and Kirsty Wark. No woman in the public eye is safe from Ravens’ razor sharp observation and unique satirical wit.

Full tour details can be found at http://www.janravens.com/