work in progress comedy season: volume 3

020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk

All Tickets £5

PROGRESS

WORK IN

COMEDY SEASON

December - February

Vol. III

How would you like to become friends with a real-life comedian? Come to Matthew Crosby’s new show and that might just happen to you. A member of sketch heroes Pappy’s, he wrote and starred in BBC3’s Badults, he’s been on 8/10 Cats (both Countdown and the normal one); so obviously you’d want to be friends with him. Legal warning: Friendship with Mr Crosby is not legally binding and can be terminated without notice.

Carl Donnelly (Foster’s Edinburgh Award Nominee 2013) and Chris Martin (“One of the UK’s best young observationalists” Guardian) from the Carl Donnelly & Chris Martin Comedy Podcast share an hour of new ideas and material.

They give you a sneak peak at their newest thoughts on things they’ve noticed and embarrassing moments that have happened to them this year.

“Top 10 comedy podcasts” Guardian“Destined for greatness” Sunday Times

WIP Offer - See any 3 shows for £12 WIP Offer - See any 3 shows for £12

1ST DEC 7:45PM £5

7TH DEC/1ST FEB 8PM £5

4TH DEC/16TH FEB 7:45PM £5


6TH DEC/27TH JAN 7:45PM £5


3RD DEC 7:45PM £5

8TH DEC 8PM £5

Chris Turner Long-limbed award-winner tries to pin down the things that we should really let go. Live instrumentation, emotional manipulation, freestyle rap. Things are going to get sad.

The Haircut; or, the Barbershop Duet Two of the UK’s finest improvisers abuse their psychic link for your amusement in a high-wire hour of unscripted comedy.

Back by popular demand for the third year running, the Pleasance’s Work In Progress Comedy Season once again brings together some of the best acts on the circuit to try out their new material. This is your chance to see brand new jokes being tested in front of a live audience for the first (and quite possibly the last) ever time.

HUB is BACK!

After an amazing Edinburgh Fringe run with sell out shows and 5 star reviews, we’re back in London to showcase the best acts as they test drive their new material.

The line up show to rival all others, booking advised.

Lazy Susan are going surfing... On the airwaves that is! ... Hello? Join them as they present an evening of work in progress radio comedy. Blindfolds optional. Expect special guests and pointless visual jokes.

Foster’s Best Newcomer Nominees 2014.

Your favourite three comedians Chris Betts (well reviewed obviously) Phil Jerrod (equally well reviewed) and John Hastings (a man) join forces to work on brand new jokes in front of brand new folks. WE LOVE YOU.

Matt Winning will be doing his thing. What ‘his thing’ will be is still, at this moment, unclear. Previously ‘his thing’ has been described as:

“Attractively impish” Guardian“Straddles the line nicely between being the oddball spouting nonsense and a more accessible comic making the surreal relatable” Chortle“One-liners to rival Tim Vine’s funniest joke awards” List

Lucky pup Elms is back chasing his tail again and this time he’s telling a story, learning about envy and, as always, love. “A musical comic who offers something that feels entirely new” Guardian“As if someone has squeezed all the sweet and nice out of Stewart Lee and made a whole new comic with it”★★★★ Scotsman

CHRIS TURNER & THE HAIRCUT; OR,

THE BARBERSHOP DUET

HUB

LAZY SUSAN

MATTHEW CROSBY

MATT WINNINGDAVID ELMS

THIS COULDBE FANTASTIC!

CARL DONNELLY& CHRIS MARTIN

020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk 020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk

Last year Fin and Phil took shows to Edinburgh called ‘Stink’ and ‘Philth’. Their new stuff will probably be just as gooey.

“Stink is one of the punchiest, densest and most wide-ranging hours of stand-up at the Fringe” Scotsman “Wang is master of the intellectual dick joke” Time Out


11TH DEC 7:45PM £5

13TH DEC 7:45PM £5

24TH JAN 7:45PM £5

22ND JAN/13TH FEB 7:45PM £5

21ST JAN 7:45PM £5

25TH JAN 7:45PM £5

18TH JAN 7:45PM £5

19TH JAN 7:45PM £5

20TH JAN 7:45PM £5

A work in progress show from Tom Craine. Co-writer of the forthcoming BBC3 sitcom Josh, host of The Tom Craine Story Show (Radio X), and a regular face on telly things from Russell Howard’s Good News (BBC3) to Drunk History (Comedy Central).

Isy Suttie is an award-winning comedian, writer, songwriter and actress. Her TV acting credits include Peep Show, Shameless and Skins. She regularly performs to live audiences and on radio, including her Sony Award-winning BBC Radio 4 series Isy Suttie’s Love Letters, and has been nominated for a British Comedy Award three times.Isy has written for Red, Glamour, the Guardian and the Observer.

“Gloriously upbeat” Evening Standard“A real gem” Guardian

Multi-award winning comedian Harriet Kemsley brings her second solo show to The Pleasance. Isn’t she brave... Winner of The Bath Comedy Festival New Act of the Year and Brighton Comedy Festival New Act of the Year.

“A quirky very funny new stand-up”Time Out

Those adorable funsters Max & Ivan present the beginnings of something wildly exciting.

NOT FEATURING THE FOLLOWING SKETCHES:Zombie Napoleon goes to the disco, the Chinese waiter whose catchphrase is ‘Hot soup?!’, Nazi Napoleon goes to the cinema, some actual Jets versus some actual Sharks, the dentist with a soft spot (in his scalp), Mr Farts-Money and his lucrative adventures AND MANY MORE!

★★★★★ Times ★★★★★ Mirror★★★★ Scotsman ★★★★ Independent★★★★ Chortle ★★★★ Telegraph ★★★★ Guardian ★★ List :’(

Rachel Parris (Austentatious, The IT Crowd, Thronecast) presents a collection of songs, stories and stand-up about not having it all. No house, husband, child, wage? No problem.

“One sometimes doubts that Britain’s got talent - but Parris has it in spades” Guardian“Uproarious” Scotsman“A gifted performer” Times

This gig is your oyster, come shuck it. Big topics will be covered (TBC). How the hell do I sell this gig to you? You’ve never heard of me! Take a punt mate. I used to be in sketch group Delete the Banjax. Heard of them? Thought not. I’m now in Poldark. Funny how your career works out. At no point will I be talking about that. It’s just weird wearing all those old clothes.

“Cook possesses a quality that simply makes him funny” List

Award-winning comedian Ian Smith (BBC1’s The Ark, BBC3’s Sweat the Small Stuff) returns with a work-in-progress of his fourth solo show. It’ll be a lot of fun. ★★★★★ Mirror ★★★★★ Three Weeks“Proper star quality” Guardian

Join Leicester Mercury Finalist and the brains behind multi award winning Gein’s Family Giftshop, Kiri Pritchard-Mclean as she performs an impossibly ambitious début hour show. She’ll be investigating genetics, gender and race - what a laugh. Is Kiri likely to end up committing an accidental hate crime? Come along and find out!

TOM CRAINE

ISY SUTTIE

HARRIET KEMSLEY

MAX & IVAN

RACHEL PARRIS

DAN COOK

IAN SMITH

KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN

FIN TAYLOR& PHIL WANG

020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk 020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk

WIP Offer - See any 3 shows for £12

28TH JAN 7:45PM £5

30TH JAN 7:45PM £5

31ST JAN 7:45PM £529TH JAN 7:45PM £5

Fresh from winning Dave’s Joke of the Fringe last year, and becoming tired of telling it 41 million times, Darren Walsh set himself the task of coming up with a completely new set of jokes by February. Darren combines animations, videos, sound effects, drawings, ad-libbing and surreal nonsense.

‘Punbelievable!’ ★★★★★ Mirror

BBC’s Johnny Cochrane and Magners New Act of the Year Winner Sophie Willan join forces to present a work in progress of their highly anticipated debut stand up shows, ahead of the Edinburgh Fringe. As seen on BBC3, ITV2, and Channel 4 and as heard on Radio 1 & 4.

Joey Page, 31, has moved out of his mum’s and is worried about the apocalypse, heartburn and white van men who smoke outside his window. He is in awe of washing machines and wants to escape reality.Have a swim around inside his head for an hour, the water’s fine and there’s a wicked slide.

DARREN WALSH

JOEY PAGEJOHNNY COCHRANE& SOPHIE WILLAN

RHYS JAMES & ED GAMBLE

Rhys James (surely going places) and Ed Gamble (already at places) join forces to perform separate shows on the same evening all included in one singular cost. Ed’s been doing really well lately and been on Mock The Week a bunch of times. Rhys kind of looks like the ill ghost of Ed. What’s not to like? Please don’t answer that. It’s very much going to be a work in progress affair.

Rhys:“Destined for great things... charismatic, clever and self-aware” Guardian“Has star in waiting running through him like Blackpool through a stick of rock... if you want guaranteed laughs look no further” Bruce Dessau, Beyond the Joke

Ed:Some chump.

26TH JAN 7:45PM £5New Act of the Year Finalist Twayna Mayne and Leicester Mercury Winner Kate Lucas join forces to workshop new material for the Edinburgh Fringe.

TWAYNA MAYNE & KATE LUCAS



2ND FEB 7:45PM £5

4TH FEB 7:45PM £5

5TH FEB 7:45PM £5

3RD FEB 7:45PM £5

John has been through things. He needs to write a show he has two ideas for and has no idea which one will show up with him but he hopes you enjoy it.Amused Moose Best Show Finalist 2015, Just For Laughs 2015 and as seen on Seann Walsh’s Late Night Spectacular and The One Show.

“This fast growing comic is a pleasure to watch” ★★★★ Times★★★★★ Mirror ★★★★ Herald★★★★ Herald on Sunday

Join the star of BBC1’s ‘The Magicians’ as he thrashes out new jokes and tricks for his next project. Pete is recognised as the UK’s leading comedian/magician. Expect his own trademark blend of crowd-pleasing comedy and jaw-dropping magic.

“The new poster-boy for British comedy magic” Telegraph

Following the smash-hit sell-out success of 2014’s Party Vibes at the Edinburgh Fringe and Soho Theatre, the acclaimed sketch trio bring you an early outing of their brand new show.

★★★★★ “This is joy” Skinny“Exuberantly silly, consistently imaginative and delightfully playful”Guardian

Will knows that something is wrong, and is pretty worried that the answer might be ‘everything’. Will is a stand up comic and a real swell guy. As well as this he is Bonzo the Dog from Foster’s Award Winning Funz and Gamez. He likes lots of things, including you. Will is brilliant at writing about himself in the third person.

Multiple award winning comedian James (with both Gein’s Family Giftshop and Funz and Gamez) presents a work in progress of his debut solo show. One man’s journey into finding out what the shit he’s doing with himself. A look at class, race, growing up and whether or not he’s actually called James.

JOHN HASTINGS

PETE FIRMAN

BIRTHDAY GIRLS

WILL DUGGAN &JAMES MEEHAN



7TH FEB 7:45PM £5

15TH FEB 7:45PM £511TH FEB 7:45PM £5

18TH FEB 7:45PM £5

6TH/21ST FEB 7:45PM £5

10TH FEB 7:45PM £5

12TH FEB 7:45PM £5

17TH FEB 7:45PM £5

Specialising in “well-produced bullshit” (Mat Ewins), Mat’s inspired use of video and multimedia, gag heavy sketches, instinctive comic timing and healthy dose of the absurd culminate in a truly unique, tricky to describe combination of stand-up, character, sketch and shambles.

“Unquestionably a very strange man... while delivering massive hilarity”Guardian

★★★★ Three Weeks ★★★★ Skinny ★★★★ Fest Mag

Another quest into the hilarious for Tom, who now has two children, even less hair, and a phobia of escalators. Topics will include: pasta, bearing up, fame, God, and Manuka honey. Not necessarily in that order. Topics are liable to change between the writing of this and the performing of the comedy.

“A Joy to Behold” List“Brilliantly funny. A Class Act” Scotsman“Excellent” Edinburgh Evening News

Award-winning comedian Pierre Novellie comes to Pleasance to try some new stuff out. Come, people of London, and aid me in discovering what is hilarious and what is not so hilarious. Your impact on my comedy will last a thousand years.

“Phenomenally good jokes” Guardian “One to watch” Time Out “Well-crafted, hilarious routines” Sunday Times

A work in progress from a man who made comedy history by wearing a wig and false teeth. Come see how easy it really is.Winner of the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award 2014 and Newcomer Prize 2013.

“A true comedy original” Time Out“One of the most riveting comedians at work today” Daily Telegraph

Thematically loose, structurally tenuous. James Veitch’s work in progress will have loads of adverbs followed closely by adjectives. It’s that time of year again and Veitch presents his new show with the brave, if tentative, embrace of a comic persona that many have described as “his own.” Genuinely intrepid. Fundamentally misguided.

Following the success of his smash hit debut show at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, rising star Tez Ilyas is back to workshop a brand new show. As seen on BBC One, Channel 4 & E4 and as heard on BBC Radio 4.

★★★★★ Mirror

MAT EWINS

TOM PRICE

PIERRE NOVELLIE

JOHN KEARNS

JAMES VEITCH

TEZ ILYAS

LOLLY ADEFOPE& ADAM HESS

KAE KURD &MO GILLIGAN

Lolly and Adam are best friends. Come see them do their (separate) work in progress shows, they will be so nice and maybe you could be their best friend too!

Lolly:★★★★★ Mirror ★★★★ Independent★★★★ Time Out ★★★★ Fest

Adam: ★★★★ Mirror ★★★★ Independent★★★★ Time Out ★★★★ Chortle

Two of comedy’s most exciting new stars, Amused Moose Laugh off finalist Mo Gilligan and BBC Radio 1Xtra’s Kae Kurd join forces to showcase new material for the Edinburgh Fringe.

020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk020 7609 1800 pleasance.co.uk


20TH FEB 7:45PM £5

19TH FEB 7:45PM £5 Pat Cahill brings you a WIP, he’ll be throwing his stuff at the Pleasance walls and sees what sticks. ★★★★ “One of the strangest and most delightful shows taking place at the Fringe this year” Edinburgh Festivals★★★★ “The sheer joy and silliness in Cahill’s material is irresistibly funny”Time Out★★★★ Skinny ★★★★ Short.com

It could be about animals, it could be about arseholes, we’ll just have to wait and see! Won’t we?A work in progress from the winner of the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award 2015

“This really is Simmons at the top of his game: exhaustingly funny, daft and truly daring.” ★★★★★ Time Out

PAT CAHILLSAM SIMMONS

BOX OFFICECarpenters Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF 020 7609 1800 www.pleasance.co.uk

Mon - Sun 10am - 6pm On performance days the Box Office will remain open until the start of the final performance.

TICKETSTickets can be collected anytime during Box Office opening hours or posted to you for an additional 50p.

Please note tickets sold are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged. Latecomers may not be admitted.

ACCESSPleasance Theatre strives to provide access for all. Our Main House is fully accessible via a lift from street level, we have infra-red hearing system in both performance spaces, accessible toilets and Guide Dogs are welcome. Sadly at present our StageSpace does not have step free access. Our aim is to make your visit as enjoyable as possible for further information or to discuss any access requirements please contact the Box Office.

FIND USUNDERGROUNDCaledonian Road - Piccadilly line (5 minutes walk), Holloway Road - Piccadilly line (15 minutes walk).

OVERGROUNDCaledonian Road and Barnsbury(15 minutes walk).

BUSBus 393 stops right directly outside the theatre with buses 17, 91, 259 and N91 all stopping at Caledonian Road Underground Station, 5 minutes walk.

PARKINGMetered on-street parking is available outside the theatre Mon to Fri 10am - 4:30pm with free parking evenings and weekends.


work in progress comedy season: volume 3

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