ISY SUTTIE, the acclaimed stand-up and British Comedy Awards ‘Best Female Newcomer’ nominee - best known as Peep Show’s Dobby and as star of BBC TWO’s brand new sitcom Whites - is to embark on her first national tour. From 10th September, ISY will perform her debut solo show Love Lost in the British Retail Industry, a unique musical character comedy set in the local supermarket, in venues nationwide. A sell-out success when it premiered at the 2007 Edinburgh Festival, it is a must for anyone who likes their comedy full of joie de vivre, music and pathos.

In this Musical not-so-Fairytale for 2010, a delicate love story unfolds to the sounds of till bleeps and screaming children. Starring Lisa, the lonely checkout girl who’d rather be in a rock band, and Carl, the world-weary shelf stacker who’d rather be at an animal rights demo, Lost in the British Retail Industry reveals that - if you search hard enough - you can find lost love behind any box of Persil. Along with dusty Euros and severed dolls’ heads.

With warm and natural songs, ISY brings Lisa and Carl’s turbulent romance to life - from ballads about dancing in the washing powder aisle, to jazzy lullabies about the dark side of love: “What I’d give for a lover without kebabby hands and a slippery heart, a man who washes more than he lies.” So ‘checkout’ a show that’s bursting at the seams with heart, grit and pathos - it’s Alan Bennett with an electric guitar; Guys and Dolls in Costcutter; Tom Waits without the hangover.

ISY SUTTIE, is an acclaimed performer, writer and stand-up, whose recent projects also include: working as the Comedy Consultant on series 3 and 4 of Channel 4’s BAFTA award-winning Skins; filming the brand new series of Channel 4’s Peep Show returning in November; starring in BBC TWO’s brand new restaurant-based sitcom Whites with ALAN DAVIES, due to broadcast this autumn; appearing on 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4), The Incredible Will and Greg (Channel 4) and Comedy Cuts (ITV2); and writing and appearing on a variety of Radio 4 shows including The Now Show and Laurence and Gus: Hearts and Minds, not to mention co-hosting Danny Robins: Music Therapy. An established live performer, ISY has two critically acclaimed sell-out Edinburgh runs to her name. Following her success at the Fringe ISY joined the Paramount Comedy Edinburgh & Beyond Tour, appearing in theatres throughout the country. She continues to play to packed audiences nationwide - both as a solo artist and alongside contemporaries such as JOSIE LONG, ROBIN INCE and GAVIN OSBORN - and was nominated ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 2005 Chortle Awards, reached the final of the London Comedy Festival, and the semi-finals of both the BBC New Talent Competition and Amused Moose Star Search. A talented musician, she is a Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Award winner. She is currently writing a feature film with Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer TOM BASDEN.
ends

What the press has said about Love Lost in the British Retail Industry:

“Isy Suttie is a modern-day Victoria Wood - and it’s a similarity that extends beyond the soft Northern twang, or the fact that they are both talented musicians as much as stand-ups. This is comedy with heart and soul... Lovely stuff.”
Steve Bennett, Chortle

“It's bittersweet and charming, and her stock of unpredictable punch lines hint at the shrewd intelligence of a ruder John Shuttleworth or Victoria Wood.”
Nicholas Barber, Independent on Sunday

For more information please contact: Jo Cross or Dan Lloyd at Avalon on 020 7598 7222 or joc@avalonuk.com / danl@avalonuk.com

WHAT THE PRESS HAS SAID ABOUT

Love Lost in the British Retail Industry (cont):

Isy Suttie is the best friend you never knew you had. With the winning combination of romanticism, guileless charm and a filthy sense of humour, she left her audience unwilling to say goodbye at the show's close… Slipping in and out of a host of characters at a sometimes dizzying speed in an act punctuated by songs, Suttie keeps up the pace with unflagging warmth and wit. Her delight in the darker side, and eye for the absurd, provide a nice counter-balance for her unaffected sweetness and overwhelming affection for her subjects.
Three Weeks

One of the UK’s brightest young comics.
Jay Richardson, Edinburgh Festivals

Suttie has something of a contemporary Victoria Wood about her, being a talented musician with a canny eye for accents and the nuances of working folk. The strongest part of the show, however, is the slightly bolted-on American singer-songwriter whom Suttie uses to mock Alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne with a merciless parody.
Stephen Armstrong, Sunday Times

Suttie plays each [character] with great vocal dexterity, keen observations and a lot of charm.
Beth Pearson, The Herald

Suttie is a talented musician and singer, and those attributes are shown off in their best light for this one-woman musical story set in Suttie's hometown of Matlock in Derbyshire.
Sharon Lougher, Metro

Alan Bennett recently complained that he was no longer merely accused of being twee, but had become its yardstick. Here, Bennett-style tweeness is just about kept at bay, thanks to Suttie's effective turns of phrase (love is "a salmon leaping up a multicoloured stream") and her frequent anti-romantic switchbacks: Lisa "spreads her legs like a slag made of butter", and Carl feels soppy enough to address her with the following words of love: "If you were a golliwog, I'd overlook the social taboo."
I'll overlook the familiarity of Suttie's material, and salute the lyrical flair and big-heartedness with which she brings it to life.
Brian Logan, The Guardian

Isy Suttie’s charming representation of Lisa…is a delightful delivery of fresh produce, being almost entirely free of cynicism. The entire set is full of creativity and ambition, pulling together a knowing cheesy four-character TV-soap storyline into a tight one-woman musical comedy… Warm, charming and enjoyable hour of entertainment.
Ben Judge, Fest

With Love Lost in the British Retail Industry, she utilises talents other than vocal to create a splendid character-fuelled debut solo show, to follow up her previous Fringe appearances in The Comedy Zone and Take A Break Tales. When girl meets boy in the pet food aisle, all seems rosy. Yet dark storm clouds are gathering when an angsty American singer songwriter Mary Westenberger (a warped cross between Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette) comes between them. This is Suttie’s most strikingly hilarious character but it plays second fiddle to the loved-up pairing while her comedic growling is slightly undermined through repetition. Still, this is an assured debut from a true rising star.
Brian Donaldson, The List

Her stuff feels like it’s got elements of magic to it. It’s beautiful and also quite dark.
Josie Long

Quirkily endearing
Jay Richardson, The Scotsman

TOUR DATES

September

Saturday 11th MAIDENHEAD Norden Farm Arts 01628 682 555
Monday 13th EDINBURGH University 0131 650 2252
Friday 17th CHIPPING NORTON Theatre - Double with Rob Deering 01608 642350
Monday 20th LONDON Soho Theatre Studio 0870 429 6883
Tuesday 21st LONDON Soho Theatre Studio 0870 429 6883
Thursday 23rd LONDON Soho Theatre Studio 0870 429 6883
Friday 24th LONDON Soho Theatre Studio 0870 429 6883
Saturday 25th LONDON Soho Theatre Studio 0870 429 6883
Thursday 30th FAREHAM Ashcroft Arts 01329 223 100

October

Friday 1st FOLKESTONE Quarter House 01303 858 500
Sunday 3rd SHEFFIELD Comedy Festival, The Lescar 07734 940 737
Tuesday 5th BRADFORD Uni 01274 236 367
Wednesday 6th BIRMINGHAM Electric Cinema 0121 643 7879
Friday 8th CLACTON Princes Theatre 01255 686 633
Saturday 9th DIDCOT Cornerstone 01235 515 144
Sunday 10th LINCOLN Comedy Festival 01522 873 894
Monday 11th OXFORD Free Beer Show 07782 195 543
Thursday 14th BIRMINGHAM Glee Club (Double with Dan Antopolski) 0871 472 0400
Friday 15th BRIGHTON Comedy Festival Pavilion 01273 709 709
Sunday 17th BATH Comedy Cavern 01225 404 445
Tuesday 19th HARROGATE Studio 01423 502 116
Friday 22nd DURHAM Gala Studio 0191 332 4041
Sunday 24th YORK Hyena 08707 583 219
Wednesday 27th CARDIFF St Davids 029 2087 8444

November

Monday 1st CHELTENHAM Slak Bar 01242 524 011
Thursday 4th WOLVERHAMPTON Civic 0870 320 7000
Friday 5th HULL Truck 01482 323 638
Saturday 6th DERBY Assembly Rooms 01332 255 800
Sunday 7th LANCASTER Dukes 01524 598 500
Wednesday 10th BARNSLEY Civic Theatre 0845 180 0363
Thursday 11th LONDON Jacksons Lane 0208 341 4421
Friday 12th CAMBRIDGE Junction 01223 511 511
Saturday 13th LONDON Jacksons Lane 0208 341 4421
Friday 19th COLCHESTER Arts 01206 500 900
Saturday 20th READING South Street 0118 960 6060
Sunday 21st NOTTINGHAM Cornerhouse, Just the Tonic 0115 910 0009
Wednesday 24th ABERDEEN, Lemon tree 01224 641122
Thursday 25th INVERNESS, Ironworks 0871 7894173
Sunday 28th ANDOVER, The Lights 0126 436 8368
Monday 29th MANCHESTER, Comedy Store 0844 826 0001

December

Wednesday 1st GLASGOW, The Stand 0844 335 8879
Thursday 2nd STOCKTON ON TEES, Arc 01642 525 199
Monday 5th CANTERBURY, Bramley’s Bar 01227 379933

February

Sunday 6th LEICESTER Firebug 0116 255 1228
Saturday 12th HASTINGS White Rock 01424 462 288



AVALON PROMOTIONS
Avalon Promotions Limited is one of the leading promoters of live comedy in the UK. Productions include: NEWMAN & BADDIEL in the first comedy show ever to be staged at Wembley Arena; FRANK SKINNER’s record-breaking performance to an audience of 6,000 at the Battersea Power Station; Jerry Springer - The Opera at the National Theatre, at the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End, on national tour and at New York’s Carnegie Hall; HARRY HILL at the Palace and Dominion Theatres in London; and Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack Adventure at the Sydney Opera House, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, on national tour and at the Village Theatre, New York (nominated for Drama Desk Award 2004).

The last 12 months has seen Avalon Promotions: present multi-award winning comics CHRIS ADDISON, SIMON BIRD, JENNY ECLAIR, DAVE GORMAN, RICHARD HERRING, RUSSELL HOWARD, LEE MACK, and FRANK SKINNER on sell-out runs; produce AL MURRAY, THE PUB LANDLORD live at the O2 and RUSSELL HOWARD at Wembley Stadium; introduce some of the fastest-rising stars in comedy such as KRISTEN SCHAAL & KURT BRAUNOHLER and ISY SUTTIE; produce stage shows, such as Frank Skinner’s Credit Crunch Cabaret and Grumpy Old Women Live, which has toured the UK three times and performed highly successful runs in Australia and London’s West End; and present 20 acts at the Edinburgh Festival, where it has promoted a total of five Perrier Award winners and 18 Perrier Award/Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees in just 21 years.