RUSSELL HOWARD, star of BBC TWO’s Mock The Week, will return to venues across the UK this year as he embarks on a 60-date national tour with his new show, Dingledodies. The if.comedy and Barry Award nominee will kick off the tour with five Edinburgh dates at the Assembly Rooms. This will be his seventh successive appearance at the Festival Fringe, and his fifth solo show in Edinburgh, where he has sold out all his previous four Fringe runs.
RUSSELL, the recently announced successor to AL MURRAY - THE PUB LANDLORD as host of Paramount Comedy’s Edinburgh & Beyond, sold out last year’s Edinburgh run in its entirety before his first performance, with seven dates in larger capacity venues being added due to ticket demand. He then set off on a national tour which was extended to 66 dates, selling 38,000 tickets in the process.
Still unfashionably fond of humanity, RUSSELL's tireless energy and joyful enthusiasm for his craft make him a prolific stand-up favourite. Come and have your cobwebs blown away in an unashamedly exuberant whirlwind (not an actual whirlwind).
In addition to his near-constant touring, an extremely busy year has seen RUSSELL: appear on Live At The Apollo (BBC ONE) alongside some of the biggest names in comedy - including JACK DEE, JO BRAND, JIMMY CARR and JOAN RIVERS; retain his place as a permanent team member on BBC TWO’s returning hit show Mock The Week; return as a guest on Would I Lie to You (BBC ONE) and Never Mind the Buzzcocks (BBC TWO) after impressive debuts; and guest on Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive (BBC THREE). On top of that, RUSSELL has had continued success with his Sunday morning BBC 6 Music show (due to return in the New Year), which went into the iTunes top ten when released as a podcast. This autumn will see Russell Howard Live, his first ever DVD, released by 4DVD on 17th November.
Ends
What the press said about Russell Howard’s last tour - Adventures:
“One of the most sought-after acts in British stand-up.”
Dominic Cavendish, The Daily Telegraph
“Russell Howard is packing them in everywhere… he is a stand-up natural.”
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard
“You'll find more laughs here than many comedians manage in an entire career.”
Christopher Collett, Metro
“He is a huge talent.”
Dominic Maxwell, The Times
“A highly talented stand-up who invariably holds the audience in the palm of his hand.”
James Rampton, The Independent
For more information and press tickets, please contact: Ben Nolan or Dan Lloyd. Tel: 020 7598 7222 [London office] or 08700 70 50 50 [Edinburgh office] Email: benn@avalonuk.com or danl@avalonuk.com
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What the press said about:
…Adventures
“It makes for a dynamic, fluid show as he flits distractedly around the topics - plus you can’t help but share his gusto for life. This appealing energy is backed up by a great use of obscure, sometimes archaic language and imagery, delivered with the unconvincing posture of an Edwardian gentleman or street-cool kid, either of which he might adopt with a charming lack of conviction… Howard has got some sterling set pieces of laugh-aloud brilliance.”
Steve Bennett, Chortle (Four stars)
“Howard makes his anecdotal, story-telling humour look simple, but instead carefully builds each gag layer by layer. He circles the punchline, digressing on equally bellyaching tangents, yet never losing sight of the biggest laugh. The subject matter is uncomplicated, but stories of family, friends and everyday life are exalted from the standard comic routine by Howard's vivid and boundless imagination.”
Laura Oliver, Edinburgh Evening News (Four stars)
“He has a real knack for making familiar territory appear as if it were virgin ground. This is due to his vivid turn of phrase ('There are so many people who want to dance on Bush's grave they will have to scatter his ashes in Ibiza') and his boundlessly energetic and enthusiastic storytelling style.”
Christopher Collett, Metro (Four stars)
“Howard's non-judgemental analysis of human behaviour is free from the cynicism generally associated with observational comedy, and his charmingly innocent performance joyfully embraces the unexpected oddities of life… Lashings of brilliantly funny anecdotes and quirky observations that make this show both uplifting and entertaining.”
Hannah Thomas, Fest (Four stars)
“Brilliant - an absolutely exceptional stand-up.”
Teri Williams, Three Weeks (Five stars)
…Wandering
“There’s a crazy edge to his humour, but it’s his willingness to share that makes him such an engaging comic. He really wants to tell you stuff. He treats his audiences like old friends, and like an old friend he can’t wait to tell you everything that’s happened since the last time you met. He even turns a grim tale about being mugged into an upbeat anecdote.”
William Cook, The Guardian
“One of comedy’s true rising stars…In his bubbly live performance he’s in his element, striking up an instant rapport with the audience and finding jokes where others don’t even think of looking.”
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard
“Howard makes his well-crafted stand-up seem like a series of random thoughts in an entertaining conversation.”
Stephen Armstrong, The Times
“Up and coming and infectiously chirpy stand up.”
Sharon Lougher, Metro
“Russell Howard has a rare rapport with audiences. The comic is in the midst of a national tour with his infectiously likable Wandering.”
James Rampton, The Independent
“After a wonderfully successful Fringe last year, the Wandering lad has been popping up all over telly and radio. He’ll be fabulously famous very soon.”
Brian Donaldson, The List
“If you're in the mood for some freewheeling stories, anecdotes and a young comic with enough energy to power a small country, Wandering is the show you're after...a superbly funny ride.”
Guardian
“A tremendous hour with no filler and a lot of killer material.”
The Herald
…Edinburgh & Beyond 2006
“[Russell Howard’s] irrepressible enthusiasm, boundless confidence and super elasticised improvisational mind ensure he’s on the cusp of a major breakthrough.”
Mark Wareham, Mail On Sunday
“Russell Howard is destined for major greatness.”
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard
…Skylarking
“The future of British comedy…hysterically funny.”
Metro
“Howard has become one of our best young comics.”
The Times
“He’s a natural comic; not just in the sense that he radiates wit but in that the personality behind the mic is his, not just that of the show’s.”
Three Weeks
…Russell Howard - Edinburgh 2004
“He’s a perky, playful character, full of almost childlike delight at the world and its workings and with a pesky mischievous streak to boot.”
Chortle
“He is a great, laid-back stand-up comedian, who’s brilliant with the audience, and he ensures that everyone feels comfortable, even when he’s on slightly squeamish material, and he makes everyone laugh. Everyone. He deserves to be nominated for all sorts of prizes.”
Three Weeks
“Howard is one of the hottest comedians in the country.”
The Mirror
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RUSSELL HOWARD
A regular on our TV screens, RUSSELL has: appeared alongside some of the biggest names in comedy in the latest series of Live At The Apollo, BBC ONE’s flagship stand-up show; starred in four series of BBC TWO’s Mock the Week and has been a permanent team member for the last three series; featured in ITV1’s Tough Gig and as a panelist on BBC ONE’s Would I Lie to You; appeared as a guest on Never Mind the Buzzcocks and been instantly booked for the following series; and presented backstage coverage for ITV’s The Brit Awards and The British Comedy Awards.
RUSSELL was nominated for the if.comedy Award at 2006’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and received a prestigious Barry Award nomination at last year’s Melbourne Comedy Festival. Voted Best Compere in the 2006 Chortle Awards, RUSSELL has: twice hosted Paramount Comedy’s Edinburgh and Beyond UK tour - the first act ever to be asked back for a second year; and been invited to the influential Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal and included in the festival’s New Faces of Comedy show, as the only British comedian alongside 19 Americans.
RUSSELL presents his own BBC 6 Music show, which will return in early 2009. The show was made available to download as one of the BBC’s coveted weekly podcasts, and went straight into the iTunes top ten podcasts chart when released. Also on radio, RUSSELL has co-hosted two series of BBC Radio 2’s Saturday comedy show Out To Lunch and was resident guest on the third series; was a regular panelist on two series of Banter (BBC Radio 4); and performed his stand up on JOHN OLIVER and ANDY ZALTZMAN’S satirical comedy series Political Animal (BBC Radio 4).
