Matthew Osborn @ Holsworthy Comedy Club

Event information

Matthew Osborn with Luke Benson and Carly Smallman MC
Saturday 5th May 2012
Doors open 8.00pm - 9.00pm Start. Ticket Price £12.00

Matthew is a hugely talented stand-up who started on the circuit in 2002 and went on to win SO YOU THINK YOU’RE FUNNY the same year. In 2003 was named CHORTLE BEST NEWCOMER. Since then he has performed on the UK circuit and abroad in France, Belgium and Monaco. As well as supporting HARRY HILL and AL MURRAY and appearing as part of THE COMEDY ZONE at the 2003 Edinburgh festival.
Other work includes appearing in SPANKING NEW ON 7 (BBC Radio 7), a programme featuring the most promising new stand up talent and as part of JONGLEURS LIVE, a collections of CD’s showcasing the 'Freshest and Funniest' acts on the circuit.
In 2005 Matthew took a break from Stand-up to concentrate on his writing, in which time he developed a number of plays, sitcoms and sketch ideas as well as writing his first book LEISURE.
Since returning to the comedy circuit in 2007 Matthew has picked up where he left off appearing at some of the UK’s leading clubs, including Jongleurs, Banana Cabaret, Headliners, The Comedy Café, The Frog And Bucket, Up The Creek and Downstairs At The Kings Head and was named the 2009 ENGLISH COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR.
In 2011, his most recent project, CUL-DE-SAC, a play written by Matthew, has just finished its run at the Edinburgh Fringe and received a terrific critcal reaction.
 
"The writing is sharp, the observations are acute. The dialogue sparkles, and an experienced and professional cast make it work beautifully."
****
Fringe Review  
 
"Osborn's Script is as crisp and polished as you might expect if you know his stand-up, and delivered accordingly, with clarity, precision and a fine sense of how each line should be timed."
****
Chortle
 
"If George Orwell had been around to write an episode of Terry and June, he might well have turned in something like this three-hander by Matthew Osborn.
Or what starts out as a front-lawn comedy of manners - very bourgeois, very buttoned-up, very English - becomes a kind of Nineteen Eighty-Four with laughs.
****
Scotsman

Geordie giant, Luke Benson is an incredibly talented stand-up making waves on the circuit as a superb act and MC. Luke’s been performing stand up since 2007 and has been a finalist in the Hackney Empire, Amused Moose, Leicester Square Theatre and Mirth Control competitions. He was also nominated for this year’s Leicester Mercury New Comedian of the Year Award. To top this all off, londonisfunny.com named him as one of the Top 10 Comics to Look Out For in 2011.
Luke enjoyed a fantastic Edinburgh 2010, appearing in Just the Tonic’s Big Value Comedy Show and the ‘Monumental Joke Disco’ which was named in the Top 5 Things to See at the Free Fringe (The List).
Luke has an incredibly likeable stage presence and his set is a mix of hilarious stories, original one liners and inventive word-play. He’s performed at The Comedy Store, Banana Cabaret, Just the Tonic, Frog & Bucket, Amused Moose, CKP, Highlight, Komedia, The Stand, XS Malarkey, Mirth Control, Up the Creek, Downstairs at the King’s Head, Spank! and many more. He has a regular show on Shoreditch Radio called the Benson & Proudfoot Show and has appeared on Channel 4, Capital Radio, Phoenix Radio and has performed and written for Virgin.
He has recently returned from Edinburgh Festival where he did The Comedy Reserve at the Pleasance Dome.

"Confident and assured and had some great punchlines."
Fringe Guru 
 
He is also about to film Greatest Body Shockers to be shown on E4. 
 
Benson runs his own popular comedy night- the Leicester Sq Working Mens’ Club (at the Leicester Sq Theatre). You can book tickets for it here. 
 
“A quirky observational set that earns him lots of applause…He looks the part, he’s got the talent, and it’s easy to imagine him on the telly”
Sunday Times
 
“One of the most instantly likeable personalities on the line-up. His punch-lines hit the targets... even more impressive was how he found a clear voice whatever style or subject of comedy he tackled.”
The Stage

“A finely accomplished set…packed full of word-play. Effortless delivery that we’re sure to see more of in the future.”
Chortle.
 
“Hugely likeable, experienced & really funny”
Time out

Carly Smallman sings funny songs. Her unique blend of outrageous impropriety and adorable sincerity has established her as a firm favourite in London clubs and beyond.  She plays many fabulous venues, including Banana Cabaret, The Stand, Komedia, Spank!, Comedy Café and many more.  Earlier this year she even went on tour around Eastern Europe- playing to crowds in Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary. She was also lucky enough to perform at Latitude, Reading, Leeds and V Festivals this summer.
Carly recently reached the final of the Musical Comedy Awards; in 2010 she was first runner up in the Bedford New Comedian of the Year competition and a Laughing Horse semi-finalist and has previously been named an Amused Moose Hot Starlet
Last year, Carly appeared on The Rob Brydon Show (BBC2), and was seen criticising people who are more famous than herself on The Top 50 Greatest Plastic Surgery Shockers (E4).  Radio appearances include What’s So Funny? with Rufus Hound (BBCR4 Extra). Carly will soon be seen on 5’s Interview of a Lifetime. She’s also proved a huge hit online with her debut music video making the ‘Featured Video’ list on BBC Comedy Online for several weeks and further sketches with BBC Comedy due for release soon. Carly is also one half of double act You’re Not the One, with Luisa Omielan.  Their 2010 Edinburgh show, A Guide to Love and Dating was a complete sell out…if you can call a free show a sell-out.  Basically, no more people could fit into the venue.
Carly has enjoyed tremendous success as an improviser, and was one of the original cast members of fringe smash Scenes From A Communal Living:  **** (British Theatre Guide).   ‘Very funny, fresh and endlessly creative.’  (Time Out).  ‘London’s hottest young comedy improvisers’ (Fringe Review).   She has trained with Keith Johnstone and Alan Marriott, and she sometimes likes to create off the cuff ditties as a surprise part of her comedy set.  She was also one half of hit hip-hop comedy act Abandoman with fellow comedian/improviser Rob Broderick to create improvised folk-hop anthems.
“A bundle of energy” - The Sun
“Delightfully ebullient...very funny, fresh and endlessly creative” - Time Out
“Genius breath-of-fresh-air humour” - QX magazine
“Her bubbly delivery made every line fun” - Fringe Guru
“Top songs that will make her quickly become a rising star” - Bournemouth Echo