LOLs guaranteed at The Laughter Factory in August

Fan favourites Tom Wrigglesworth and Marlon Davis back by popular demand – plus a “German Comedian” (really)

The rest of the nightlife community might still be stuck in second gear right now, but here at The Laughter Factory, we’re firing on all cylinders. Today we announce a sizzling bill of top stand-up talent on tour throughout Dubai and Doha in August. We can’t get enough of the incredibly funny, ballistically barmy Tom Wrigglesworth – and neither can you. Which is why we’re thrilled to have booked a return visit from the kooky, multi-award-winning comic, who leapt to fame back in 2009 with his hit show, tour and radio show An Open Return Letter to Richard Branson. It’s also a thrill to announce a repeat visit from Marlon Davis. Fresh from gigs supporting Michael McIntyre, Alan Carr and Kevin Bridges, this surreally confessional storyteller is one of the UK’s hottest young comedy talents – and it’s a real coup that he was able to make time in his calendar for a GCC tour with The Laughter Factory. Completing the bill is Christian Schulte-Loh – better known as “The German Comedian”. You read that right – this Edinburgh Fringe favourite plays off national stereotypes to hilarious effect in shows such as I Am German, I Should Not Be Here! Now we’re not ones to typecast, but let’s just say Belgian’s Kunst magazine declared Christian “a funny German – the only one!”. Mixing stand-up, storytelling and surrealism, this is one of our most-anticipated tours yet. It’s a bill that’s hotter than a…. well, a GCC summer.

*** See below for full bios of all comics

The Laughter Factory – listings

What: The Laughter Factory starring Tom Wrigglesworth, Marlon Davis and “The German Comedian” Christian Schulte-Loh

Where/when:

August 11 & 12 – Movenpick JBR, Dubai (doors 7.30pm, show 9pm)

August 15 – Rose and Thistle, Horizon Manor Doha (doors 7pm, show 8pm)

August 16 – Grand Hyatt Doha ( doors open 7pm, show 8pm)

August 17 – McGettigan’s JLT, Dubai (doors 7pm, show 8pm)

August 18 – Grand Millennium TECOM*, Dubai (doors 7.30pm, show 9pm)

*The ‘hood otherwise known as “Barsha Heights”

Price: Dhs140/OR 140 – book now at thelaughterfactory.com

Evening Comedy Brunch, from Dh280, and Supperclub packages, from Dh260, available from selected venues, see thelaughterfactory.com. Ages 21+ only.

Introducing the comics…

Tom Wrigglesworth

A softly spoken Yorkshireman sporting the massive curly mane of a mad scientist, Wrigglesworth is funny before he’s even reached the punchline. But this comedy heavyweight is no cheap trickster – his left-field, observational brand of stand-up is, if anything, of the more considered calibre. One critic even called his storytelling “elegant” – a word not often heard in comedy. Sitting at a career peak somewhere between newcomer and veteran, Wrigglesworth can look back on a distinguished ascent, which began sharply when he was crowned winner of Channel 4’s new comedian competition So You Think You’re Funny in 2003. Significant silverware was added to the shelf when Tom was named Time Out London’s Breakthrough Performer of the Year back in 2009, in the wake of his hit solo show An Open Return Letter to Richard Branson – which notoriously took the entrepreneur to task for the unfairness of his fares. It told the true story of how Wrigglesworth engineered a whip-round to help an elderly lady who was being forced to buy a new ticket – only for both Tom and the pensioner to be chucked off the train and arrested by police officers waiting at the next station. The controversial show went on to tour internationally, was adapted for BBC Radio, and earned Wrigglesworth a nomination for the much-coveted Edinburgh Comedy Award – what used to be the Perrier awards – solidifying his status as a top tier comic, and a celebrated “People’s Hero” to boot. The experience also inspired the radio series Tom Wrigglesworth’s Open Letters, in which he went on to throw shame at other maddening corporate policies. It was followed by Tom Wrigglesworth’s Hang Ups, also on BBC Radio 4, which focused on fictional calls back to his family in Sheffield. With more awards, festival, TV and radio appearances than we can list – eclectic telly experiences include predicting the future in Electric Dreams and dismantling a jumbo jet in Engineering Giants, both for BBC2 – Wrigglesworth is firmly established as one of the most respected and original voices working in UK comedy today.

Marlon Davis

Marlon Davis has enjoyed a meteoritic rise since hitting the scene decade ago. Following high-profile tour support slots for superstars Michael McIntyre, Alan Carr and Kevin Bridges, this outspoken Londoner has earned a reputation as one of UK capital’s hottest homegrown comics. Known for a room-grabbing delivery which is one part intimate confessional, two parts fish-out-of-water surrealism, and three parts deadpan delivery, Davis’ wide-grinned charisma can unite the most disparate comedy crowd. Brought up on a London council estate, the eldest of six children to parents of Jamaican and Ghanian descent, Davis has an everyman gift for turning coming-of-age strife into relatable comedy gold. Marlon’s big break came in 2009, when he won FHM’s Stand Up Hero, televised live on the UK’s ITV. His arrival was confirmed with the debut of his full-length solo show Enter the Davism – which opened with a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012. TV appearances include Comedy Central’s Comedy Store, BBC’s Edinburgh Comedy Fest Live, and sharing the screen with rappers Example and Doc Brown on sitcom Get Rich. This is one star we can only see continuing to soar – catch Marlon Davis now while you still have the chance.

Christian Schulte-Loh (“The German Comedian”)

Yes, you read that right – Christian Schulte-Loh is a stand-up comedian. From Germany. This fact alone is so novel – he believes at least – that Christian goes by the nickname The German Comedian. His website? www.germancomedian.com. Twitter? @GermanComedian. No joke. Belgium’s improbably named Kunst magazine declared Christian “a funny German – the only one!”. And they should know – a quarter of Belgians speak German, after all. Used to striking surprise into the heart of comedy fans everywhere when he reveals his nationality and profession in the same sentence, the novelty of Christian’s position has been explored and exploited in a series of hit Edinburgh Fringe solo shows: Stop Laughing, I Am German! (2009), I Am German, I Should Not Be Here! (2010), German Comedian (2012), Attack of the 50 Foot German Comedian (2013) and Return of the 50 Foot German Comedian. Reviewing Christian at The Fringe, the stuffy Spectator magazine called him “one of the most subversive acts ever”. As well as these hit English-language shows, Christian performs sets in Spanish and his native tongue. He has toured in more than 20 countries and become something of TV cultural ambassador for comedy in his homeland. How many times have you heard a stumbling comic ask a crowd “any Germans in the house?”, only to point to the ensuing silence for a quick, cheap, set-saving laugh? Well, scoff no longer – this is one German we guarantee will make you snigger.

About The Laughter Factory

The Laughter Factory is the Middle East’s longest-running comedy night, proudly making the GCC laugh since 1997. Thanks to a longstanding partnership with the UK’s Comedy Store, The Laughter Factory hosts a fresh bill of three different professional comedians every month, many already familiar stars of the screen on hit UK TV shows. With a reputation for quality and a sharp eye for talent, The Laughter Factory has showcased reams of A-list comics on their way to superstardom, including Michael McIntyre, Russell Peters, Ed Byrne, Dara O’Brien, Ross Noble, Jason Manford, Sean Hughes, Kevin Bridges and Frankie Boyle. The Laughter Factory’s commitment to comedy has been recognised by numerous publications, winning several accolades over its two-decade history, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from Time Out Dubai in 2013.

Online

Find out more: www.thelaughterfactory.com

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And Twitter: @LaughterFactory

Media contact

Gail Clough (co-founder) +97150 100 3074

gail@thelaughterfactory.com