Stand-up star Tom Stade to headline The Laughter Factory
Justin Moorhouse and Ian Coppinger round out all-star bill – on tour in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha throughout September
The Laughter Factory is going from strength to strength right now. Just two weeks after our special one-off show from superstar Jason Manford (on August 25), we will back in September with another huge comedic coup – this time on tour throughout Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
Topping the three-comic bill is man of the moment Tom Stade, a much in-demand stand-up on the edge of superstardom.
Since his infamous “Meat Van Guy” routine went viral in 2011, Stade’s star has steadily continued to rise. This “rock n’ roll comedian” has appeared on pretty much every UK comedy show worth watching – BBC One’s Live at the Apollo, The John Bishop Show and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, to name just a few.
Tom will arrive in Dubai midway through his You’re Welcome tour – an acclaimed solo show debuted at last year’s Edinburgh Festival. Elsewhere we have veteran Irish stand-up Ian Coppinger, a classic storyteller renowned for spinning out his observational yarns, and regularly compared to compatriot Tommy Tiernan. He is also an acclaimed actor who has shared West End stages with the likes of Hollywood star Christian Slater. Rounding out the bill is a third famous face in Justin Moorhouse, also familiar to millions thanks to a starring role in UK sitcom Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights.
Justin has also been featured on premier comedy showcase Live at the Apollo, and appeared alongside football legend Eric Cantona in Looking for Eric, the cult classic movie from double Palm d’Or-winning director Ken Loach.
In short, it is no exaggeration to say this is one of our strongest bills to date, and we cannot wait to bring these three top talents to comedy fans across the GCC this September.
The Laughter Factory – September listings
What: The Laughter Factory starring Tom Stade, Justin Moorhouse and Ian Coppinger
Where/when:
Wednesday, September 14th – Park Rotana, Abu Dhabi (8pm)
Thursday 15th & Friday 16th September – Moevenpick JBR (9pm)
Staurday 17th September – Gramercy DIFC (9pm)
Monday 19th & Tuesday 20th September – Grand Hyatt DOHA (8pm)
Wednesday 21st September – McGettigan’s JLT (8pm)
Thursday 22nd September – Grand Millennium Barsha Heights (9pm)
Price: Dhs140/OR 140 – Click here to book now
Ages 21+ only. Contact: 00971 50 8786 728
Introducing the comics…
Tom Stade
Canadian comic Tom Stade has earned a reputation as one of the most original and exciting stand-up talents in the UK – and enjoys a star profile to boot.
Renowned for his magnetic stage presence and first-class story-telling, since his sudden breakout in 2011, Tom has toured every year with a new show, playing to packed houses and garnering rave reviews. Described by the London Evening Standard as a “rock n’ roll comedian,” Tom’s irrepressible charm translates effortlessly to TV. In the past few years, he has been invited onto every major UK stand-up show, including two appearances on flagship BBC showcase Live At The Apollo, as well as performances on The John Bishop Show and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.
Other primetime TV appearances include Lee Mack’s All Star Cast, Frankie Boyle’s The Boyle Variety Performance, BBC 3’s Edinburgh Comedy Fest Live, Stand-Up for the Week, Channel 4’s Comedy Gala – filmed at a packed London 02 Arena – and an extended set on Dave’s One Night Stand. He was also the co-writer and co-star of Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights.
As a long-term Edinburgh resident, Stade has been a regular at the career-making Edinburgh Festival for the past decade, causing a stir with 2011’s hit show What Year Was That?, a sell-out, extended run which firmly cemented his reputation as a distinctive and formidable live act. The success was repeated in 2012 with follow-up Tom Stade Totally Rocks, which went on to tour at more than 100 venues across the UK. He returned triumphantly with 2013’s 12 Nights Only and 2014’s Decisions, Decisions. Tom is currently on tour throughout the UK with You’re Welcome, the solo show he debuted at last year’s Edinburgh Festival.
Beloved by critics, UK national daily The Independent hailed Tom as “fresh and endlessly funny – slick, intelligent and sometimes ‘offensive’ stuff leavened by a sparkling charm’.” Back in his native Canada, Tom appeared in the critically acclaimed sitcom The Newsroom and the award-winning feature film My Own Private Oshawa. He also starred in his own hour special for CBC/Comedy Central, Stade and Confused. Tom’s inimitable style and sharp observations were caught on celluloid with the release of his debut DVD in 2013, Tom Stade Live, and his current tour is being filmed for a second DVD release, set for later this year. www.tomstade.co.uk
Justin Moorhouse
Having aced slots on premier comedy showcases Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Road Show, Justin Moorhouse sits at the top of the comedy tree.
But that’s only part of the story behind this powerhouse of funny, who is also a screen star known for acting in smash sitcom Peter Kay’s Phoenix Nights, and cult movie Looking for Eric, working alongside Eric Cantona and director Ken Loach.
But, bizarrely, the claim to fame Justin is most proud of is winning an episode of knowledge based quiz show Celebrity Mastermind. His chosen subject? Comedian Les Dawson. A charmingly chatty Northerner, Moorhouse is also a popular radio presenter, who has hosted numerous shows in his hometown of Manchester, including a Sunday morning slot alongside Coronation Street star Jennie McAlpine. Co-star, actually – Justin appeared briefly in the popular UK soap as Dean Upton.
Also on the airwaves, Moorhouse wrote and starred in his own BBC Radio 4 sitcom Everyone Quite Likes Justin – praised by The Guardian for “a satisfyingly high gag hit-rate” – and is a regular guest on 5 Live sports shows 7 Day Sunday and Fighting Talk.
Last year Moorhouse hit headlines with his revealing Destiny Calling tour, an open-hearted solo show addressing the comedian’s mid-life crisis since hitting the age of 45 – and reaching a waistline of the same figure in inches. Praised for its revealing and confessional nature, expect to hear the faux-philosophical insights of a man who just can’t help but see the funny side, staring down the second half of his life. www.justinmoorhouse.com
Ian Coppinger
Ian Coppinger is a consummate storyteller in the classic Irish mode. A veteran of two decades in the field, Coppinger is hailed as one of the Emerald Isle’s hardest-working and best-travelled exports.
A master of the anecdote, Ian picks apart first-hand observations, and spins them out to increasingly exaggerated – and hilarious – scenarios, which have the audience in raptures.
Regularly compared to compatriot Tommy Tiernan, Coppinger has strong opinions – and is not scared to share them. Coupled with his razor-sharp insights and powerful delivery, Ian is a mighty, pint-sized package. Also known as a noted stage actor, Coppinger starred alongside Christian Slater, Mackenzie Crook (Gareth from The Office) and ER star Alex Kingston in a production of classic counterculture novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, which went on to become one of the biggest shows in West End history.
He also worked alongside comedy A-listers Alan Davies and Bill Bailey in The Odd Couple – which in 2005 was declared the best-selling play ever hosted at the Edinburgh Fringe – and worked again with Bailey, as well as Steve Frost and Owen O’Neill, in a stage adaptation of Hollywood classic 12 Angry Men.
As a solo stand-up comic, Coppinger has proved equally successful, supporting Ardal O’Hanlon on his UK tour and Pat Shortt on his Irish tour, including seven sell out weeks in Dublin’s Vicar Street.
A noted improviser, Ian is also co-founder of The Dublin Comedy Improv, where since 1992 he has performed weekly at Ireland’s second-longest running comedy club, the International Bar, and taped two hit radio shows. As well as touring across Europe, North America and Asia, Coppinger remains a national treasure on home turf, and is one of a few select acts to be invited back to the Kilkenny Cat Laughs Comedy Festival year after year, since making his debut in 1995.
Capable of charming even the most mainstream crowd, more than 250,000 copies of his stand-up CD were once distributed in Sunday tabloid News of the World.
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.
Find out more
Website: www.thelaughterfactory.com
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelaughterfactory
And Twitter: @LaughterFactory
Media contact
Gail Clough (co-founder) +97150 100 3074
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