Abandoman
Abigoliah Schamaun
Adam Belbin
Adam Bloom
Adam Buss
Adam Buxton
Adam Crow
Adam Hess
Adam Hills
Adam Riches
Adam Staunton
Adam Tempest
Addy Van Der Borgh
Adnan Ahmed
Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Poynton
Agraman
Aidan Bishop
Al Grant
Al Murray
Al Pitcher
Al Stick
Alan Anderson
Alan Bennett
Alan Carr
Alan Davies
Alan Francis
Alan Hudson
Alan Seaman
Alan Sharp
Albion Gray
Alex Boardman
Alex Clissold-Jones
Alex Horne
Alex Kealey
Alex Lasarev
Alex Love
Alex Lowe
Alex Maple
Alex Petrovic
Alex Zane
Alexander Armstrong
Alexei Sayle
Alexis Dubus
Alfie Brown
Alfie Joey
Alfie Moore
Ali Cook
Alice Frick
Alison Thea-Skot
Alistair Barrie
Alistair McGowan
Alun Cochrane
Alyssa Kyria
Amadeus Martin
Amateur Transplants
Amy Hoggart
An Audience With Peter
Ancient Annie
Andi Osho
Andre Vincent
Andrea Hubert
Andrew Bird
Andrew Crawford
Andrew Doyle
Andrew Lawrence
Andrew Maxwell
Andrew Murrell
Andrew O'Neill
Andrew Ryan
Andrew Stanley
Andrew Watts
Andy Askins
Andy Bone
Andy Brough
Andy Clark
Andy Kind
Andy Learmonth
Andy Linden
Andy Parsons
Andy Robinson
Andy Sir
Andy Smart
Andy Vaughan
Andy Watson
Andy White
Andy Zaltzman
Angela Barnes
Angelo Tsarouchas
Angelos Epithemiou
Angie Le Mar
Angie McEvoy
Anil Desai
Anna Crilly
Anna Freyberg
Anna Keirle
Anne Gildea
Anne Wilks
Annette Fagon
Anthony J Brown
Anthony Jeselnik
Anthony King
Anvil Springstien
Archie Kelly
Ardal O'Hanlon
Arj Barker
Armando Iannucci
Arnab Chanda
Arnold Bolt
Arnold Brown
Arthur Smith
Asher Treleaven
Ava Vidal
Ayesha Hazarika
Ava Vidal
Dancing to Get HappyLet's Dance For Sport Relief 2012 |
More Ava Vidal videos |
| Dancing to Get Happy |
| At the Melbourne Comedy Festival |
| Minority Report Oct 09 |
| Minority Report teaser |
| Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow |
| Minority Report ep2 |
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Started stand-up in 2003, becoming a finalist in the BBC New Comedy Awards and the Hackney Empire new act competition (where she came third) within a year. In 2004,she was one of the six stand-up housemates in E4/C4\'s Kings Of Comedy show. In 2007, she was selected to take part in NBC\'s Last Comic Standing after taking part in the London audition, but was unable to take part in the American legs of the show after encountering visa problems. |
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Kempinska's opening night |
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Jongleurs founder Maria Kempinska has opened more than her fair share of comedy nights in her time, but never, until now, a venue under her own name. Kempinska’s is more low-key than some of the more raucous venues her company often operates in: a minimalist basement bar in central London with plain walls and a smallish stage in one corner, aimed at wooing the moneyed City types who work nearby rather than the drinking-and-clubbing crowd. Five Jongleurs circuit regulars, plus compere Geoff Norcott and a couple of musical acts, opened the venue at a preview night last week in front of an invited audience, each performing just eight minutes. We started with Joe Rowntree, who’s one of those comics who does exactly what’s expected, with slightly blokey, slightly rude observational material, delivered confidently. It’s very safe – reassuring for bookers who want to serve up exactly what a casual audience expect stand-ups to talk about, but leaving him struggling to stand out or inject much personality into his set. At one point, though, he does launch into something surprising – a surreal off-the-wall rant that seems to come from nowhere, shaking his routine from its complacency, and even topped with a decent punchline, not just weird for it’s own sake. It’s a nice moment, but sadly out-of character. Built like brick outhouse, Colin Cole grabbed the audience’s attention more conclusively, grabbing lots of laughs from short, punchy gags. Unfortunately, though, they have all either been told before, or so predictable that you could fill in the punchlines yourself. His keen sense of rhythm seems wasted on this pub-gag material – like one of the old-school comedians from the Seventies. His obsession with midgets gives him some easy gags, but he also strays into much less edifying territory, when he simply invites the audience to laugh at the silly way the little people walk. Ha! Ha! Look at the idiots with their disabilities! Over the past couple of years arch cabaret duo Topping and Butch have undergone a makeover, switching garb from S&M to M&S – or, more likely, an even sharper gentleman’s outfitter. Though they’ve lost an obvious gimmick, the smarter look better befits the elegant camp of their song parodies. There’s nothing new in what they are doing, but their cheek and charm is irresistibly winning, with Butch playing up the innocent and Topping the devilish influence leading him astray. Here they wisely chose to lots of short bursts of songs, getting in and out with the gags without outstaying their welcome with a full verse. The one longer number they did tackle, a dirty version of I Dreamed A Dream, did show up it’s formulaic roots a little more – though the ‘prompting’ device was a nice touch, the filth enjoyable and Butch’s singing voice impressive. Susan Boyle, pah! After the showmanship (and an interval), the more relaxed delivery of Ava Vidal draws the audience in, and they hush to listen to her withering put-downs – aimed at her own children. The punchlines are strong and although she knows it’s wrong to say such evil things about her own flesh and blood, she’s not apologetic, but invites the audience to share her guilty pleasure at getting the frustrations off her chest. Finally Kev Orkian, who proved the clear audience favourite of the night – thanks in no small measure to his comedy Armenian accent. Laughs come from his tale about being a poor and naive immigrant, exploited but too simple to realise it. The style is a little old-fashioned – especially in his portrayal of effeminate gay men – but its a nice story, and Orkian’s wide-eyed persona engenders empathy. But his greatest skill is music. He’s a brilliant boogie-woogie piano player, and gets the crowd going with some call-and-response, and a virtuoso demonstration of his quick fingers. It’s not funny – but it’s very entertaining. |
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| Date of live review: Sunday 13th Nov, '11 | |
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Review by Steve Bennett |
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Sunday 21st Aug, '11- | |
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Monday 16th Aug, '10- | |
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Ava Vidal: Remember Remember The 4th Of November – Fringe 2009
Thursday 20th Aug, '09- | |
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Tuesday 28th Nov, '06- | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2004 - | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2005 - | |
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Show - Edinburgh Fringe 2006 - | |
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Such a great act. Even if it was a man telling the same jokes they'd still be funny. She's big strong black woman and an intelligent one. Knowing how biased the industry is for her to do so well shows how good she is! ahmed, February 2012 |
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SAw Ava play in Chester two weeks ago, she was awful. She even read her entire act from a piece of paper, one of the worst stand ups I have ever seen... drivel Dai, July 2010 |
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Utter utter shit. False, unpleasant and totally unlikeable in the dullest possible sense. Andy B., February 2010 |
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Saw her live in edinburgh for 1st time - a funny woman with some great writing - delivery too laid-back for most of the subject matter andy Barr, August 2009 |
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Worked with Ava recently on a really strong bill in a rowdy club, she was great. A really natural storyteller, I really enjoyed her - a very funny lady. Adam Ethan Crow, July 2008 |
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Saw Ava last night at the Comedy Store. Great (novel) material; though not sure if that's because I've never heard a black woman comic before. Delivery was beautifully paced, also. Kevster, March 2008 |
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I want a refund! I like to see new and up and coming acts yet I felt she was very cheap and terrible gags. Get this girl off stage, you wasted my evening! Simon, November 2007 |
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Boarding-school rebel, teenage single mother, victim of racism and violence… It all fuels an act which is – pretty laid-back actually. And that poise is her biggest achievement of all. She doesn't clumsily patch together joke after joke in a desperate attempt for a laugh, she has the guts and the style and the control to reel us in nice and slow. She doesn't disabuse her past to spice up otherwise limp lines, she uses it to structure the routines, to form an opinion, to tell a story. A story to win over the drunkest of hecklers. (Mind you, would you heckle an ex-prison officer?) But don't worry, this isn't an ain't-it-tough-being-a-black-woman number. The subjects make Lenny Bruce look like Des O'Connor, but just when it's turning into Newsnight she unleashes a delicious barb, a satirical twist, or a plain silly giggle. It only flags when she's too enmeshed in herself and seems to be celebrating some personal triumph. We wanna bust our breeches laughing, not attend someone's private exorcism. But overall, Ava has the sus and the sass and the class to succeed. One to watch? Definitely. Michael Monkhouse, October 2007 |
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'This will be hostile, let's face it head on' Russell Brand on his Late n Live furore 19/01/2012 Permanent link
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standing13 13/04/2007 Permanent link
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Where can I see Ava Vidal next?
| 20:30 - Friday 29th Jun, '12 | |
| Venue: | West Malling The Wheatsheaf |
| Prices: | £10 |
| Comics: | Ava Vidal, Gerry Howell, Ian Cognito, Cole Parker (MC) |
| 20:15 - Saturday 21st Jul, '12 | |
| Venue: | Birmingham Highlight |
| Prices: | From £14 |
| Comics: | Ava Vidal, Dave Johns, Martin Mor, Mickey D |
| 20:15 - Saturday 11th Aug, '12 | |
| Venue: | Reading Highlight |
| Prices: | From £17 |
| Comics: | Adam Bloom, Ava Vidal, John Mann, Pete Cain |
| 20:00 - Saturday 25th Aug, '12 | |
| Venue: | Highlight Watford |
| Prices: | £15 |
| Comics: | Ava Vidal, George Egg, Mike Gunn |
| 20:30 - Friday 9th Nov, '12 | |
| Venue: | Sevenoaks Town Golf Club |
| Prices: | £15 |
| Comics: | Ava Vidal, Moonfish Rhumba, Stefano Paolini |

BBC Three New Comedy Awards - Grand Final
Edinburgh Fringe 2004
Bling Blush Bonk
Edinburgh Fringe 2005
Ava Vidal: Misfit
Edinburgh Fringe 2006
Ava Vidal: Responsible
Edinburgh Fringe 2009
Ava Vidal: Remember Remember The 4th Of November
MInority Report
Edinburgh Fringe 2010
Ava Vidal: Lessons I Should Have Learnt
Chortle Presents Fast Fringe [Edinburgh 2010]
Edinburgh Fringe 2011
Ava Vidal: The Hardest Word
