BBC snaps up Luisa Omielan's What Would Beyoncé Do?!
The BBC is to air Luisa Omielan’s stand-up show What Would Beyoncé Do?!
She is taping a new version of the show in London later this month, to air on BBC Three on Valentine’s Day.
Omielan’s show was a break-out hit of the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe, and she has and previously financed a DVD release of the show herself.
She said: ‘I am absolutely delighted. This was a free show I performed in Edinburgh back in 2012. I have been lucky enough to tour it for five years and now I am now filming it for the BBC! This show is just magic for me.’
Shane Allen, the BBC’s controller of comedy commissioning, added: ‘Luisa is a huge star in the making and this show is a real crowd pleaser. Luisa spins a time of personal rejection into a riotous, uplifting comedy banshee cry. It's for anyone who has ever had their heart broken. It heralds the feature length debut of a major new female comedy force.’
The 75-minute special – her first for TV – will be filmed at the Clapham Grand on January 19, and tickets are available here. Unusually for a TV recording, which are usually free, fans are asked to pay £5.90 to ensure they show up.
A BBC spokesman said the show would ‘capture the infectious energy of Luisa's shows, by joining the queues and audience in the build-up to the event, to discover why her loyal army of fans love her unique approach to stand-up and her Beyoncé ethos.’
It is being filmed by King Bert Productions – owned by Miranda Hart, David Walliams and comedy producer Jo Sergeant – and will be directed by Julia Knowles, who has also directed the actual Beyoncé’s Live in London live show.
Sargent saidLuisa is a unique writer-performer with bucket loads of stage presence. She is a rising star and we at King Bert are very proud to be part of this project."
Omielan's book based on What Would Beyoncé Do? was also published last year. Read our review here, or order here.
Published: 4 Jan 2017