COMEDY AT THE SHED

Paul Tonkinson

For someone who first shot to fame as the “funny one” on the early shift on Sunday mornings as host of BBC 2’s originally titled The Sunday Show back in 1996, the fact that he is still going strong today is testament to the brilliance and diversity of the thin faced comedian and the timeless quality of his comedy. Appearing on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow 2010 again confirming Paul Tonkinson is a class act.
Once described as the “bastard son of Ken Dodd”, Paul Tonkinson is a shameless and a self-confessed professional northerner but more unforgivably is also a celebrity Manchester United supporter and regular appears as one of the talking heads on numerous football chat and tribute shows. That head also gets a fair bit of exposure on those other never-ending I Love …., the Greatest Ever … and Do You Remember … shows so beloved of modern TV programmers.
But the complete Paul Tonkinson is a star in his own right and a true master of comedy in all its different guises – on stage, in character, on screen, on air, compere or host. Whatever he chooses to do or be at any given time, Paul Tonkinson never fails to make his audience roar with laughter.
Comedian Paul Tonkinson first emerged on the stand-up circuit back in 1992, when he scooped the Time Out New Act of the Year Award. He completed the Time Out double when the Londonentertainment bible named him as their stand-up comic of the year in 1997.
Now a veteran of the stand-up, cabaret and corporate comedy circuits, Paul built on his Sunday Show success in 2001 when he landed the job as host of The Big Breakfast, standing in for Johnny Vaughan. Sadly, he lasted only two months before he was summarily fired when Vaughan chose to return.
His other television credits include Premier League All Stars for Sky One, Raw Soup on ITV, two series of Take The Mic for Channel 4, Comic Relief Does Fame Academy for the BBC, Liquid News and even a time on the sofa on GMTV.
His fledgling film career has, so far, included roles in Br-t flicks Going Back and Strong Language.
Moving into radio, he became the first breakfast show presenter on Xfm’s Manchester station when it was launched in March 2006. Like every good northerner who so loves their roots, he moved to Londonfor another show with Xfm’s flagship London station in 2007 the following year.
He then moved across the capital to host his own show, the even more originally titled Paul Tonkinson Show for BBC London as well as pieces for Radio 4’s seminal comedy news shows Loose Ends and The Week Ending.
But it is stage as a stand-up comedian that Paul Tonkinson is most at home. A master of mimicry and particular amusing accents, he takes his audience on a guided tour of Britain, using his observational skills – and those funny voices to find humour in almost every region in the UK and further afield. He also shares the mind-boggling image of losing his virginity to his friend’s sofa – and subsequently getting banned from his house – and offers some amusing ideas on the differences between male and female logic and behaviour. Sadly he has been known to spoil it all by talking about football and Manchester “****ing” United.

Among the people top comic Paul Tonkinsonwould apparently like to meet are such legendary statesmen as
Nelson Mandela Dalai Lama. Larry David. Richard Pryor, marathon runner Emil Zatopek, Paul Thomas Anderson, and predictably Ryan Giggs.
WHAT THE COMICS SAID
“It was being ripped apart by Paul Tonkinson at the Auckland Comedy Festival 2008 that made me want to be a stand-up comedian. Would love to play on the same bill as him – just not sat in the front row again!” – Stevie Gray, September 2009
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
“Brilliant” – The Independent
“Very funny” – The Mirror
“Excellent… extremely talented… brilliant”. – Time Out

Danny McLoughlin has the sharp wit & material, likeable persona and strong stage presence that have seen him become a much sought after act in his short time as a stand up.

A finalist in the Chortle Student Comedian of The Year in 2008, Danny went on to perform as part of the prestigious Big Value Comedy Show during Edinburgh Festival 2009.

He also supported Al Pitcher on his UK Tour and is booked by some of the UK’s biggest gigs and promoters.

It has been a rapid rise for Danny and it all looks set to continue. With an amiable, confident stage presence and a well written set Danny delivers material with more than just an immediate pay-off line, preferring to take the joke one or two steps further.

Confident enough to take a risk on stage he does so not to the detriment of the audience, keeping them laughing along or hanging on every word.

Dave Chawner

Dave’s a number 1 best-selling author, award-winning stand up, presenter & mental health campaigner. 

Dave’s 1st Edinburgh show, Normally Abnormal, sensitively used humour to explore his anorexic past. The show received critical acclaim, had sell-out shows and went on UK tour. As a result, the show was given an award by The UK’s Eating Disorder Charity  at The Houses Of Parliament in 2014. 

In 2015 Dave was asked to give a TED Talk on the topic of eating disorders. This caught the attention of a publisher and he was asked to write a book based on his experiences. This became Weight Expectations – part memoir, part self-help guide aiming to engage, entertain and educate people about anorexia.

Since then Dave has gone on to do shows about adult circumcision, veganism,philosophy and mental health. 

In 2023 he won Pegasus’ Comedy Awards ‘Ongoing Comedian Of The Year’ at The Edinburgh Fringe.

Dave has been a stand-in for BBC’s Mock The Week & Channel 4’s Taskmaster and has appeared on BBC Breakfast, Good Morning Britain, ITV’s Lorraine, Jeremy Vine On 5, Radio 1, Radio 2 & Radio 4. His comedy special ‘Mental’ has recently been uploaded to ‘NextUp‘

He has written for National newspapers including The Guardian, The Telegraphand Metro as well as numerous magazines including Cosmopolitan, GQ and Men’s Fitness.

Dave is patron of the award-winning Midlands based eating disorder charity First Steps, a patron of the mental health charity Recovery Assistance Dogs (AKA RAD), and a patron of Oakleaf in Guildford. He is a founding member of The Speaker’s Collective. He is Mental Health First Aid trained & a media ambassador for Mind, The Mental Health Foundation  and Beat. 

Kathy Rivett

Playful and giddy Kathy Rivett brings the silly and nails it to the painfully self-aware, creating a whirlwind of absurdity an quick punchlines. At just 19 years old she performed on BBC New Comedy Awards in 2024 (BBC Three), and the following year was Chortle Student Comedy Award finalist. Properly joyful and a little bit weird, Kathy is no doubt one of the most exciting young comics on the circuit.

“An explosion of mad energy…daft and funny”- Chortle”