Head on up to Oscars in the middle of lovely Ludlow for another blinding line up from Comedy Hotspot. Four brilliant acts, all making amusing waves on the UK comedy circuit.
KATE SMURTHWAITE
Kate Smurthwaite is a stand-up comedian and political activist.
She performs all over the UK and around the world at major clubs including The Comedy Store, Comedy Cafe, The Stand, Covent Garden Comedy Club, Soho Comedy Club and Crack Comedy Club. She also writes and tours an annual solo show of highbrow left wing comedy under the name The News At Kate which has been a feature of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival since 2009. In 2013 she won a Three Week’s Editor’s Choice Award.
With over 2000 appearances, Kate is often a guest on news and debate shows and is well known for her forthright opinions and campaigning work. Appearances include BBC 1’s The Big Questions, BBC Breakfast, BBC News 24, Channel 4 News, Channel 5 News, ITV News, ITV This Morning, Sky News, BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Show, BBC 5live, BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4 The Moral Maze. In 2012 Radio 4’s Four Thought series included a 15-minute program written and performed entirely by Kate about sexist humour and sexism in comedy.
She also writes for publications from Cosmopolitan to both the Guardian and the Independent and is the Vice Chair and Media Spokesperson for campaign group Abortion Rights UK.
Kate is a writer for the BBC Three political comedy show The Revolution Will Be Televised.
SULLY O’SULLIVAN
Sully O’Sullivan is a seasoned international headliner who has performed all over the world. First stepping onto the stage in his native New Zealand, Sully rocketed to stardom making his TV debut just 7 months later in New Zealand’s cult stand-up series Pulp Comedy on TV2, where he went on to appear in another three seasons.
In 2005 Sully decided to spread his comedy wings and head to the sunny coasts of Great Britain. Over a decade later and he’s now performed in almost every corner of the country including the Orkney Islands, the Isle Of Man, the Isle Of White & the Channel Islands! Basically there’s not many places in the UK that Sully hasn’t set foot. Renowned as an act capable of performing in any room and to any audience, Sully has also built up a reputation as one of the most reliable and quick witted comperes on the circuit.
Sully has also provided tour support for Tim Vine on his 2005 Tim Vine Live tour, Mick Foley’s 2011/2012 Nights In Red Flannel tour. Steve Hughes on both his 2012 Big Issue & his 2013 While Its Still Legal tour
SEAN GORMAN
Since starting, Salisbury's Sean Gorman, now based in London, has quickly proven to have a bright future in stand up. Within the first couple of years he reached the finals of the Reading Fringe New Act, Piccadilly Comedy Club New Act and South Coast Comedian of The Year competitions.
In 2024 he was selected as part of the prestigious Best In Class showcase at The Edinburgh Fringe, which went on to win the panel prize at The Edinburgh-ISH Comedy Awards, and received multiple 4 Star reviews from publications including The Scotsman.
Displaying the stage presence of a more seasoned comedian, his deadpan delivery and self deprecating humour has the audience hanging on every word. Sean can be seen performing at some of the best and most famous comedy clubs on the UK circuit including The Comedy Store, Downstairs At The Kings Head and Backyard Comedy Club, as well as many other clubs across the UK and Europe.
TONY BURGESS
Tony Burgess is an award winning stand-up comedian, writer and actor based in Manchester. With his instantly engaging stage persona, Tony Burgess weaves fantastic gags into sometimes surreal stories about northern family life, which for over 25 years has proved a hit with the crowds on the UK comedy circuit.
Tony was the winner of the prestigious City Life Comedian of the Year (other winners include John Bishop and Peter Kay), came runner up in So You Think You’re Funny and was nominated for best stand up and writer at the North West comedy awards.
Tony’s been a regular compere of the long-established Frog and Bucket Comedy club for over 20 years, a founder member of the weekly topical show at the Comedy Store in Manchester and has supported household names like Johnny Vegas on National Theatre tours.
Tony is also a successful writer. His plays, Fire Salad and Doorway, premiered at The Royal Exchange Studio Theatre in Manchester.
He wrote on the first two series of cult BBC 3 sitcom Ideal, co-wrote a Sony Award winning Radio 4 comedy, The Nightclass, with Johnny Vegas “first rate acting….great characterisation and clever writing….”, and penned his own seven part BBC sitcom The Visit, which played to much acclaim on both BBC3 and BBC1.
Tony has also written for many big name comedians including Steve Coogan (Paul and Pauline Calf’s Cheese and Ham Sandwich), Johnny Vegas (the Sony award winning radio comedy Nightclass and Who’s Ready For Ice Cream) Lily Savage and John Bishop (John Bishop’s Britain). Tony even managed to get a writing credit on Wallace and Gromit’s The Curse of the Were Rabbit, so his kids now believe that he’s got a proper job. As an actor you may recognise Tony from his role in the cult BBC3 comedy Ideal where he played DJ Troy, Moz’s crazy, vinyl obsessed brother; or maybe you’ve seen DJ Troy’s latest reincarnation in the recent web series DJ Troy: The Siege Of Troy.
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