And a happy new year!

We thoroughly enjoyed running the Jolly as F**K Festival with Theatre Delicatessen this year, with great acts such as Dan Antopolski and Rob Rouse bringing their Edinburgh shows to London, with great musical comedy from the master of musical improvisation, Rob Broderick and his crew who were joined by the if.comedy ‘Best Newcomer’ nominee Pippa Evans and ferociously poisonous poet, Doc Brown to create the perfect comedy antidote to the carol-singing season.

We had a festive feeling as Uncle Ronnie touched the audience with his favourite fresh comics from the London comedy circuit -the awesome Adam Bloom headlined.

With the skills of:
Gráinne Maguire -Hackney Empire Finalist 2009
David James – Hackney Empire New Act of the Year Award Finalist 2009
Darren Ruddell – Winner of Laughing Horse best new act 2008
Lawrence Tuck – Semi-finalist ‘So You Think You’re Funny’

We’re excited to announce our partnership with Theatre Delicatessen in producing a series of events in december.

Given the success of our previous LandAid fundraisers, we’ve been asked to put a few more on. Working with Property Merchant Group and Theatre Delicatessen again is always a pleasure and we’re pleased to announce the line up as follows;

22nd September
Compere Rob Broderick

Matt Green
Rich Heap
Richard Brophy
Kerry Godliman

and Nick Revell

23rd of September
Compere Rob Broderick

Danny Buckler
Rich Heap
Keith Platt
Pippa Evans

and Adam Bloom

We’re working with Property Merchant Group to organise a couple of fundraising events for LandAid called ‘The Property Comic’

We’ve arranged an excellent line up for the first two nights

1st July
Compere Michael Fabbri
David Whitney
Rich Heep
Nigel Harrison
Anthony Dewson
Jonathan Elston
Mackenzie Taylor
Tempest Rose
and Brian & Krystal

2nd July
Compere Rob Broderick
Joe Bor
Rich Heap
Jonathan Elston
Andrew Watts
Sarah Louise

and Hal Cruttenden

“LandAid is the charity of the UK property sector from which its support is drawn. It is run by a Board of Trustees from within the industry and celebrated its twenty-first anniversary in 2006.

As a Charitable Trust, LandAid makes grants to other charities to support a variety of projects usually connected with homelessness. In addition, we seek to champion the charitable work undertaken by the property sector as a whole and to assist property companies in using best practice in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility.

LandAid Charitable Trust was founded in 1985 by a group of property professionals. Inspired by Live Aid, their aim was to focus the fundraising efforts of the property industry. The first LandAid event, a Fun Run around Richmond Park, raised nearly £40,000 to purchase a famine-relief truck for the Sudan.

After the success of that first year, LandAid’s fundraising mission became one of helping homeless people. The LandAid Ball was keenly attended in the late 80s and early 90s – not surprising when the star acts included Lenny Henry and Rory Bremner – and is still a major event in the property industry calendar at its new home in Berkeley Square. The Fun Run (now firmly established at Battersea Park) has become an annual test of the sector’s cardio-vascular system and our other events now include a poker night at the Dorchester, quiz nights, the hugely popular Party Near The Park and we also are the named beneficiaries of many other events such as the Anglo Irish Bank Regatta, the Property Week Property Awards Dinner, the National Surveyors’ Rugby Sevens and the Property Sandown Race Day.

We make grants to other organisations to suppport a variety of projects usually connected with UK homlessness.

Our support is divided into two main categories: small grants made once a year to charities requiring a kick-start for a service or facility that would not otherwise get off the ground, and a major project, usually lasting up to four years.

The current such major project is Foundations For Life – an active partnership between LandAid and Centrepoint to effect a meaningful and lasting change to the prospects of young homeless people looking to escape the cycle of dependency.  This project will cost £4.5m over four years and represents the largest challenge yet attempted by the charity.”

Crown the Clown Poster

‘Laugh in the face of Adversity’

A new London charity comedy event putting the giggles into giving!

The ‘Crown The Clown’ comedy night launches on June 12th in the vibrant venue Madame JoJo’s (www.madamejojos.com). Five comics will vie for the patrons’ votes, battling to win the Comedy Crown.

The victorious comic is ‘crowned’ and the door takings and other monies raised will be donated to the charity they battled on behalf of. Each show will be topped of with a fantastic headline act to ensure the night finishes with a bang.

Rob Broderick (MC) – Time Out May 09  – “stunningly talented.”

Showstoppers! (headline) www.showstopperthemusical.com

‘These guys have to be seen to be believed! The BEST musical improvisation group we have ever seen. More TALENT on stage than you can shake a stick at!’

timeout, Critic’s Choice.

David Whitney – David is a core cast member of the BFTA winning Fonejacker for Channel 4 and Hatrick.

Jonathan Elston – “A young comic with incredible talent and a natural warmth. If he carries on like this his success is certain.” Black Cat Comedy.

Sanderson Jones – “Might be an alternative comedy Messiah” Ben Norris.

David Trent – “I thought you were funny but then because nobody else was laughing I thought I’d better stop.” A man from the audience, Mostly Comedy.

Keith Platt – “Keith Platt produces a stream of bile, moans and spite masterfully transformed into gag after inventive laden gag on the British national identity and values.”

I’ve been buzzing around all over the place this month, part holidays, part meetings, part enjoying the spring. We’ve been busy on a couple of pitches for some online video journalism, whilst at the same time hunting down the perfect venue for our forthcoming charity fundraising events, and possibly a new home for a regular stand up night. There’s so many venues in London, but finding the perfect one takes time, persistence, and a lot of quick pints around town. What a hard life we lead…

We’ve had a great time running the Wind Down Wind Up at Dusk Bar these last couple of months, but unfortunately Dusk is closing, so we’ll have to close down as well!

We’ve some excellent photos on Facebook of the best of the nights. We were lucky to have some excellent acts over the 6 months we were running there, including Steve Hall of ‘We Are Klang’ headlining our last night.