When executive coach Paul Pennington arrived in Malta to work as a communication skills trainer,  he never dreamt that in less than a year he would also be at the helm of an innovative and groundbreaking comedy venture.

Looking at Pennington's CV and talking to the man himself, it comes as no surprise.

The Manchester born, former actor (who has performed alongside the likes of Daniel Day Lewis and Sir Kenneth Branagh) turned broadcaster, media trainer and corporate coacher is brimful of creative energy.  He appears to have an idea a minute and his latest creation, Maltese Funny Business looks set to take the island's comedy circuit by storm.

Pennington set up MFB in October while working as a corporate coach.

Part of his brief  was to develop his clients' presentation skills and in his inimitable way, he decided that having a crack at stand up, would be a fun way to do this. The rest, as they, is history.

Pennington had launched a comedy enterprise, two years ago in London, called Britain's Got Satire, with professional comics, Jay Sodagar and Aaatif Nawaz.

So he decided to invite them over to Malta to be part of his new venture, MFB.

"What is unique about this enterprise is that we are the first and only Maltese comedy setup that is developing new Maltese based comedians taught and mentored by leading UK based comics. We are extremely fortunate to have such a high calibre of professionals nurturing and developing fledging acts."

Aatif Nawaz is an award winning, British -Pakistani stand up comedian, writer, actor, broadcaster and film maker. He is a regular presenter on the Islam Channel and a favourite contributor to BBC's Asian Network and BBC Radio Five Live. He won an Honourable Mention in 2012 at the Los Angeles Movie Awards for his documentary, Postcards from Lahore, which also has the distinction of being the only Pakistani film to be screened at the 2013 Cannes Film festival.

Last year his show AATIFicial Intelligence, received rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and during  its subsequent UK tour.

He describes finding himself in Malta and being part of MFB as a gift.

"I love Malta. Mostly because they love me.  But also because of the rich and diverse cultures that descend upon the beautiful island. If I had my way I'd perform there every week and contributing to a project like MFB is not just good fun but very rewarding. "

Fellow UK comedian Dave Chawner  echoed this sentiment. He said:

"It's really exciting to see a new comedy circuit start, build and get supported by all the lovely locals. The talent there is already at a very high standard and the gigs continue to build momentum with audiences. Malta is an incredibly exciting place for comedy right now."

Central to MFB is Jay Sodagar, a renowned comedy tutor, who gave up a career in accounting to tread the boards.

He has years of experience in stand up and is inspired by the work MFB is doing as he explains: "It is really satisfying to watch people develop during the comedy courses from being really quite shy and hesitant to confident performers."

28 year old Jimmy Carter, a customer services rep in the travel industry,  who has taken  part in the comedy courses from the outset, says MFB  has changed his life, as he explains.

"Stand up comedy is something I have loved and wanted to do for quite a while but have never had the opportunity or the nerve to do anything about it.

"Maltese Funny Business has been a phenomenal experience- I've learnt so much as a writer and performer, it has given me the chance to express and rediscover myself both as an artist and a human being."

Never one to let the grass grow under his feet, Pennington, who has now made the island his home, is thinking big and wants MFB to be multi facetted, not just stand up.

And he is calling on the people of Malta to be a part of it by helping with funding.

"We are building a comedy company to perform regularly with stand up and songs, sketches, radio, video and social media all of which costs money.  We are delighted to announce that we have our first sponsor and more will follow suit.  We are also planning a crowd funding campaign to be launched in the near future. 

"It is an exciting time...watch this space."

Maltese Funny Business's next comedy night takes place on Friday 23 March at 8pm at the Talbot & Bons, Luqa (Skyparks level 1) next to Malta International airport. Free show, booking by reservation only.

Comedy School for New stand-up comedians evenings of 20/21/22 March. Price 55 Euros.  Entry to graduation show free of charge.

For more information visit, www.facebook.com/maltesefunnybusiness