When did you first decide to organize the LOL comedy shows – and why?
Our first LOL comedy show was held way back in June 2004. Being comedy lovers, we felt the island was missing this genre of entertainment, so decided to give it a shot, and it's been addictive ever since! We thought why watch stand-up comedy on DVD's or travel to The London Comedy Store to feed our addiction, when we could bring comedy to our island?
How did the first show go?
We were extremely anxious, as we did not know how the audience would react, if the comedians would be funny enough or whether it would be a complete flop! Our line-up was fantastic – Andre Vincent (who has now become a regular MC), Reginald D. Hunter and Tim Vine, who since then have won awards, beat Guinness records, toured the world and produced DVDs! The audience was in stitches from beginning to end, and that was all we needed to drive us to our next show, and the next, and the next...
How did the shows develop over the years?
Our audiences have grown over the years since in Malta word spreads fast. We have our regulars who hardly ever miss a gig but we always have newcomers who then keep coming back.
Who were the most memorable comedians you brought over?
Terry Alderton has been over twice and wowed the audience with his great set of both humour and physical ability. John Fothergill and Craig Campbell have both been very popular. Last year we had the honour of hosting Michael Winslow, of Police Academy fame, who stunned the room with his incredible vocal talents.
Do you do other things besides comedy performances?
No, our passion and focus has always been comedy, although we have brought over other types of performers rather than straight-up joke tellers before such as Men in Coats and Michael Winslow who incorporate other theatrical talents into their stand up acts.
Do you think your shows have inspired others to organise comedy shows of their own?
Yes we have been pleased to see a Maltese stand-up night set up last year to encourage local people to try it out and we believe one day we'll have a Maltese performer from the London circuit coming back home to perform.
How do you go about choosing who to invite to perform in Malta?
We watch a lot of stand-up to select the performers who we feel will go down well in Malta and have excellent international contacts to facilitate this.
What is the process of bringing them over?
The LOL gig has an excellent reputation on the circuit and the main problem is finding comedians who are able to fit in with our dates. There are so many comedians now touring or doing TV shows that their availability is limited. The audiences are always in the mood to have fun and the feedback from the comedians is always extremely positive, with several of them having returned to perform again.
What have been your best memories of these shows so far?
Our best experiences include those nights that ended with standing ovations, most recently with John Fothergill and Michael Winslow. However we always feel exhilarated after every gig since it's such a joy seeing a full room of people having a good laugh and enjoying themselves.
Has anyone ever been offended by any of the jokes?
When three or more comedians are performing with different styles of material there will always be some people who are offended by some of the jokes, but the vast majority of people take the jokes in the spirit they are intended and just sit back and enjoy the show.
What’s up your sleeve for the next show?
Our next gigs will take place on 5 and 6 October at the Dolmen Hotel in Qawra. It will be compered by Stuart Goldsmith who is one of London's up and coming stand up comics. We have an Australian, Felicity Wardm who just finished a month at the Edinburgh Festival where she received excellent reviews. Our headline act is from America: Dave Fulton, who last year caused plenty of Brits to splutter over their cornflakes when mistakenly uttering an expletive on BBC1's Breakfast Show. Rumour has it that another top act will be holidaying in Malta the week of our gig and may well be popping by to watch or even perform! After that, the next show will take place around Easter time next year.
To book your tickets visit www.laughoutloud.com.mt
BOX
LOL Productions has put together a great line-up comprising three international acts direct from London’s comedy circuit for next weekend’s show.
Stuart Goldsmith sparkles with the effortless charisma and quick-fire timing he honed over a misspent youth as a street-performer. Nowadays he is internationally recognised for original, striking stand-up comedy; his last three solo shows making him an “expert standup” (Sunday Times), and a “consistent fringe must-see” (Broadway Baby). He has been repeat-booked at corporate events including British Telecom, Bank of America and Citigroup. He also won the admiration of mums and fellow sci-fi geeks as host of CBBC’s Mission 2110. TV warm-up credits include Miranda, Coming of Age, Wall of Fame, The Stephen K Amos Show and many more. Stuart has performed stand-up all over Britain and Europe, and as far afield as Dubai, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Also gracing our shores is Felicity Ward, a multi-award winning, 31-year-old, Melbourne-based, stand-up comedian, comic performer, writer and actor. She is most well-known in Australia for her work on Network Ten’s The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, and her regular guest appearances on ABC’s Spicks and Specks and 7’s Thank God You’re Here.
Headlining the show is Dave Fulton – a man who understands irony, which in itself is ironic as he is an American from Idaho. Looking like the underfed brother of Billy Connolly, Dave knows full well he is an American abroad so all the more reason to tell you about it. Dave portrays himself as something of an enigma. He “started comedy back when it was popular and profitable and decided to stay on past the point of when it wasn’t.”
In reality he started performing in clubs in his home country from San Francisco to New York and crossed the Atlantic to the UK, taking his act to Hong Kong and South Africa along the way. Dave now spends most of his time in Great Britain, regularly playing clubs up and down the country. He is an American abroad, and his wry observations of the British, and sometimes the Europeans in general, will make his audience take a good long look at themselves.
Dave has appeared on the television in both America and the UK. In the USA he featured on Half Hour Comedy Hour on MTV and An Evening at The Improv on A&E. He also appeared on a remarkable show called Comedy Explorers where he was filmed floating down the Grand Canyon. In the UK, Dave has honed his talents as both a performer and a writer. He has notched up three appearances on Never Mind the Buzzcocks, acted alongside Steve Coogan in Saxondale and his writing credits now include The Omid Djalili Show.