Stephen K Amos is Crawley comedy headliner

Comedy Beats return to The Grasshopper in Crawley on Friday, October 6 for their regular monthly outing, promising 'another fantastic line-up of four of the very finest stand-ups from the comedy circuit.'
Stephen K AmosStephen K Amos
Stephen K Amos

Organiser Mark Coxon said: “This month’s show was supposed to have Andrew Maxwell as our closing act but he had to pull out to do a big show back in Ireland. When he told me he couldn't do it, I was determined to replace him with the best act I possibly could and I have managed to do exactly that.

“I am really pleased to say that our headliner for October is the wonderful Stephen K Amos. I have known him for the last 20 years and I was sure that if he was available he would help us out. He has to be one of the highest-profile acts we've managed to get down to the club so far. “Apart from appearances on Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You and The Royal Variety Performance, he has also had his own show on BBC 2, The Stephen K Amos Show.

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“He used to have the same agent as me. He was the first act she signed and I was the second. As a result, we did loads of shows together in the late 90s. He was brilliant then and is even better now. I am so happy we have got him to come down to Crawley to do this show, particularly because the line-up for this one is possibly the best we've managed to put on since we started the club back in March.

“The middle act is the Geordie comic Dave Johns, another comedian that I have known for years. Until 2016 he was just a really really excellent club comic, respected by his peers and loved by audiences wherever he performed. He had a few TV credits to his name, including several appearances on Never Mind The Buzzcocks and 8 out of 10 Cats.

“Then out of the blue he was cast in the lead role of the BAFTA Award-winning film, I Daniel Blake, which saw him gain glowing revues as well as numerous awards and nominations. Since then he has gone on to play the lead role in three more feature films all of which are set for release in 2018, but it's not for his film credits that we asked him to play the club. It's because he's a great comedian.

“Opening the show is the brilliant Roger Monkhouse. Since we started Comedy Beats in late 2016 we have managed to get him to perform at three of our shows. Normally I ask him to host our gigs as he is widely regarded as one of the best MCs on the circuit. In 2015 he was voted, by his peers, Compere of the Year. He has a highly original and distinctive style. Roger is a really hard act to book as he is constantly in demand and I know, as always, he will do a fantastic job.

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“The MC for the night is Kevin McCarthy, a hugely-experienced comedian who has been hosting shows since the late 80s. He is the regular warm-up act for Later with Jools Holland. This ex-truck driver’s career in comedy began when he got up on stage at a gig in south London to win a dare. He went down a storm, gave up the driving and has been a resident feature on the circuit ever since. Bob Monkhouse was one of his biggest fans, and he was certainly a man who knew his comedy. We've already brought nearly 30 top acts to The Grasshopper, but this one really does feel like the icing on the cake.”

The show is at The Grasshopper in Tilgate, Crawley on Friday, October 6. Tickets can be bought in advance direct from the venue or online at www.ComedyBeats.com for £10 in advance or £15 on the door. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm.

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