Stand-Up Comedy Returns to the Saint John Theatre Company August 18

Stand-Up Comedy at Shakey's Comedy Club in Saint John Returns August 18

August 10, 2012, Saint John, NB –  The Saint John Theatre Company (SJTC) is welcoming stand-up back to its Princess Street location on August 18 with the Return of Stand-Up Comedy at Shakey's Comedy Club, presented by the Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit. The SJTC fundraiser will star London, England's James Mullinger (star of the UK's hit movie review program "Movie Kingdom") featuring two of New Brunswick's top comics, Shane Ogden (winner of the Funniest Person in NB contest) and Neal Mundle (winner of the Hubcap Comedy Festival contest, 2012) and will be hosted by Sussex-based comic and founder of the Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit, Lloyd Ravn (Top 10 Finalist in Sirius XM's Canada's Next Top Comic, 2011).

Comedy at Saint John Theatre Company

SJTC first welcomed stand-up comedy to their BMO Rehearsal Hall last year when long-time volunteer and VP of SJTC's Board of Directors, Kizzy Kaye, organized a fundraiser to commemorate the 50th birthday of her late husband, local comedian Jamie Williams. The show, for which the rehearsal hall was transformed into a New York-style comedy club (names "Shakey's Comedy Club", after one of Williams' most well-known characters), was a huge success for the theatre company, raising more than $4000 for their productions and to continue to update their space.

Making a guest appearance on last year's show was James Mullinger, one of the top up-and-coming comics in the UK, who called Shakey's "one of the loveliest venues I've ever performed in." This year, the comic, of whom the London Guardian enthused "the exuberant quality of his stand up makes him one to watch" will headline the show, along with returning MC, Ravn and NB favourites Mundle of Moncton and Ogden from the Saint John area.

The Theatre Company hopes to make this year's performance another solid fundraising evening for their company, to help buy much-needed equipment and to fund their ongoing productions of live-theatre featuring some of the best local and regional talent.

Show details:

Date: August 18, 2012
Location: The Saint John Theatre Company's BMO Rehearsal Hall, 112 Princess Street, Saint John 
Time: 7:30 PM  - 9:30 PM
Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Available at the SJTC Box Office or at TicketPro.ca or by calling 652-7582

For more information, to arrange interviews or obtain photos: 
Lloyd Ravn, Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit, lloydravn@hotmail.com or 506-292-4956

Lise Driscoll, Saint John Theatre Company, lise.driscoll@saintjohntheatrecompany.com or 506-652-7582, ext 226

PERFORMER BACKGROUNDER

James Mullinger began his stand up career in 2005 and quickly made a name for himself as one of the best new comedians on the circuit reaching the finals of three major national comedy competitions including Jimmy Carr's Comedy Idol which resulted in a performance alongside Carr at The Comedy Store that appeared on Carr's DVD 'Stand Up'. Since then he has performed at the prestigious Just For Laughs festival in Montreal twice and has written about comedy for GQ, Men's Health, Manzine and Radio Times including interviewing his hero Jerry Seinfeld for the December 2009 issue of GQ.

James Mullinger

He performed his first full length solo show at the Camden Fringe in August 2009, titled James Mullinger Is The Bad Boy Of Feminism. The controversial subject matter and painfully funny anecdotes were a hit with both critics and audiences with The Guardian enthusing that "the exuberant quality of his stand up makes him one to watch". Every show sold out and Time Out described it as "very funny stuff" and it was named one of the best shows by the Evening Standard, Metro and London Lite. He toured the show at festivals all over the UK, released a critically acclaimed DVD and culminated it with two sold out performances at the Soho Theatre, which was the Critic's Pick Of The Week in The Sunday Times Culture. 
 
His second full length show James Mullinger's Schooldays sold out every night at the Camden Fringe in August 2010, the Leicester Comedy Festival in February 2011 and is now touring.
 
James continues to play clubs all over the country as well as in America, Canada and Australia.