My show, Funny, Daddy comes to Fredericton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funny, Daddy - NB Comedian Lloyd Ravn’s First One-Person Show March 15 at Fredericton High School

January 31, 2013, Fredericton – Parenting can be tough, and NB-based stand-up comedian Lloyd Ravn says the less frequently you laugh, the tougher it is. The importance of laughter, especially in the more difficult times of parenting, or life in general, is the theme of Ravn’s first one-person show, Funny, Daddy which is coming to Fredericton on Friday, March 15 at the Fredericton High School Theatre, presented by The Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit.

Lloyd is the father of three boys, who by show time will be 8, 5 and 2, and is fully aware of the ups and downs of parenting.  From dealing with serious health issues to the usual stressors of raising kids, Lloyd relies on humour to get him through, and will talk during Funny, Daddy about how laughter during challenging times has helped him.

The adults-only show will run approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes and will include bits from Lloyd’s stand-up act as well as more serious stories, along with videos and photos. As ticket buyers are told onBayOfFunny.com, “you’ll (hopefully) laugh, you (might even) cry, you’ll (at the very least) have a night out without the kids.”

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and are available at Read's Newsstand (435 King St) or at www.BayOfFunny.com, or directly from Lloyd at 506-434-3186 orNoLloydering@gmail.com.

About Lloyd Ravn

Born and raised in Sussex, NB, Lloyd began performing stand-up comedy in Toronto in 2006. His material is autobiographical in nature, focusing on his life as a husband, father of three, former chef, and the youngest person named Lloyd most people have ever met. Lloyd is the founder and Producer of the Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit, with shows happening all over the Maritimes. He has performed at venues across Canada and in the United States, including being selected out of 700 entrants as a top-10 finalist in the "Canada's Next Top Comic 2011" competition. Lloyd can be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and has performed on several successful fundraisers he organized for two of his favourite Canadian charities, featuring some of the biggest stars in Canadian comedy. He was featured as the Comedian of the Week by GQ Magazine in the UK, who called him  one of "North America's hottest young comics" (even though he recently turned 40) and predicted he would soon "storm the Just for Laughs festival."  Studying under some of the best sketch and improv comics in Canada, Lloyd completed the Second City Improvisation class from the world-famous Second City Training Centre in Toronto. Lloyd has written about comedy and humour for magazines and even a high school literacy textbook currently in use across Canada. After about 15 years away, Lloyd recently moved back to his hometown of Sussex, but still has never tried cow tipping. 

For Photos, Interviews and More Information, Contact:

Lloyd Ravn – 506-434-3186 or NoLloydering@gmail.com

Do something good

BS doesn't kill people

Imagine if the PR people behind the gun lobby started branching out into other industries. How much fun would it be to take the whole "yes, we designed a weapon whose sole purpose is to kill human beings, but we don't advocate killing human beings, and besides you have the right to have these things, so get lots of them!" to, say, the automobile industry.

Picture the fun press conferences:

"Today, we're announcing the new feature on all of our cars: the sharpened bumper. It is much more efficient in taking down pedestrians. Not that we are in favour of killing pedestrians, but it's your right to have a device that could kill pedestrians in the most efficient manner possible. They can take our pedestrian-killers from us when they pry the keys from our cold, dead, hands"

Or the food industry:

"This new product is designed to give all of your dinner guests a fatal form of food posioning. Not that we suggest you use it for that purpose, but this is a matter of basic rights!"

Or the family planning industry:

"These condoms will shoot deadly darts into your lover. Of course, you will only use them for target practice, but don't let the commie pinkos tell you it's wrong to own them!"

Just imagine the batshit-crazy anti-Obama ads they could write.Or the nifty ways they could blame the misuse of these products on homosexuality, Islamification of America, or Super Mario.

Anyway, I was just thinking about that. And that's my right.

The Hobbit, a review

I saw The Hobbit in 3D last night. All three-ish hours of it. Somebody sign Peter Jackson up for an editing class!
It seemed to me that for the first half, the 3D just highlighted the fakeness of the set. It felt like watching a cheaply-produced play happening inside a bad diorama. Then it got much better after the Elves showed up. As though even 3D is no match for Elvish magic!
3 stars out of 5.
What did you think?

My first one-Lloyd show, February 16 in Sussex

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funny, Daddy - Sussex Comedian Lloyd Ravn’s First One-Person Show February 16 at Sussex Regional High School

December 14, 2012, Sussex – Parenting can be tough, and Sussex-based stand-up comedian Lloyd Ravn says the less frequently you laugh, the tougher it is. The importance of laughter, especially in the more difficult times of parenting, or life in general, is the theme of Ravn’s first one-person show, Funny, Daddy which is debuting on Saturday, February 16 at the Sussex Regional High School Theatre, presented by The Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit.

Lloyd is the father of three boys, who by show time will be 8, 5 and 2, and is fully aware of the ups and downs of parenting.  From dealing with serious health issues to the usual stressors of raising kids, Lloyd relies on humour to get him through, and will talk during Funny, Daddy about how laughter during challenging times has helped him.

The adults-only show will run approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes and will include bits from Lloyd’s stand-up act as well as more serious stories, along with videos and photos. As ticket buyers are told on BayOfFunny.com, “you’ll (hopefully) laugh, you (might even) cry, you’ll (at the very least) have a night out without the kids.”

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door, and are available at www.BayOfFunny.com, directly from Lloyd (who will deliver them around the Sussex area) at 434-3186 or from Oceans of Ink at 14 Church Ave, or Morris Music on Main Street.

About Lloyd Ravn

Born and raised in Sussex, NB, Lloyd began performing stand-up comedy in Toronto in 2006. His material is autobiographical in nature, focusing on his life as a husband, father of three, former chef, and the youngest person named Lloyd most people have ever met. Lloyd is the founder and Producer of the Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit, with shows happening all over the Maritimes. He has performed at venues across Canada and in the United States, including being selected out of 700 entrants as a top-10 finalist in the "Canada's Next Top Comic 2011" competition. Lloyd can be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and has performed on several successful fundraisers he organized for two of his favourite Canadian charities, featuring some of the biggest stars in Canadian comedy. He was featured as the Comedian of the Week by GQ Magazine in the UK, who called him  one of "North America's hottest young comics" (even though he recently turned 40) and predicted he would soon "storm the Just for Laughs festival."  Studying under some of the best sketch and improv comics in Canada, Lloyd completed the Second City Improvisation class from the world-famous Second City Training Centre in Toronto. Lloyd has written about comedy and humour for magazines and even a high school literacy textbook currently in use across Canada. After about 15 years away, Lloyd recently moved back to his hometown of Sussex, but still has never tried cow tipping. 

For Photos, Interviews and More Information, Contact:

Lloyd Ravn – 506-434-3186 or NoLloydering@gmail.com

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. 

“Proud to be Hilarious” at the Fredericton Playhouse to Kick off Pride Week with 3 of Canada’s Top Comedians

July 18 2012, Fredericton, NB –  Fredericton’s Pride Week 2012 will include a performance by three of Canada’s top stand-up comedians, on Friday, August 3 at the Fredericton Playhouse at 7:30 PM. The show, titled “Proud to be Hilarious” is presented by the Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit, and will be hosted by Andrew Johnston (Much Music’s Video on Trial, Bitch Salad), and features Megan McDowell (winner of CBC TV’s reality series Second City’s Next Comedy Legend) and will star Shelley Marshall (The Ron James Show, The Full Bawdy Comedy Show).

Proud to be Hilarious is presented by the Bay of Funny Comedy Circuit, and organized by Bay of Funny founder, New Brunswick comedian Lloyd Ravn. Proceeds from the show will support the Fredericton Pride Committee.

“I was really excited about the idea when Lloyd contacted us ,” Charlie Benn, Media Chair for Fredericton Pride says. “We have never hosted a comedy night like this for Pride Week, and it seems like it is just the right mix of fun, humour, and kookiness that we love. It is something completely different than the dances, movie nights, and information sessions that we normally put on. I know I’ll be getting my ticket!”

Show details:

Date: August 3, 2012
Location: The Fredericton Playhouse, 686 Queen Street  Fredericton, NB 
Time: 7:30 PM  - 9:30 PM
Tickets: $25 (students and seniors: $15). Available at the Playhouse Box Office or at theplayhouse.nb.ca or by calling 1-866-884-5800

For more information, to arrange interviews or obtain photos:
Lloyd Ravn at lloydravn@hotmail.com or 506-292-4956
Charlie Benn, Media/Festival Chair for Fredericton Pride cbenn@frederictonpride.org

PERFORMER BACKGROUNDER

Andrew Johnston is one of the top up-and-coming comedians in Canada, touring with Yuk Yuk’s after being the Toronto regional winner in the inaugural year of the Great Canadian Laugh Off. He founded, hosts and produces- one of Toronto’s most popular monthly comedy shows, Bitch Salad and is well-known from his appearances on the popular Much Music program Video on Trial.

Nova Scotia’s Megan McDowell wowed fans and judges as the winner of CBC Television’s reality program Second City’s Next Comedy Legend which resulted in a contract with Second City’s Touring Company. McDowell has been dominating the Halifax Comedy scene recently, as a regional finalist in such contests as Yuk Yuk’s Great Canadian Laugh Off, Comedian Idol and Bounce FM’s Funny Factor.

Shelley Marshall has been nominated as Canada’s Best Female Stand Up at the Canadian Comedy Awards. Now Magazine identified her as their “Best New Discovery” and audiences around the world from South Africa to Spain to Scotland have discovered her amazing comedic talent for themselves. Shelley is a Second City graduate and was the opening act for two North American tours of Puppetry of the Penis. Toronto critics loved Marshall’s recent one-woman show, Hold Mommy’s Cigarette. Canadian comedy fans will recognize Shelley from her role on CBC Television’s Ron James Show.