Stand-Up in the Land of the Sheep

By Robert Lloyd

It’s being billed as the Christmas comedy DVD with a difference.

Four South Wales comedians will be using Neath Little Theatre to record a special show on Friday and Saturday, December 7 and 8.

Ignacio Lopez, Phil Evans, Simon Emanuel and Sarah Bridgman are producing the ‘Stand-Up in the Land of the Sheep – Christmas Special’.

“Forget Michael McIntyre, Lee Evans, Peter Kay and all those other comedy superstars who produce special DVDs for the Christmas season,” said Swansea-based Ignacio Lopez.

“We won’t be competing with them on their journey to their next tax-deductable million. We are producing something unique in Wales and for the people of Wales.

“Our DVD will be a real ‘alternative’ to the ones produced by the TV giants this Christmas.

“Instead, of the ‘stadium’ arenas seen in most live comedy DVDs, our show is being held in the slightly more intimate Neath Little Theatre!

“The whole thing is very much a local affair – from the set creation to the cast of the sketches, to the crew shooting the show.

“It may be something of a wacky and odd event, but as stand-up comics, we are local – even if I have to admit to being half Spanish! Eccentricity is something we like to celebrate as part of the rich tapestry of live entertainment in Wales.”

Lopez and Phil Evans have just returned from Oslo in Norway, where Simon Emanuel helped them stage a successful Welsh evening of humour.

Lopez added: “‘Stand-Up in the Land of the Sheep is a themed show, so it won’t be material anyone has seen before. It’s fresh and funny and is meant to encourage people to go out and seek live entertainment the way they used to.

“With the rise in comedy on TV and people uploading comedy to YouTube it’s easy to sit at home and have a laugh on your sofa, but this show is a genuine one-off event being recorded over two nights.

“The audience will play a big part in the show and we are hoping for a good crowd at Neath Little Theatre to make it a memorable occasion.”

You can get tickets from the following website www.comedysheep.com or Neath Little Theatre, call 01639 643462 or visit http://www.neathlittletheatre.co.uk/

Notes for editors –

Ignacio Lopez is billed as ‘Half Spanish, Half Welsh, All Funny.’ The 25-year-old lives in Swansea. Lopez was chosen from thousands of comedians to appear on ITV’s ‘Show me the Funny’, hosted by Jason Manford.

He said: “Although I didn’t do too well in the competition it’s really made me appreciate how much better comedy can be ‘live’. I wasn’t my best on the TV show but part of that was how it was edited. The attraction of being a comedian is that you are the only person responsible for what you say on stage. You write and perform your own material and it’s up to you to deliver the goods.”

Website: www.comedysheep.com

Phil Evans is sometimes known as the ‘Hugmeister of Wales’ and the man who has put the ‘Cwtsh’ back into comedy. He is a favourite warm-up comedian for TV shows on BBC, S4C and ITV. He has just finished a very successful variety show tour of South Wales with the singer Paul Child.

Squeeze him for information on his favourite topic – the Welsh cwtsh (hug) – and he will explain why a cwtsh should always be spelt as ‘cwtsh’ and not ‘cwtch’. Press him for further information about how his comedy career started and he will tell you how he left school with 10 GCSEs . . . before the headmaster told him to put them back!

Cheeky, but never crude or offensive, Evans produces a very Welsh brand of humour.

Website: http://www.philevans.co.uk

Twitter @philevanswales

Photos attached by Michelle Huggleston Photography Left to right: Simon Emanuel, Ignacio Lopez, Sarah Bridgman and Phil Evans.