NORWEGIAN comedian Daniel Simonsen's Work In Progress show will mark the Burning Duck Comedy Club's debut in The Basement at City Screen, York, on August 14.
After presenting numerous shows at the Great Yorkshire Fringe's Free Fringe, including Burning Duck's second Woodsduck Comedy Festival at the Black Swan Inn, club promoter Al Greaves is launching a new strand of gigs in the Coney Street cinema.
"Daniel Simonsen is an up-and-coming Norwegian comedy performer, writer and actor whose stand-up show Champions won Best Newcomer at the 2012 Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards," says Greaves.
Since then, as both stand-up act and writer, Simonsen has supported Simon Amstell on his 2012 and 2015 tours Numb and To Be Free, while he is familiar to BBC2 audiences from playing Erik in Reeves and Mortimer’s House Of Fools.
"We've enjoyed lots of sensational comedy nights at our regular venue of the Black Swan, but we've also been looking around York for additional larger capacity venues that might be more suitable for more theatrical and conceptual shows, such as Dan’s new show and Beth Vyse's As Funny As Cancer show on November 17," says Greaves.
Beth Vyse
"Now running at this month's Edinburgh Fringe, Beth's show is an extraordinary look at her battle with breast cancer, where you hear the tale of her Stoke-on-Trent family; her time with Nelson Mandela; acting and thieving at the Royal Shakespeare Company; settling down with Michael Jackson and finding she had cancer – and all before the age of 30."
After a late-summer break, Greaves will resume Burning Duck's regular mixed-bill nights every second Tuesday at the Black Swan, in Peasholme Green, on October 11. "That night will be our second birthday show with a top-secret mystery guest," says Greaves. "In the meantime, I’m delighted to have booked Daniel Simonsen for our debut show at The Basement, particularly as he's now residing in New York City, making this one of his only UK shows this year.
"We're also booking in more shows at both the Black Swan and The Basement from our favourite musical, character, sketch, spoken word and stand-up comedy performers. These will include the best in new up-and-coming performers, alongside more established national and international acts, many of whom you might have seen on radio, TV or winning awards at the Edinburgh Fringe festival.
"So unlike some recent opinions expressed in the media, we believe that with lots more exciting shows lined up for our new venue at The Basement, the York comedy scene is continuing to change for the better.”
Tickets for August 14's 7.15pm show are on sale at £7 on 0871 902 5726 or at picturehouses.com/cinema/York or at £10 on the door from 7pm.
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