Merthyr Comedy Festival - The BIG Friday Show

Join us at Merthyr Labour Club for the BIG Friday show as part of Merthyr Comedy Festival 2022

Headline act and star of Live at the Apollo tops the bill on this fantastic line up of some of the best acts from the U.K. comedy circuit. 

LAURA LEXX
Laura Lexx was brought up in Taunton before studying drama at the University of Kent from 2005 to 2009, graduating with a master's degree. Lexx performed comedy whilst also working as a search engine optimiser before turning full time to comedy in 2015.[1][2]
She performed Tyrannosaurus Lexx at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016 and was a finalist at the 2016 Amused Moose Comedy Award.[3] Lexx received a level of notoriety in 2016 when her on stage putdowns to a sexist heckler went viral.[4] Lexx was nominated for Best Compere at the 2016[5] and 2017 Chortle Awards.[6] Her 2018 Edinburgh show was called Trying and discussed her attempts at starting a family and the effects this had on her mental health.[7] She reflected that she hoped her honesty would help lift the stigma around these issues for many.[8] Laura won Best Performer in the Comedian's Choice Awards and was in the top 10 of Dave's Funniest Joke of the Fringe 2018. The show also transferred from the Edinburgh Festival  for a successful run at London's Soho Theatre.[9] Lexx's 2019 Edinburgh show was called Knee Jerk and dealt with political topics associated with the fall out from the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.[10] Lexx won the comedians choice award at the 2019 Chortle Awards.[11]
Her television appearances have included Roast Battle,[12] Hypothetical, Live at the Apollo and Mock the Week.[13] Lexx landed a book deal after a series of tweets during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic imagining life with Liverpool F.C. manager Jurgen Klopp went viral and amassed over 5.6 million views. The book deal is designed to expand the idea into a book, called Klopp Actually: (Imaginary) Life with Football's Most Sensible Heartthrob to be released in Autumn 2020. The company, Two Roads, also bought the rights to a second story called Pivot a novel about an amateur women's netball team, which they aim to release in 2022.[14][15] This led to guesting on The Football Ramble[16] and The Anfield Wrap podcasts.[17] Other podcast appearances have included RHLSTP with Richard Herring and Sarah Millican’s Standard Issue podcast.[18]

SALLY-ANNE HAYWARD
Sally-Anne is an award-winning comedian (Best UK Compere 2019 and Holsten Pils ‘Fans of Comedy’ award) and a sought-after corporate performer (with clients including Virgin Media and Alcatel).  She is also a regular compere at Glastonbury Festival.   
She has proven her writing talents with numerous Edinburgh Fringe shows and can display a depth of material that marks out the best comic talent. She has performed all over the world and has provided tour support for Sarah Millican, Russell Howard,  Russell Kane, Hal Cruttenden and Suzi Ruffell.
An accomplished breakfast radio presenter (Star 107.2), with TV credits (‘The Blame Game’ BBC) and radio panel show credits (‘Elephant in The Room’ BBC Radio 4), as  well as TV warm-up (‘Deal or No Deal’ Channel 4).
She co-hosts a podcast called Spit or Swallow, along with Lou Conran.  Together they incorporate their love of wine, celebrity guests and drunk stories.
Quotes
"Innate effusive likeability with straightforward but effective writing.... a primetime act"
CHORTLE
"Small time country posh life versus young lady breaking into the stand-up circuit. Fabulous."
BBC
"It's easy to imagine Hayward at the 02 or guesting on QI. She is a crowd-pleaser and a straightforward observational comic, but so are most of Britain's favourite comedians today. Hayward is easily the equal of any of them"
THE SKINNY
"clever observations and sharp punch lines"
THREE WEEKS

SHEEP and MASH
By day, Martin Sheep and Mark Mash are humble jingle writers, but at night they turn into Sheep & Mash - the greatest musical duo since all the good ones split up or died.
 Join them as they explore and sing about some of the world’s most important issues.

“Loveable and hilarious” - Alex Lowe (Barry from Watford)

Hosted by 

DREW TAYLOR

"A guy destined for comedy greatness" - Theatr Gwaun
"A hilarious roar!" - Craig Campbell
"Clever stuff!" - Bath Echo