Express & Star

Top comedians heading to the Midlands this week

Don't expect the nation's comedians to ease themselves gently into the New Year.

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Some of the UK's finest up-and-coming funnymen and women are already on the road and looking forward to dates in the West Midlands.

Dave Johns, Windsor, Andrew Bird and Dana Alexander will headline Foster's Comedy Live, at Highlight, on Birmingham's Broad Street, tomorrow.

Johns has gained a reputation as an inventive, exciting and extremely funny comedian winning applause from his audiences, respect from his fellow comics, and rave reviews from the critics. He has had two very successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in two highly acclaimed shows – 'Dave Johns On The Edge' and 'I'm in The Attic Mother' at the Pleasance Theatre for which he won the Spirit of the Fringe Award.

Danny Buckler and Kane Brown will also star in the city tomorrow with a headline show at Jongleurs, also in Broad Street.

Danny Buckler is fast establishing himself as one of the most popular performers in showbiz with a unique style that combines stand-up comedy, improvisation, story-telling, audience participation and the odd bit of magic.

Danny has travelled all over the world as a performer, entertaining the troops in Bosnia, Belfast, The Falkland Islands and Diego Garcia, performing in comedy clubs in Germany, Austria and Singapore.

Tomorrow evening's entertainment will be completed by a quadruple bill at the Glee Club, in Hurst Street, featuring Brendon Burns, Jason Cook, Mickey Sharma and Paul F Taylor.

For two decades, adopted Australian Brendon Burns has been Britain's most outspoken and number one cult comic.

He is one of the most prolific and busiest men in showbusiness.

In late 2008 Burns recorded not one but two live DVDs for Universal, and aired a special on Comedy Central over the Spring of 2009.

Time Out London gave it five stars. Geordie Jason Cook won Best International Show at the 2008 New Zealand Comedy Festival – an award previously won by Eddie Izzard and Stephen K Amos.

He was also nominated for Best International Guest at the New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards.

Jason started out in comedy as head writer of groundbreaking Newcastle-based sketch troupe Soup, before making a name for himself on Tyneside. He is one half of spoof German techno band Die Clatterschenkfieternmaus and loved-up couple Malcolm and Mirriam – character comedy that formed the basis of a 2005 Edinburgh show, garnering a four-star review from The Scotsman.

Mickey Sharma, meanwhile, has won numerous awards and nominations including Laughing Boy/Off The Kerb New Act; Final Funhouse Comedy and Should I Stay or Should I Go? Among many others.

Full details are available from the venues.

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