ELIS JAMES
The man most likely to inherit the throne of Rhod Gilbert as the undisputed king of Welsh comedy., James began performing stand up in 2005, and in just three years was chosen to host the prestigious new act showcase The Comedy Zone at the Edinburgh festival in 2008.
The following year he performed his debut solo show The Most Cautious Little Boy in Wales at the 2009 Edinburgh festival, which was met with rave reviews. He returned to Edinburgh in 2010 with his follow up show Daytripper which then toured the UK in 2011.
From there he's not looked back, carving out a successful career that includes both stand-up and acting – appearing on a host of TV and radio shows including 8 out of 10 Cats and the Rob Brydon Show on on BBC2 and Pantheon Of Heroes and Here Be Dragons on Radio Wales.
With fellow Welsh comic Chris Corcoran he's created The Committee Meeting and most recently has appeared in a pilot for the BBC with Josh Widdicombe and Jack Dee.
MATT REES
When he won the Welsh Unsigned Stand-Up Award in 2011, Matt Rees came out of leftfield like a lightning bolt. A lightning bolt of off-kilter awkwardness and small town discomfort that is.
Since then Rees has collected awards to the point where you fear for his sideboard. He has also generated a huge buzz on the circuit with his unique brand of well-crafted gags and acerbic delivery earning him high praise from audiences and critics alike.
In addition to the Welsh Unsigned Stand-Up award he has won the Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year, the Loaded Laftas new act of the year and the Leicester Square Theatre comedian of the Year.
PAPPY'S
Pappy’s are Britain’s best live sketch troupe they have been nominated twice for Best Show at the Edinburgh Festival (2007 and 2012), twice won the Chortle Award for Best Sketch Performers (2008 and 2013) and their hit podcast, FlatshareSlamdown, won a Loaded Lafta Award (2012).
They have also been seen in their own studio sitcom, Badults on BBC3, which has just been renewed for a second series. In 2012 they completed their fourth national tour selling out venues up and down the UK with their show, Last Show Ever, which garnered nine five star reviews and earned Pappy’s their second Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination for Best Show.
Shortly after being nominated for Best Show in the 2013 Chortle Awards, it transferred to London’s West End for a month-long sell-out run.
EDWARD ACZEL
Edward Aczel began performing stand-up comedy in 2005 at the age of 38.
A conventional job in an office led him to sign up to an evening comedy course for beginners, where he caught the comedy bug, at that point he had not been to a stand up gig for years. By the end of 2005, he was the runner-up in both the BBC New Comedy Awards and in Jimmy Carr’s Comedy Idol. Aczel is now a regular headliner on the comedy circuit and has performed six solo shows at the Edinburgh Festival.
In 2007 he was hailed by Jimmy Carr on BBC2’s Culture Show as “the funniest thing on the Fringe" and the following year his show won the Malcolm Hardee Award. Aczel has also performed on several radio shows including BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, 28 Acts In 28 Minutes, Pick Of The Week and Happy Mondays.
HOLLY BURN
Holly Burn is a stand up and character comedian, she is also an actor and clown, and trained under (French master clown) Philippe Gaulier.
Endlessly inventive and relentlessly uncompromising, this hotly-tipped, silly and exciting comedy renegade aims to break all the rules. The Independent chose her as their One to Watch in 2013, Harry Hill named her Best Comedy Newcomer in Radio Times and Eddie Izzard described her as 'sexy and bonkers like Twin Peaks'.
She was most recently seen supporting The Mighty Boosh and has just completed filming a series for ITV2.
The Green Man Festival runs from August 14 to 17. For full details, visit www.greenman.net
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