Laugh of the Titans

“I’M GLAD GAS prices are high,” insists African-American comedian Ty Barnett, “drive-by shootings have decreased!”

Ty was born in Chicago and had a career in the US military before deciding to try his hand at stand-up full-time. Mixing social commentary with thought-provoking riffs on everything from politics to his grandmother, Ty cites Chris Rock and Richard Pryor as his biggest influences.

His career ignited after winning the both the Up and Coming Comedian of the Year Award in 2002 at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival, and the Outstanding Performer at the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal.

Ty has since found himself on talk shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and he was even given his own half-hour Comedy Central Presents special.

Likeable and able to effortlessly slip from subject to subject, Ty has also acted in sitcom Til Death and supported disco legend Donna Summer in concert.

DAVE JOHNS HAS been described by The Guardian in the UK thus: “He shifts from sublime to genius to uproar in the blink of an eye.”

He has performed award-winning shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and performed internationally for over a decade.

A regular at London’s prestigious Comedy Store venue, the Newcastle native has also acted in the West End – appearing in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest alongside Christian Slater and The Odd Couple with Bill Bailey.

Fans of British television may have caught Dave’s rapier wit on panel shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks and Eight out of Ten Cats.

JOHN LENAHAN WAS born in Philadelphia, carries an Irish passport, lives in London and has travelled the globe splitting the sides of punters everywhere.

A truly international act, he also incorporates magic into his set: a winning combination that has seen him become a regular fixture on British television (Secrets of Magic, Red Dwarf, Hoaxbusters), and even saw him invited to perform at Buckingham Palace for Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.

John is also a novelist and has toured with the likes of Jack Dee, Victoria Wood and Lenny Henry.

EVENT DETAILS:

Wednesday, July 14 at Jambase, Madinat Jumeriah, Dubai (tel:04 366 6730)

Thursday, July 15 at Courtyard by Marriott, Green Community, Dubai (tel: 04 398 8840)

Friday, July 16 at Rainbow Room, The Aviation Club, Dubai (tel: 04 282 4122)

Tuesday, July 20 at Crowne Plaza Abu Dhabi (tel: 02 621 0000)

Wednesday, July 21 at Zinc, Crowne Plaza Hotel Dubai (tel: 04 331 1111)

Thursday, July 22 at The Palladium, Dubai Media City (tel: 04 398 8840)

Shows start at 9pm. Tickets, Dhs115, are available from the venues, calling 800 4669 or visiting www.itptickets.com. For more information, visit www.thelaughterfactory.com.

adam@khaleejtimes.com