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Howard Read
Howard Read will perform at The Big Chill festival 2008 A-Z line up | Ticket infoHoward Read - Biography
Howard Read is best known for his Big Howard Little Howard act. This human/cartoon double act have recently appeared on The 2007 Royal Variety Performance (ITV1) where they were described as “one of the highlights of the show… the embodiment of variety in the 21st century” by The Stage. Jimmy Tarbuck said “You stormed that lad” and Michael Ball (in full drag) said “Fabulous! Outrageous but Fabulous!”.
Big Howard and Little Howard’s other TV appearances include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (2004, NBC), The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (2004, ABC), Comedy Cuts (ITV2, 2007-8, series 1 and 2) and 28 Acts In 28 Minutes (BBC3). They are currently in negotiation to appear in an ITV sketch show and a sit-com for CBBC.
Big Howard and Little Howard’s latest live show Little Howard And The Magic Pencil of Life and Death enjoyed a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is currently on a fifty date tour of the UK. Despite being the first show Read has written for a family audience it recieved five-star reviews in The British Theatre Guide and Families Magazine, won Best Family Show at the Buxton Fringe, and was nominated for Best Children's Show, at the Brighton Fringe.
"A huge hit, clever, silly and just the right side of rude." The Telegraph.
"Even though it’s in... [the children's] section of the programme, it’s still among the funniest shows at the festival. It appeals to both kids and adults but, like The Simpsons it’s almost wasted on the youngsters." Chortle.co.uk
2008 will take it to The Melbourne International Comedy Festival and The New Zealand Comedy Festival.
In 2003 Read's animated adult comedy show The Big Howard Little Howard Show was the only British nominee for the prestigious Perrier Award. In 2005 The Little Howard Appeal won The Fringe Report Award for Innovation and was nominated for The Chortle.co.uk Innovation Award.
Howard Read is also a gifted writer. The first episode of his recent Radio 4 series Peacefully In Their Sleeps was critics choice in The Observer ("Clever new comedy"), The Times ("Engagingly Silly"), The Guardian ("Beautfully done"), The Telegraph and Time Out. The series boasted Richard Briers, Paul Garner and Rula Lenska as a guest-stars. He and his co-writer Chris Chantler are currently working on a second series. Along with Perrier Best Newcomer Josie long Howard and Chris wrote and starred in a pilot An A to Z of the British Countryside for BBC Radio 7. A full series and a second series of Peacefully is in the offing.
Howard has also worked as a writer/director/animator. His 2007 CBBC pilot Stairlift to Heaven attracted Rik Mayall, Richard Briers, Una Stubbs, Mark Gattiss and Mona Hammond as voice talent. His series of 30 short animation Two Posh Old Men (UKPlay, 2001) has a small, but almost psychotic cult following and can still be seen on Dave. He also made a series of films for BBC3’s Celebdaq in which animated celebrity chat show hosts interviews real, unwitting Hollywood A-listers. Howard’s animation won him the BBC New Comedy Award For Animation in 2001.
Howard has only ever written or animated for two other people. He contributed to Channel 4's Meet Ricky Gervais in 2002 and has made short films which have opend four of Ross Noble's world tours.
Howard is also an accomplished stand-up comic. He headlines clubs all over the country, and occasionally the world. He has appeared on The World Stands Up (Paramount Comedy and BBC America) and has been asked to appear on Paramount At The Comedy Store in 2008. Radio stand-up appearances include 28 Acts in 28 Minutes (2006), Fringe Cuts (2003) and 4 At The Store (2002) all on Radio 4. Howard has worked as a warm-up artists Black Books (Ch4), Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned (ITV1), The Frank Skinner Show (ITV) and The Baddiel Syndrome (SKY1).
As a comic song-writer Howard has contributed to The Day the Music Died and Out To Lunch, both on Radio 2 and Mitch Benn’s Crimes Against Music on Radio 7.
Howard has also just become a published children’s author, writing and illustrating Little Howard’s Unpleasant Lullaby for Friday Project Books.
www.myspace.com/howardread
www.howardread.com
Howard Read will perform at The Big Chill festival 2008 A-Z line up | Ticket info
Written: 21st Mar, 08
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