Join comedian and broadcaster Viv Groskop for the Russian version of her celebrated live comedy talk-show about the pitfalls (and pleasures) of performing in public. With three guests who also always make us happy: stand-up Igor Meerson, PR guru Aliona Muchinskaya and journalist and humorist Vitali Vitaliev. In Russian with some English.
Doors open and drinks 7.30pm; show 8pm-9pm; bar 9pm-10pm.
Viv Groskop is a writer, stand-up comedian, broadcaster, committed Russophile and the Artistic Director of the Independent Bath Literature Festival. Her latest show Say Sorry to the Lady was at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. Funny Women finalist and Maestro Improv winner, you can also hear her on BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends and Saturday Live. 'Viv is Brilliant' (Jo Brand). 'Groskop positively sparkles' (BroadwayBaby.com).
Igor Meerson, ex-Comedy Club resident, was one of Russia's first stand-ups. He is now producer and performer of the STS show Leningrad Stand-Up Club and was scriptwriter of the hit films Yolki, Yolki 2, Yolki 3, Yolki 1914, Jungle and The Host. He is one of GQ's 5 New Faces of Russian Humour and Time Out's 9 Best Russian Comedians and his Edinburgh show Hou I Lernt Inglish is now at the Soho Theatre on 9 November.
Aliona Muchinskaya is the 'Creative Tornado' (Moscow Times) and 'Russian Party Queen' (Evening Standard) founder of Red Square PR. Previously foreign correspondent in London for Moskovsky Komsomolets (MK), one of Russia's biggest newspapers, she then worked with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman on their Long Way Round trip, chaperoned Paul McCartney on his Moscow tour and acted as the Head of London Office for Mikhail Gorbachev for his 80th Birthday Celebrations at the Royal Albert Hall. She has since joined Quintessentially Lifestyle’s London HQ in a newly created role following a staggering increase in Russian Members, clients and partners.
The first investigative journalist in the old Soviet Union, Vitali Vitaliev was forced to defect from the USSR in January 1990 – the result of his ground-breaking investigations into Soviet organised crime, neo-fascism, political prisoners and persecutions. He has since become widely known in the UK as a columnist and satirist, and for his appearances on shows including Saturday Night Clive, QI and Have I Got News For You. He has 'an irrepressible sense of humour' (The Guardian) and 'the charm of Michael Palin and the wit of Clive Anderson' (Time Out).