Actor, writer and comedian Mawaan Rizwaan will bring Newcastle’s stint as the BBC’s UK City of Comedy to a close with a deep dive into his comedy career.
The closing event will take place at Newcastle’s Tyneside Cinema, and see Rizwaan discussing his long career, from making music videos on YouTube and writing for hit Netflix series Sex Education, to developing, writing and starring in his upcoming BBC Three sitcom JUICE. Navi Lamba, head of talent development at BBC Comedy, will host.
Later that evening at The Black Swan in Newcastle, Adult Film Club will return to round the celebrations off with a night of comedy short films from 7pm. Hosted and curated by writer/performer Chris Cantrill (BBC2’s Alma’s Not Normal and half of Edinburgh nominated double act The Delightful Sausage) and animator/director Sam O’Leary (Inside No.9 and Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared) and produced by local talent Hal Branson.
The evening brings a close to The BBC City of Comedy in Newcastle. The tenure has helped North East Screen find, nurture and connect new comedy talent in the North East with BBC commissioners and the wider TV industry, bringing the North East comedy community together to collaborate, grow and thrive.
Lisa Laws, head of talent and professional development at North East Screen said: “We are thrilled to welcome the fantastically funny and prolific writer, creator and performer Mawaan Rizwan to the region to hear how he has developed his career.
“We have a lot to celebrate following our year as BBC City of Comedy, including opportunities for local people to gain real insights into the world of TV comedy. We have loved working so closely with the BBC Comedy Commissioning team and through the partnership we’ve been able to open up even more opportunities to champion, develop and work alongside the next wave of comedy producers, writers and directors.”
