Client details

Edinburgh Comedy Award 2009 nominees

2010 Chortle Award Winners,

Idiots of Ants are Andrew Spiers, Elliott Tiney, Benjamin Wilson and James Wrighton. Since forming in 2007 they have gone on to completely sell-out four Edinburgh festivals and a run in London’s prestigious west end. They have toured the U.K and abroad and had numerous U.K television and radio appearances on BBC1, BBC 2, E4 and Radio 4, with their sketches also making an appearance on The Today Show in the US and ChannelPlus in France. It is no surprise then that the Independent declared them to be one of the top five sketch groups in the UK.

They were one of the only sketch groups to perform at the 2009 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal (www.hahaha.com), alongside comedy legends John Cleese (who not only appeared in one of their sketches but also provided an exclusive interview for the Ants), Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Cosby, Jimmy Carr and Ross Noble.

Idiots of Ants have attracted a staggeringly large internet following. Their most recent project being a selection of sketches for BBC Comedy Online, which all feature on their YouTube channel along with skits made for E4 “Funny Cut” and BBC 3’s “The Wall”. Their “Facebook in real life” and “Wii Breakfast” sketches are achieving multi-million hits and are becoming two of the most viewed YouTube comedy clips of all time in the UK.

Their success is not limited to the circuit and on-line; The Idiots Of Ants have also had their sketches played at the G8 Summit, filmed a short film to help Friends of The Earth promote their call to action to get air travel included in the Climate Change Bill, written comedy scripts for the likes of Sienna Miller and Tony Blair, featured on BBC 2’s THE CULTURE SHOW, Channel Four's SCHOOL OF COMEDY and on BBC1s Comic Relief.

The ‘Idiots’ also work as actors, having appeared in numerous commercials, films and television shows as well as running the new writing comedy night ‘Crash Test Comedy’ once a month at the Pleasance Theatre, Islington, where brand new sketch, character and stand up comedy is showcased.

Some select reviews:

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY ABOUT IDIOTS OF ANTS:

The Scotsman, Time Out, British Theatre Guide, Edinburgh Festivals Magazine, Edinburgh Guide, Allthefestivals.com

The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Chortle, Fest, British Comedy Guide, Edinburgh Evening news.

‘Best Sketch group of 2009’
'Rock ‘n’ roll hysteria meets sharp and brilliant comedy'
Tim Arthur, Time Out

‘An astonishing hit rate...Everything is executed with verve...Not sick, dark or fashionably twisted, just very, very funny... Laugh? I even put my pen down to applaud’
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard

‘The imagination, easy chemistry and all-round comic brio on offer here make them look like the smartest sketch-show in town.’
Mark Monahan, The Daily Telegraph

'The funniest sketch show in Edinburgh'
Dominic Maxwell, The Times

‘Muscle-spasmingly clever and funny… a multilayered comic marvel, so clever it hurt….By half time they already had these five stars. But what we got in the second half made me wish I had five more to give.’
Kate Copstick, The Scotsman

‘Sheer excellence’
Scotland on Sunday

‘intelligently witty and wonderfully timed observational comedy sketches, unlike anything you will have seen…Unlike most sketch shows, which are usually hit and miss in their material, this show has the audience literally crying with laughter at every single scene. These slick, charismatic professionals are certainly one to watch. Buy your tickets now and see them this year, before they inevitably crack the big-time’
Edinburgh Festivals Magazine

‘…was howling with laughter…We can’t recommend this show enough; if you like your comedy high-energy, intelligent and silly, you’ll do well to pay them a visit’. 
Londonist.com

‘Instantly likeable and energetic…Highly inventive…don’t be surprised to see them on a digital channel near you soon’ 
The List

‘Sketch comedy is officially back back on the map with Idiots of Ants’ 
The London Paper