LONDON – May 29 2020 – It was announced today that Toby Ward joins Avalon as Head of UK Production (Comedy, Entertainment & Scripted).
Ward spent eight years at Burning Bright Productions as Director of Production, overseeing shows including Joanna Lumley’s Silk Road Adventure (ITV), 50 Ways to Kill Your Mammy (Sky), Almost Royal (BBC America), and Richard E Grant’s Hotel Secrets (Sky). This followed a 15-year role as Head of Production (Comedy & Entertainment) for Tiger Aspect, working across shows including Benidorm (ITV), Harry & Paul (BBC), The Catherine Tate Show (BBC), The Vicar of Dibley (BBC), Ross Kemp on Gangs / in Afghanistan (Sky), and Joanna Lumley’s Nile (ITV). With this newly created position, Ward will report to Avalon’s global Director of Production, Joanna Beresford, with whom he also worked at Spitting Image in the 1990s, and will work alongside Lydia Arding, Head of UK Production (Factual & Documentaries) and Kathy Welch, US Senior VP Production.
Joanna Beresford, Director of Production at Avalon, said: “We’re incredibly pleased to welcome Toby to Avalon. At a time when the entire industry has to navigate one of the most complex moments in production history, his first-rate expertise and experience are invaluable as we work to meet our current and future production commitments.”
Toby Ward said: “I’m thrilled to be joining the team at Avalon. I’ve been a long time admirer of their shows and I’m delighted to be working with Joanna again and to be joining the company at such an exciting time.”
Avalon series currently in production include: Not Going Out (BBC), Taskmaster (Channel 4), Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), Starstruck (HBO Max/BBC), Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (Freeform), Spitting Image (BritBox), Breeders (FX/Sky), The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show (Netflix), and multiple comedy specials for Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Netflix.
Ward will be based at the company’s London headquarters.
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For more information, please contact:
Dan Lloyd at Avalon on 020 7598 7222 / DLloyd@avalonuk.com
About Avalon
Avalon is a multi-award-winning talent management, television production and live promotion group with offices in London, Los Angeles and New York.
The company represents a prolific roster of artists including comedians, actors, presenters, writers and directors and produces numerous ground-breaking television shows. Series currently in production include: Not Going Out (BBC), the UK’s longest running sitcom on air; Taskmaster (Channel 4), the hit entertainment format showing in 100 countries; multi Emmy-winner, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO); The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), the network’s most successful entertainment show launch since 2010; Starstruck, a new sitcom from the 2018 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Rose Matafeo (HBO Max/BBC); Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, from creator Josh Thomas (Freeform); Breeders, a new sitcom starring Martin Freeman and Daisy Haggard (FX/Sky); The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show (Netflix); new series of the iconic British satirical puppet show, Spitting Image (BritBox UK); and multiple comedy specials for Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Netflix. Other landmark Avalon shows include BAFTA winning and multi Emmy nominated, Catastrophe (Amazon Prime Video/Channel 4), Fantasy Football League (BBC/ITV), multi BAFTA-winning TV Burp (ITV), and seven seasons of Workaholics (Comedy Central USA). Avalon also distributes its catalogue of programmes to over 150 countries worldwide.
As a leading promoter of live comedy, Avalon produced Newman and Baddiel: Live at Wembley, the UK’s first arena comedy show; Jerry Springer: The Opera, the first West End show to win all four UK ‘Best New Musical’ awards; and has continued to produce and promote live shows globally, as well as promoting more winners and nominees of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award than any other company.
For Avalon news visit: www.avalonuk.com/press or follow @avalonent
