NEW COMEDY PILOT COMMISSIONED FROM COMEDIAN AND ACTOR TRAVIS JAY

It has been announced that BBC Radio 4 have commissioned a brand-new audience sitcom, Rum Punch, written by and starring stand-up and actor Travis Jay (Black, British and Funny, The Stand Up Sketch Show, Drunk History), as Marley, a conflict-averse aspiring boxer who works in his parents’ Caribbean restaurant.

With a cast including Eddie Nestor (The Real McCoy), Kevin Garry (Ted Lasso) and Travis Jay, the show follows a multigenerational family as they juggle pursuit of their individual ambitions with their responsibilities to the family restaurant in the heart of Lewisham.

Travis is one of the most exciting up and coming names in comedy. Following a sell-out show at London’s Bloomsbury Theatre and run at Soho Theatre with his last stand-up show, Son of David, Travis is due to head out on a debut UK tour in Autumn 2024 with a brand-new show, Travisty. Travis has also supported Dave Chapelle on his Sticks & Stones London tour and Britain’s Got Talent winner Kojo Amin on tour across the UK. On television, Travis is a regular on Late Night Mash (Dave), as a writer and voice artist for the rebooted Spitting Image (BritBox) and has appeared on shows including The Stand Up Sketch Show (ITV2), Black, British & Funny (Channel 4) and Drunk History and Comedy Central Live (Comedy Central), and as an actor on Princess Mirror-Belle (CBBC) and Deep Fake Neighbour Wars (ITVX). He will also be appearing in SUPACELL this Autumn, a superhero drama for Netflix.

Written by Travis Jay, Rum Punch is an Avalon production. Executive Producers are Jon Thoday and Richard Allen Turner for Avalon.  Produced by Daisy Knight and Jules Lom.

Rum Punch airs on Tuesday 5th March on BBC Radio 4 and on BBC Sounds.

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For further information and publicity enquiries please contact:
Perrine Davari at Avalon on PDavari@avalonuk.com

Publicity enquiries to Frances Kordonowy on frances.kordonowy@bbc.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

Rum Punch cast:
Marley……………Travis Jay
Delroy ……………..Eddie Nestor
Des…………….Kevin Garry (KG Tha Comedian)
Angie ……………. Maureen Hibbert
Lydia ……………. Letitia Hector
Nicholas ……………. Kevin J
Taylor……………. @Faceinthenews

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. Avalon, Artists Rights Group and The Agency together represent a diverse and distinctive roster of artists including actors, comedians, writers and directors, among them Academy Award, BAFTA, Emmy, Tony and Olivier Award-winners.

Avalon is the UK’s largest true independent television production company, with over 40 shows in production in the last year including: hit entertainment format Taskmaster (Channel 4 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia, TV4 in Sweden, TVNorge/Discovery+ in Norway); Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO); Starstruck (HBO Max/BBC); Not Going Out (BBC), the UK’s longest running sitcom on air; Breeders (FX/Sky); The Chris & Rosie Ramsey Show (BBC); and Fantasy Football League (Sky). Avalon has produced over 4,000 episodes of hit programming for audiences in the UK, US and around the world, winning over 30 Emmy Awards and BAFTAs from nearly 100 nominations.

Other landmark Avalon shows include Catastrophe (Amazon/Channel 4), Flatbush Misdemeanors (Showtime), The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), TV Burp (ITV), and the cult classic workplace sitcom Workaholics (Comedy Central). Avalon has also produced over 60 comedy specials for various platforms including Amazon, HBO and Netflix, as well as numerous podcasts and radio shows, including the UK’s biggest podcast Shagged. Married. Annoyed. with Chris & Rosie Ramsey. Avalon’s dedicated distribution arm licenses its catalogue of programmes and formats to over 200 territories worldwide.

Avalon also produces and promotes live comedy around the world and has promoted more winners and nominees of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award than any other company. Avalon produced Newman and Baddiel: Live at Wembley, the UK’s first arena comedy show, Jerry Springer: The Opera, winner of four Olivier Awards, and is currently producing Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical in the West End.

For Avalon news visit: www.avalonuk.com/press or follow @avalonent