If you are interested in booking any of the comedians that are featured on this website please email me at mullaney3@blueyonder.co.uk and I will be happy to pass on your enquiry.

Howard Read

Howard Read is a writer, stand-up comedian, song writer, animator and actor. 

He is best known for his unique creation Little Howard, an animated six-year-old boy, with whom he performs on stage and screen as Big Howard Little Howard.  Together they stole the show at the 2007 Royal Variety Performance.  They have since got their own series on CBBC on BBC1 Little Howard’s Big Question for which Howard is the star, co-writer and lead animator.

"This series continues to be a joy, with clever scripts that ring true of the magical time of childhood, while, thanks to Big Howard, it's also incredibly, achingly funny.”  The Daily Mail

"Witty, clever, at times breathtakingly funny comedy... Never mind Radio 4, Little Howard is worth the license fee alone."  The Sunday Times

Two further series of Little Howard’s Big Question have just been commissioned back-to-back. 

Big Howard and Little Howard have also appeared on This Morning (ITV1, 2008), Campbell Live (TV3 New Zealand, 2008), The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC USA, 2005) and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (ABC Australia 2004) and The Slammer (CBBC on BBC1, 2006).

Before their television success Big Howard Little Howard were already a highly successful festival act all over the world, for both the adult and the family audience.  Performing at five Edinburgh Fringe festivals, two Melbourne International Comedy Festivals and the US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, as well as three UK tours and a short run in New York.   In 2003 The Big Howard Little Howard Show was the only British nominee for the Perrier Award.  And their latest live show Little Howard and the Magic Pencil Of Life And Death was an official sell out at the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe, won the Best Family Show Award at the Buxton Fringe in 2008, and was nominated for Best Children’s Show at the Brighton Fringe 2008.

“A huge hit, clever, silly and just the right side of rude." The Telegraph
"Even though it’s in... [the children's] section of the program, it’s still among the funniest shows at the festival. It appeals to both kids and adults but, like The Simpsons it’s almost wasted on the youngsters." Chortle.co.uk (4 stars)
“The best Kids show we've seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival… … children and adults are equally delighted.”  Families Magazine (5 stars)
"This has to be one of the most magical double acts on the circuit, as entertaining and educational for adults as for little ones."  British Theatre Guide (5 stars)

Big Howard Little Howard regularly appear at corporate events.  They have performed after dinner cabaret for the Association Of Investment Trust Companies at The Dorchester, The Police Superintendents Of England and Wales, Haymarket Interactive, Hall and Woodhouse Brewery and Silent Night Beds amongst many others.  Recently they hosted an entire award ceremony for The Chartered Institute of Marketers in Jersey, creating a bespoke animated set especially for the event.
Howard is also a stand-up.  He has appeared on The World Stands-Up (Paramount, ABC and BBC America) and Fringe Cuts and Four At The Store (Radio 4), Out To Lunch (Radio 2), Loose Ends (Radio 4) and Spanking New (Radio 7).

As a writer he co-wrote Peacefully In Their Sleeps, a series of fake obituaries for Radio 4 in 2007 and Stairlift To Heaven a one-off animation for CBBC, both of which starred the vocal talents of Richard Briers.  In his early career Howard wrote two series of six short animations called Bird On A Wire (Paramount Comedy 2002) which starred the vocal talents of Rob Rouse and Jimmy Carr amongst others.  He co-wrote and animated the series of 30 short animations Two Posh Old Men for UKTV in 2002.

Howard is also a gifted songwriter.  His songs have appeared in all of his television shows, The Day The Music Died (Radio 2), Loose Ends (Radio 4) and both the TV and radio versions of Twenty Eight Acts In Twenty Eight Minutes (BBC3 and Radio 4).  In 2009 he was runner up for the Inaugural Tuborg Musical Comedy Award.  An album of songs from Little Howard’s Big Question is being released by BBC Worldwide at the end of 2009.  His Unpleasant Lullaby has appeared on several radio and TV shows and is now a picture book published by Harper Collins.

As well as animating his own projects Howard has contributed animations to Celebdaq (BBC3, 2003), The Big Read (BBC2, 2002) and has made four short films with Ross Nobel, which have opened the great man’s live shows all over the globe.

Howard is married and has two children.  Three if you include Little Howard.