Mark Olver

Mark Olver is very big around Bristol and fairly big around the national circuit already. Five years into his stand-up career, Mark has progressed from a wannabe to a player: And a very good player too. Known to everyone as just 'Olver', the lad is a fearless compere, a fast-witted, original act and will ad-lib with any audience, anywhere, anytime. Olver is the compere at the legendary 'Olver's Student Comedy Night' every Wednesday at Jesters Comedy Club in Bristol and also comperes the Thursday night slot at Jesters every week. He has gigged all over the country and has more recently been filling the slots on the Avalon Network gigs at various universities around the country.

Olver's most famed 15 minutes arrived in the summer of 2003 on stage at Jesters, when ten seconds into his act he slipped on stage and fell down, dislocating his knee and breaking his ankle at the same time. He continued to compere, prostrate on stage until the paramedics arrived and carted him off in an ambulance. This feat of pain endurance and being able to create laughs whilst in agony led to him being interviewed by the national media and written about on the BBC website. He has since had the plaster removed and his funny bone repaired. His much-lauded cartwheel mid-act is now not so frequently seen.

Olver's full-time career as a careers adviser is soon to be replaced with a full-time career as a stand-up comic. It is well overdue and he will be big. One of the hardest working comedians in the country and willing to travel just about anywhere for a gig, Olver cajoles, cuddles, bites and scratches, often in the same breath. He is loud, in your face, impossible to ignore, hard to miss and must be seen.