Tough Crowd by Dave Brown in aid of Afrikids Charity

TOUGH CROWD will showcase photographic portraits of some of the most popular and well-known comedians on the circuit.

The comedians have been photographed by Dave Brown who has been part of the cult UK comedy The Mighty Boosh since its conception in the late 90s. Over the years he has been involved in many aspects of the show including photography, design, choreography, music and playing many characters in the show itself, most famously Bollo, the Gorilla. Aside from his on-going work with The Mighty Boosh, Dave was also responsible for the photography and design of the marketing campaign for Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy for Channel 4.

Dave’s intimate portraits capture the comedians in a unique, private way, offering a different view of these famous faces including Jimmy Carr, Harry Hill, Bill Bailey, Tony Law, Noel Fielding, Lee Mack and many more.

Dave says "Comedians are by their very nature tough, they have to be. We always see them mucking about with big smiles on their faces, the funny man, the wacky women telling jokes, getting the laughs, the awards, the fame. But before all this, in the early days, when they were starting out, it has to be one of the hardest jobs in the world. Travelling to the darkest corners of the country often on their own, all to stand in the corner of a beer stained room on an upturned crate, shouting their hard thought through, well crafted, deeply personal material to 6 alcoholics and a comatose dog, you don't get much tougher than that!"

"At some point in their careers they've all been heckled by a drunk, dropped by an agent, cancelled on a bill and delivered a punchline to total silence. I want to capture a glimpse of these thick skinned, seriously tough, complex, moody characters and try to show them in a different light to the usual smiley happy go lucky comedy world image we're used to."

A limited edition, signed run of the prints will be available to purchase, with all profits going to AfriKids, a charity for which Dave is an Ambassador.

AfriKids is an award-winning partnership between a UK registered charity based in London, UK and a Ghanaian registered NGO (AfriKids Ghana) based in Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. AfriKids is a child rights organisation that works to alleviate the acute child suffering that rips through the fabric of rural communities across northern Ghana, and to open up opportunities to the region’s next generation. All AfriKids’ projects are locally owned and implemented in an effective, holistic, and sustainable manner.

The long term goal for AfriKids Ghana to become managerially and financially sustainable through social enterprise by 2018, at which point the UK office would become redundant and close down. AfriKids believes that change must not breed reliance; if the solution is not sustainable then it’s not development.