The Stage

UK agents to provide Olympic entertainment

Published Tuesday 23 March 2004 at 10:45 by Jeremy Austin

Agents Mal Ford and Jean Parkes have secured a series of deals to provide much of the cabaret entertainment at corporate events and hotels in Athens during this year’s Olympic Games.

After opening an associate office in the Greek capital last year Ford, who runs Blackpool-based Personality Artistes agency with Parkes, has made regular trips to the Olympic city where he has been meeting company heads and corporate hospitality hosts involved in the sporting event. He is now scouring the domestic market for suitable function bands who will base themselves in Athens during the entirety of the Olympics.

Ford said: “Our involvement in Greece and the opening of our associate office came about when we sent an Elvis impersonator out there for a private party. The business just snowballed from there after one of our artistes Johnny Prima and his orchestra were invited to work regularly at the Grande Bretagne Hotel.

“Our associate office has engineered invitations from Olympic corporate hospitality and party organisers to provide functions bands, production shows and cabaret entertainment. As far as I am aware we are the only British office to get directly involved in this market.”

Parkes is executive producer for production shows such as Oh! What A Night, The Kings of Swing and Abba Mania. Together with co-producer Stewart Littlewood, she is currently in various stages of negotiations with corporate sponsors and party organisers to sell all of these shows into major hotel venues during the 20-day event in August.

Back in the UK, Ford and Parkes have joined forces with Bobby Ball who will direct a new touring comedy show. Called Funnyguys it will feature Cannon and Ball plus Ball’s two sons who work together in a comedy duo called Harper. Also appearing in the same show will be another comedy duo, Barricade. Ford hopes to market Funnyguys at the summer season market in future years. Harper are currently supporting Peter Kay on his touring show.