Stand-up success
What Maria did next
Stand-up is an industry in its own right now with more than 50 clubs in London alone. Although Kempinska no longer runs venues directly, she continues to put on shows at Christmas and for businesses.
‘You have people begging you to book Peter Kay or Ricky Gervais for £50,000 for half an hour. It’s a phenomenal amount of money, but you have to spot exactly the right person for a particular show. We do not represent any of these comedians. We will put forward a number who could do the job.’
As part of the deal with Regent Inns, she retains the intellectual property in Jongleurs. Her priority so far has been to build the website into ‘the world’s leading comedy portal’, but she is now concentrating on producing content for mobile phones and TV.
She also holds the rights to develop clubs internationally. ‘My aim is to create comedy centres all round the world and for Jongleurs to become a worldwide name.’
Two weeks ago, she was back in Poland, looking at a site in Warsaw. ‘The value of what we have learnt and our infrastructure is second to none. We should be able to deliver comedy and look after performers anywhere in the world.
‘The Poles have a great sense of humour,’ she continues, ‘but it will be like going back 25 years and starting all over again. Of course, comedy is a natural release for anywhere that has been the slightest bit oppressed, so once we have proved ourselves, you never know, we might look at Russia next.’
| Previous page |