#President Obonjo

[thejohnfleming]

'President of Africa' cleared by Reuters of US invasion threat to support Trump

Last week, I blogged here about the fact that the Reuters news agency was investigating  – for a second time – whether ‘President Obonjo’ (aka comedian Benjamin Bello) really is the president of an African country. In fact, this time, the worrying suspicion was that he is actually the President of the whole of Africa and that he had threatened to invade the US in support of Donald…

[arichcomiclife]

EPISODE 79: BENJAMIN BANKE BELLO AKA PRESIDENT OBONJO

EPISODE 79: BENJAMIN BANKE BELLO AKA PRESIDENT OBONJO

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-ydr98-132ccf2 In this episode, I talk to the wonderful character comedian, BENJAMIN BANKO BELLO AKA PRESIDENT OBONJO about his comedy career. Comedian Bello created President Obonjo, an inflated self-centred dictator pf the Lafta Republic, feigning to find easy solutions delivered on stage with mocking accuracy, amusement, and susceptibility.  Obonjo has…

[acelucky]

Edinburgh Festival 2019 

It occurred to me that I never really posted that much from my trip to Edinburgh this year (apart from a few photos of The Elephant House & Outlander locations). Although I now have a ‘sensible’ blog over at Wordpress where I talk in detail about my comedy, writing, adventures and have several posts about Edinburgh. I wanted to post some photos of me with amazing acts & friends, this is mostly because tumblr has been a ‘home’ for me for over 9 years. 

I have recorded so much of my life on here, my adventures, hopes, dreams as well as the lowest points and so I hope one day when I’m a famous writer or comedian (lol) I can look back on these posts!

You can read my wordpress blog here. 

In the mean time the photos above are as follows. 1.) Me with a wonderful act called ‘Brother Sun & Sister Moon’ 2.) With friends! We’re all comedians from Portsmouth, 2 of these guys had shows at the fringe this year. 3.) With more friends, Steve had an amazing show about Action Figures! 4.) With THE African Dictator ‘President Obonjo’ I put ‘the’ in capitals as he’s been working on this act for years just for BBC Studios/E4 to essentially steal his act and make a TV Show of it. So we’ve been rallying support. 5.) With Zoe Bizoe, an incredible burlesque artist. 6.) With Laurie Black whose show stole my imagination and my heart. 7.) Me with a lot of glorious burlesque dancers! 8.) I adored this street artist’s work. 9.) Spencer and Millar, Jazz at lunchtime. 

[lewishamledger]

Win a chance to have a private screening at Catford Mews!

Imagine getting the chance to have a cinema all to yourself? Catford Mews, a new creative community hub for South London, is offering one lucky winner the chance to do just that! 

To enter, follow the Twitter &/or Instagram pages of @CatfordMews and then post an image or gif from your favourite film, tagging @lewishamledger and @CatfordMews. 

The winner will be announced on 23 December 2019.

Spearheading a revival of the Catford Centre, Catford Mews provides a multi-screen cinema, live entertainment space for music and comedy and pop-up food market with local traders. The cinema is the first multi-screen in Lewisham in almost 20 years and all programming is done in house, with extensive consultation from the local community to select specific films. The cinema offers 200 seats across 3 screens and is fully accessible, with wheelchair access and hard-of-hearing screenings.

The cinema aims to be affordable and inclusive, with ticket prices between £4.99 -£9.99, and discounts for students, families, over 60s plus further discounts for members available. This November, don’t miss out on seeing a live recording of Fleabag (now sold out in theatre) on 12 November or head to Catford Mews’ Comedy Night on 21 November, with acts including Andy Stoney, President Obonjo, Fatiha el-Ghorri, and tickets costing only £5pp. From 1st December, kick start the festive spirit with Catford Mews’ very own Christmas Fayre where mulled wine, mince pies, and winter film screenings will be on offer!

Locals can buy memberships for Catford Mews, with several options available, including student, 60+, family, and standard which are available from £25. Benefits of membership include free cinema tickets and exclusive discounts across the venue.

For more information on what’s on, please visit: www.catfordmews.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Terms & Conditions

The winner can hire Cinema Screen 2 on a complimentary basis – please note this is subject to availability and will be around the cinema’s public programming. Slots on offer are matinee or late night screenings

The winner can bring a maximum of 50 guests to the cinema screening

The winner can choose any film they’d like, assuming Catford Mews can source the appropriate licensing rights for the film

[willpreston87]

Favourite moment from last night's show? Too many to choose from. Was it seeing the incredible Al Lubel try some new stuff? Was it seeing President Obonjo open the gig by shouting "Death to the BBC!"? Was it seeing @thischarmingmo on stage for the first time in ages? My favourite moment from last night was @catlingstephen pretending to be a Bishop wearing a Pug's head as a Mitre. #comedy #comedian #standup #london #funny #hoxton #wednesday #comedyshow (at Comedy Cabin) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Z-CKYnEBC/?igshid=u861xvcsjj3j

[isa-d-entertainer]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Isa D'Entertainer (@dbigdaddylover)

How Indian women are Ravishing Nigerian music. @heisrema Your Excellency Mr President @mc_tagwaye Nigerian President. Chaired by - His Excellency The President of LRp @obonjo Dan Borno D"Jounalist. ConvickD 19 D'COMPLAIN ADDICT. The adventures off #alhajimusa #officerjato #neduwazobiafm #mycallproductions #isadentertainer #patrunbadmoschief #danbornoentertainment #naijacomedy #laughnigeria #funnyvideosuk #funnyvideonigeria #comedyskits #bornostate #abujaentertainment #abujaweddings #kadunababes #kanobabes #nawedeyhere #endtimelandlord #afroentertainment https://www.instagram.com/p/CDHOErAArxs/?igshid=1n293exlunsx5

[mercyfulgrace]

President Obonjo at the Comedy Store

[thejohnfleming]

Reuters suspects that a comedian may secretly be a real-life African dictator...

With all the misinformation swirling around, it is good to know that the Reuters news agency takes its journalistic responsibilities seriously when supplying worldwide news and media sources with facts. But a joke’s a joke. Reuters employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide.  In August last year, Reuters fact-checked President Obonjo, a British…

[thejohnfleming]

The morning after yesterday's blog on President Obonjo, this happened...

Following on from yesterday’s blog… This BBC News report has appeared… It has been suggested that this coup could have been a case of mistaken identity, with the CIA,  confused by the online Obonjo publicity, overthrowing someone they thought was President Obonjo to undermine the Donald Trump campaign… Gabon coup: Army officers say they are taking power By George Wright & Kathryn…

[thejohnfleming]

Donald Trump's supporters hail President Obonjo is one of their own

Presidents Trump and Obonjo in happier times… Benjamin/Obonjo as himself this morning Malcolm Hardee Award winning British comedian Benjamin Bankole Bello has been performing as fictional African dictator President Obonjo of the LAFTA Republic for almost 12 years. For the last five days, he has been trolled by both Trump supporters and Trump opponents on the internet. I talked to him this…

[thejohnfleming]

President Obonjo on the Pleasance's dangerous Edinburgh Fringe decision

President Obonjo on the Pleasance’s dangerous Edinburgh Fringe decision

Benjamin Bankole Bello, who performs comedy as President Obonjo, is rather concerned by the Pleasance venue’s banning of comedian Jerry Sadowitz’s show at the Edinburgh Fringe… For well over 11 years I have performed as self-exiled dictator, President Obonjo, living in the UK – bombastic, loud and terrorising the audience – a great conduit for jokes. The press statement from the Pleasance…

[thejohnfleming]

John Fleming's Weekly Diary – No 27 – Face masks, new talent and The Iceman

John Fleming’s Weekly Diary – No 27 – Face masks, new talent and The Iceman

… CONTINUED FROM DIARY No 26 …

SUNDAY 19th JULY

Writer/performer Ariane Sherine‘s hugely-talented 9-year-old daughter sent me a song which she had composed about eggs.

MONDAY 20th JULY

Apropos nothing, I was reminded today that, when I worked at Thames Television in London, one of the executives had the job title Head of Further…

[thejohnfleming]

BBC Studios and Channel 4 risk court case by ripping-off President Obonjo...

BBC Studios and Channel 4 risk court case by ripping-off President Obonjo…

#JusticeForObonjo !

BBC TV has a track record for simply stealing ideas.

Kate Copstick, doyenne of UK comedy critics agrees: “They do have a bit of a rep for being sticky-fingered.”

I mentioned one case in passing in a 2013 blog in which the Beeb tried to rip-off an idea the late Malcolm Hardee and I had. 

Which brings us to the current great rip-off scandal involving BBC Studios.

Monday 12th…

[thejohnfleming]

BBC TV stole this character comic’s identity, making Channel 4 complicit

BBC TV stole this character comic’s identity, making Channel 4 complicit

The one, the original – President Obonjo – cajoles, intimidates and for sure entertains his audience

In the last four days, within the cyber bubble of the UK comedy industry, there has been a shitstorm on Twitter and Facebook about BBC Studios apparently ripping off a character comedian’s long-running on-stage persona and selling a series pilot based on it to E4 (part of Channel 4).

So obviously,…

[thejohnfleming]

Martin Besserman brings Alternative Variety to the London comedy circuit

Martin Besserman brings Alternative Variety to the London comedy circuit

It’s Camden Cabaret and the man behind it…

Martin Besserman, host of the long-established London comedy club Monkey Business is starting another night on Friday this week at his regular venue – the Pembroke Castle in Primrose Hill/Chalk Farm… It is not altogether comedy, though there will be some.

So we had a chat about it in his car, because it was raining. Well, you would, wouldn’t you? It was…