Jugglers

Mat Ricardo

Variety artist and comedian extraordinaire, Mat Ricardo is the award-winning “Gentleman Juggler.” Redefining his art form to become one of the most critically acclaimed and successful specialty acts there is, Mat Ricardo is a truly unique variety performer who captures a crowd like no other.

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Biography

“Mat Ricardo is amazing”
HRH Prince Charles

Mat has spent the last 25 years entertaining the world with a variety juggling act that’s by equal parts astonishing and hilarious. Known for being one of the best comedy variety performers in the UK, Mat Ricardo is a revered figure on the cabaret circuit as well as one of the entertainment industry’s most in-demand artists.

They say he’s the first man in history to learn to put the tablecloth back on the table… but that’s just one of his incredible feats.

Mat Ricardo beguiles his audience with both old favourites and signature routines. These include tricks that haven’t been performed for decades, as well as some that have never been performed before, all delivered with dazzling confidence and a dose of wry wit.

In short, with Mat, you are guaranteed big laughs, serious skills, slapstick, and breathtaking spectacle.

Since helping to spearhead the resurgence of new circus and variety in the late 1980s, Mat has headlined theatres across Europe and appeared at countless international variety and comedy festivals, as well as the world’s best cabaret and burlesque stages. He has extensively entertained corporate clients, the British Royal Family, filled UK theatres and worked alongside the world’s best entertainers.

Mat Ricardo has won a host of notable awards, including the Herald Angel Award for theatre excellence, the British Cabaret Award for Best Speciality Act, the Kleinkunst Cabaret Prize, Stagetalk Magazine’s Show of the Year, and the Arts Award Pick of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Mat Ricardo is perfect for: Online events, variety events, cabaret events, corporate events, private functions, comedy events

Testimonials

“Mat Ricardo is amazing”
HRH Prince Charles

“So, so funny”
Larry David

“My favourite show”
Emma Thompson

“Relentless hilarious, jaw-dropping fun…Ricardo’s smooth wit drives the show at full speed. The actual tricks are as stunning for their mastery as for their ingenious conception. You’ll struggle to find a show more tightly packed with cunning humour and spellbinding amusement.”
ER Magazine

“from his three-piece suit to his charisma, humour and ability to work a room, Ricardo is a captivating performer. fast-paced, hilariously funny…and the mother of all tablecloth tricks!”
Scotsgay

“A minor legend. We left feeling rather richer to have spent an hour in his warm and commanding presence”
Total Theatre

“Ricardo is a real showman…one hell of a juggler and more besides! He’ll explode your expectations!”
Three weeks

“A smart, funny and incredibly likeable performer…astonishing dexterity and imagination…even the most jaded audiences will be impressed”
Fest magazine

“One of the greatest jugglers in the world…
a phenomenon of the international comedy scene”
Rire sur la ville

“undoubtedly one of the greatest variety artists working today”
The Scotsman

“Ricardo is open, self-deprecating and very funny, but all the while makes us aware that we are watching a consummate act, one that teases us to the very end with the prospect of his signature whip-off-the-tablecloth routine. Ricardo makes it all look easy, and then he contradicts that by telling us that a routine involving five balls took five long years to master. This is a gloriously old-fashioned, neatly put together show, one that looks back to the golden age of variety and vaudeville. It does what it does with real aplomb, terrific humour and genuine skill. This showman deserves your applause. Immensely skilled and very funny”
Time Out

“As a dapperly dressed gentleman juggler, his props include cigar boxes, snooker cues, silverware and – in a signature trick – tablecloths. His dexterity is captivating, whether he’s sending coloured bottles spinning like fireworks or manipulating a hat, cane and wine glass in an elegant routine that borders on dance – one of several bits perfectly timed to a musical track.”
The Scotsman

“the best variety act in the business”
★★★★★ Broadway Baby

“A quintessential showman and self-described “vaudeville schmuck”, Ricardo’s variety act is defined by faultless delivery and impeccable preparation”
★★★★★ Fringe Guru

“Brilliant!”
The Herald

“Breathtaking”
Evening standard

“Terrific humour and genuine skill”
The Guardian

“One of the best shows I have ever seen”
Arts Award Voice

“Incredible…and very witty with it”
The Scotsman

“Dazzling!”
Metro

Winner: – Best Speciality Act – London Cabaret Awards
Winner – Herald Angel Theatre AwardWinner – Openflair Kleinkunst Award
Winner – Stagetalk show of the year
Winner – Ottawa peoples choice award
Winner – Toronto peoples choice award
Winner – Arts award pick of the fringe

Chortle Cabaret Correspondent / Writer / Actor / Comedian / Photographer