DLT Entertainment Invests In Impatient Productions
London: 24th September 2020: DLT Entertainment, the award-winning production and distribution company, has today announced that it has made investment in Impatient Productions, the independent creative production company set up by comedian Mark Watson and ex BBC producer Lianne Coop.
This investment marks a further expansion by DLT into the world of comedy, production, and talent representation, having most recently invested in The Soho Agency, Blue Book Artist Management and Andrew Roach Talent. The synergy created by these investments has the potential to create new opportunities for DLT, the agencies, and their clients, by providing a 360 approach to collaborating, sourcing and developing new projects within the company.
In addition to owning a stake in Impatient Productions and as part of the investment, President of DLT Entertainment, Donald Taffner, Jr will have a seat on the board to provide his professional experience and commercial knowledge.
Producing live and scripted comedy projects with comedians such as Josie Long, Daliso Chaponda, Sofie Hagen, Shappi Khorsandi and Laura Lexx, Impatient Productions also has ambitions to produce drama (live and broadcast), documentary and light entertainment. It is one of the first performer-led independents to venture into live promotion and has produced five live shows for Mark Watson at the Edinburgh Festival between 2014 and 2019, and toured Flaws, I'm Not Here, and The Infinite Show nationally and internationally.
In response to the nationwide lockdown, and with many comedy tours and shows currently on hiatus, Mark has recently embarked on Mark Watson’s Carpool Comedy Club, a hugely successful Drive & Dine Theatre tour. In partnership with Pub in The Park, the UK’s biggest food and drink tour, it was a drive-in comedy experience with a delicious twist, offering audience members a tasty dish from an exclusive menu curated by Michelin-starred Chef Tom Kerridge. Impatient produced 24 of these shows across twelve nights around the country, enjoying the best sales figures of any drive-in shows and winning acclaim across the industry. Meanwhile, Mark’s live streamed 24-hour show raised more than £40,000 for three different charities (including one to support out of work comedians) and was one of the most-watched comedy events of the lockdown. Impatient have also begun moving into the world of podcasts, with Jen Brister’s Women Talking Bollocks their first release under an exclusive agreement with Acast, and more in the pipeline.
Donald Taffner Jr., President of DLT Entertainment, said; “We’ve been fans of Mark and Lianne’s and everything they’ve been doing at Impatient Productions for a long time. Despite being hugely successful already there’s no doubt that the industry faces new challenges and Impatient Production’s creativity and adaptability (especially during lockdown) has been so impressive and illustrates their work ethic and innovation. We’re excited to officially welcome them into the DLT family and can’t wait to see what the future holds as we delve into new territories, collaborations and ideas.”
Mark Watson said: ‘This is a major moment in the eventful history of Impatient Productions. We started out in a low-profile way and weren’t taken seriously by some sections of the industry at first. But we have built a lot in a short space of time and I’m very happy to be pooling our talents with the clout and dynamism of a team like DLT’s. It’s already proved to be a fruitful partnership and we are only just getting started. This year has been very tough for everyone, but we’re coming out of it in a strong position and this new alliance is another big step forward for us, giving us the muscle to pursue even more of the projects that have made people talk about us.’
Lianne Coop said: ‘Donald has been a fantastic ally to Impatient ever since we started sharing ideas and discussing collaboration. His infectious energy and enthusiasm have given us courage to do the many and varied things that we have in the past couple of years, and they’ve been particularly welcome in the extremely challenging landscape of 2020. We’re proud of the way Impatient and DLT have navigated this together, and proud to go forward as part of such a talented family.’
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Further information:
Natasha Roberts, on behalf of DLT Entertainment: natasha.roberts@premiercomms.com | +44 (0) 20 7292 5094
Charlie Wainwright, on behalf of DLT: charlie.wainwright@premiercomms.com | +44 020 7292 7372
NOTES TO EDITORS
About DLT Entertainment:
With headquarters in London and New York, DLT Entertainment Ltd. is engaged in every aspect of television distribution and production around the world, as well as stage production in the US and in the UK where it owns London’s Shaftesbury Theatre.
Founded in 1963 as a distribution company by Don Taffner Sr., the company added television production to its portfolio in 1977. It has enjoyed terrific success in its fifty-six year history with legendary hits on both sides of the Atlantic including the multiple award-winning and BBC Trust praised sitcom My Family, As Time Goes By, Three’s Company, Too Close For Comfort and Meet My Folks. In addition, DLT has built a reputation as a leading distribution company with classics such as The Benny Hill Show, The World at War, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood, The Russ Abbot Show, Michel LeGrand and Friends, and Dara O’Briain’s Go 8 Bit.
In 2018 DLT expanded its own production activities in the United Kingdom through the acquisition of Vera Productions whose past productions include Getting On, Million Pound Jewellers, Bremner, Bird, and Fortune, and numerous Dispatches such as President Trump’s Dirty Secrets and Politicians for Hire: Cashing in on Brexit.
This year, DLT started a podcasting division with programs from Matt Richardson & Matt Willis and Laura Lexx & Will Duggan
DLT is also a significant player in the artist management business with key investments in The Soho Agency, Milburn Browning Associates, Blue Book Artist Management, and The Galton Agency.
The Shaftesbury Theatre in London, where & Juliet will continue its West End run once social distancing measures are eased, is owned by DLT.